The morning bell rang through the school corridors.
Students hurried toward their classrooms, some carrying books, others talking about homework they had forgotten to finish.
Itsuki Hayama walked through the middle of the crowd with his school bag hanging from one shoulder.
He yawned.
"I'm tired…"
He stopped outside Class 1-A and looked inside.
Everyone seemed unusually energetic.
Itsuki sighed.
"Why does everyone have so much energy in the morning?"
He walked inside.
Yuna Aizawa was already sitting at her desk.
She noticed him.
"Morning, Itsuki!"
"Morning."
Ren Fujimoto waved from the other side of the classroom.
"Yo!"
Itsuki raised a hand.
Haruto Sakamoto was sitting nearby, quietly looking through his badminton notes.
"Morning, Haruto."
"Morning."
Itsuki sat down.
A few minutes later, the classroom door opened.
Their homeroom teacher entered.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, sir!"
The teacher placed his books on the desk.
"Before we begin today's lesson, we have something to announce."
The classroom immediately became noisy.
"A new test?"
"Another assignment?"
"Please don't say homework…"
The teacher sighed.
"No. Today we have a transfer student."
The room instantly became louder.
"A transfer student?"
"Who?"
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
The teacher turned toward the door.
"You can come in."
The classroom door opened.
A girl carefully stepped inside.
She held a white cane in one hand.
Her shoulder-length chestnut hair was tied loosely with a pale blue ribbon.
She wore the same school uniform as everyone else, though she had a small light-blue cardigan underneath her blazer.
Her expression was calm.
The classroom became quiet.
The teacher smiled.
"Everyone, please welcome our new transfer student."
The girl bowed slightly.
"My name is Aoi Mizuhara."
Her voice was gentle.
"I'm looking forward to studying with all of you."
A few students whispered among themselves.
The teacher nodded.
"She's recently transferred here, so please help her become familiar with the school."
He looked around the classroom.
"We'll need someone to help her get around during the first few days."
Before Itsuki could even look away—
The teacher pointed directly at him.
"Itsuki."
Itsuki froze.
"…Me?"
"Yes."
"Why me?"
"You already know her."
The entire class looked at him.
Yuna slowly turned around.
Ren raised an eyebrow.
Haruto looked amused.
Itsuki sighed.
"…Okay."
The teacher pointed toward the empty seat beside Itsuki.
"Aoi, you can sit there."
Aoi smiled.
"Thank you."
She carefully walked toward the desk.
Itsuki stood up.
"Here."
He moved the chair slightly.
"There's a desk in front of you."
"Thank you, Itsuki."
She sat down beside him.
Itsuki returned to his seat.
Then he noticed something.
Aoi was smiling.
A little too happily.
"It's nice seeing you again."
Itsuki smiled back.
"Yeah. I didn't expect you to transfer here."
"Neither did I."
She leaned slightly toward him.
"But I'm happy."
Itsuki blinked.
"Why?"
"Because I already know someone."
She smiled.
Itsuki scratched his cheek.
"That's true."
---
Across the classroom, Hotaru Tachibana sat quietly.
She had been listening.
Her expression remained calm, but her attention had shifted toward Itsuki and Aoi.
Beside Hotaru sat her younger sister, Hina Tachibana, who had transferred into the same school and was now helping with student council activities.
Hina glanced toward Itsuki.
Then toward Aoi.
Then back toward Itsuki.
She whispered,
"Isn't that the girl he was helping at the clothing store?"
Hotaru nodded.
"I think so."
Hina narrowed her eyes.
"And now she's sitting beside him."
Hotaru didn't answer.
She simply looked toward the two.
Aoi was already asking Itsuki something.
Itsuki answered.
Aoi smiled.
Hotaru looked away.
She didn't understand why she had noticed it.
It wasn't important.
At least…
It shouldn't have been.
---
The first few classes passed normally.
During one lesson, Aoi quietly leaned toward Itsuki.
"Which page are we on?"
"Page forty-two."
"Thank you."
A few minutes later—
"Itsuki?"
"Hmm?"
"Can you tell me what the diagram looks like?"
"Sure."
He began explaining it.
Aoi listened carefully.
Then she smiled.
"You explain things well."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Itsuki smiled.
"Maybe I should become a teacher."
Aoi laughed.
"You'd probably fall asleep during your own class."
"That's unfair."
---
Finally—
The lunch bell rang.
The classroom immediately transformed.
Students pulled out lunch boxes.
Some gathered around their friends.
Others headed toward the courtyard.
Yuna walked over to Itsuki.
"So…"
Itsuki looked at her.
"So what?"
Yuna pointed toward Aoi.
"Introduce us."
Itsuki blinked.
"Oh, right."
He turned toward Aoi.
"Aoi, these are my friends."
He pointed toward Yuna.
"This is Yuna Aizawa."
Yuna smiled.
"Nice to meet you."
Aoi smiled.
"Nice to meet you too."
Itsuki pointed toward Ren.
"This is Ren Fujimoto."
Ren raised his hand.
"Yo."
Aoi giggled.
"Hello."
"And this is Haruto Sakamoto."
Haruto nodded.
"Nice to meet you."
Aoi bowed slightly.
"Nice to meet you too."
Yuna smiled.
"So you're the girl Itsuki helped at the clothing store?"
Aoi nodded.
"Yes."
"He was really helpful."
Yuna looked at Itsuki.
Itsuki immediately became nervous.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Yuna smiled suspiciously.
"No reason."
Ren whispered,
"That smile means something."
Haruto nodded.
"Definitely."
Itsuki looked between them.
"What are you guys talking about?"
"Nothing!"
Yuna sat down.
Aoi also sat beside Itsuki.
Then—
She moved slightly closer.
"Itsuki, what are you eating?"
"My lunch."
"I know that."
"Then why did you ask?"
"I wanted to know what you brought."
Itsuki opened his lunch box.
"Rice and chicken."
Aoi smiled.
"That sounds good."
"You want some?"
"Really?"
"Sure."
Yuna's eyebrows slowly rose.
Ren noticed.
Haruto noticed.
Even the students nearby seemed to notice.
Yuna leaned toward Ren.
"Interesting…"
Ren whispered back.
"Very interesting."
Itsuki looked at them.
"Why are you two whispering?"
"Nothing."
Aoi laughed.
Then she turned toward Itsuki again.
"Itsuki."
"Yeah?"
"Can you help me find the library after lunch?"
"Sure."
"I'll remember that."
She smiled.
Yuna stared at them.
Her expression slowly became suspicious.
Wait a minute…
She looked at Aoi.
Then Itsuki.
Then Aoi again.
Are these two…?
Yuna immediately shook her head.
"No."
Ren looked at her.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You're making a weird face."
"I'm thinking."
"That's dangerous."
"Shut up."
Itsuki looked over.
"What are you two doing?"
Yuna smiled innocently.
"Nothing, Itsuki."
"Why do I feel like you're planning something?"
"Because you're paranoid."
"I've learned from experience."
Everyone laughed.
Aoi smiled beside him.
Hotaru, sitting across the classroom, quietly watched the scene.
She saw how naturally Aoi talked with Itsuki.
How comfortable she seemed around him.
And how Itsuki smiled whenever she spoke.
Hotaru's expression remained unreadable.
She simply returned her attention to her lunch.
But somewhere in the back of her mind, one thought remained.
He seems to have made another friend.
Nothing more.
At least, that's what she told herself.
Meanwhile, Yuna leaned toward Ren again.
"I'm watching them."
Ren sighed.
"Why?"
"Because something is suspicious."
Haruto heard them and laughed.
"You're acting like a detective."
Yuna pointed dramatically toward Aoi and Itsuki.
"I will uncover the truth!"
Itsuki looked over.
"Yuna."
"Yes?"
"Please eat your lunch."
"…Right."
She quietly lowered her hand.
"Investigation postponed."
Ren burst out laughing.
And just like that, the ordinary lunch break turned into the beginning of a very strange friendship—
and a completely unnecessary investigation led by Yuna Aizawa.
—End of Chapter 15—