Shiori huddled deeper into her blanket, staring at her phone screen in the dark of her room. The space heater hummed quietly in the corner while Taiki's muffled voice drifted through the wall - probably complaining about volleyball drills again during his nightly call with Jin.

  Her phone buzzed.

  Maki: so

  Maki: it's been a month

  Maki: and christmas is coming up

  Maki: you know what that means??? ??

  Shiori: It means I should be studying for finals

  Maki: WRONG

  Maki: it means romance

  Maki: opportunities

  Maki: your favorite volleyball disaster is right next door

  Maki: literally RIGHT THERE

  Maki: and you're still doing nothing about it

  Shiori: I'm not doing nothing

  Shiori: I'm actively panicking about it

  Maki: that's basically nothing

  Maki: but with more anxiety

  Shiori: He called me "super nice" again today

  Shiori: I dropped my water bottle

  Shiori: Three times

  Maki: omg you're hopeless

  Maki: this is painful to watch

  Maki: you're literally the most popular girl in school

  Maki: how are you this bad at this??

  Shiori: Because he's different!

  Shiori: He doesn't care about any of that stuff

  Shiori: He just sees me as his clumsy roommate who drinks too much coffee

  Maki: yeah

  Maki: the roommate he stares at when you're not looking

  Maki: the one he saves the last curry bread for

  Maki: THAT roommate

  Shiori buried her face in her pillow, trying to muffle her groan. Through the wall, she could hear Taiki laugh at something Jin said, and her heart did that annoying flippy thing.

  Maki: you know what you need?

  Maki: a PLAN

  Maki: and lucky for you

  Maki: i have one ??

  Shiori: Why do I feel scared?

  Maki: because you're smart

  Maki: but also because you have no choice

  Maki: operation christmas romance starts NOW

  Shiori: I don't need a plan

  Maki: too late

  Maki: you've had a month of panic

  Maki: A MONTH

  Maki: of dropping things

  Maki: running away

  Maki: and generally being a disaster

  Shiori: I'm not that bad

  Maki: yesterday you walked into a wall

  Shiori: The wall came out of nowhere

  Maki: THE WALL HAS BEEN THERE FOR 50 YEARS

  Maki: anyway

  Maki: christmas festival

  Maki: next weekend

  Maki: you're coming

  Maki: he's coming

  Maki: end of discussion

  Shiori started typing a protest, but Maki's next message cut her off.

  Maki: nope

  Maki: don't care

  Maki: already told Sato we're going

  Maki: it's happening

  Maki: suffer in silence

  Shiori flopped back onto her bed, staring at her ceiling.

  Shiori: You're evil

  Maki: thank you

  Maki: i try

  Shiori: What if he doesn't want to go?

  Maki: oh honey

  Maki: Sato's already working on that

  Maki: trust in the process

  Shiori: I trust nothing about this

  Maki: good call

  Maki: but you're still going

  A month. It had been a whole month of this ridiculous dance. Of overthinking every interaction, of dropping things whenever he got too close, of pretending she wasn't hyper-aware of his presence in their shared space. Maybe Maki had a point.

  Shiori: Fine.

  Maki: VICTORY ??

  Shiori: But I reserve the right to panic

  Maki: wouldn't expect anything less

  Taiki shuffled into the kitchen the next morning, his hair sticking up in every direction as he made a beeline for the coffee maker. Shiori was already there, methodically stirring her own cup while scrolling through her phone.

  "Hey," he yawned, reaching for his favorite mug - the one with the cartoon volleyball that Jin had given him as a joke. "Quick question."

  "Mm?" Shiori's spoon clinked against her cup a bit too loudly.

  "Do you know anything about some Christmas festival? Sato wouldn't shut up about it last night. Kept asking if I was going."

  The spoon slipped from Shiori's fingers, clattering against the counter. She scrambled to catch it, somehow managing to knock over her phone in the process.

  "Festival?" Her voice came out higher than usual. "What festival? I mean, yes, festival. The festival. That one. With the... Christmas."

  Taiki blinked at her, coffee pot suspended mid-pour. "Uh, you okay there?"

  "Fine!" She grabbed her phone off the counter, nearly dropping it again. "Totally fine. Just... coffee. Not enough. Too much? One of those."

  "Right..." Taiki squinted at her. "So... about the festival?"

  Shiori felt panic rising in her chest like a tide. Of course Sato had already started. Of course Taiki would ask her about it. Of course this would happen before she'd had enough caffeine to form coherent sentences.

  "It's a thing!" she blurted out. "That happens. At Christmas. With lights and... stuff."

  "Stuff," Taiki repeated slowly.

  "Festival stuff!" Shiori could feel her face heating up. "You know what? I just remembered I have to... go. Somewhere. That isn't here. Right now."

  She grabbed her coffee cup and backed toward the exirt, somehow managing to bump into every piece of furniture between the kitchen and her door.

  "But this is your apartment," Taiki called after her.

  "Yep! Sure is! Bye!"

  The door clicked shut behind her with perhaps more force than necessary, leaving Taiki standing alone in the kitchen, coffee pot still in hand, wearing an expression of complete bewilderment.

  Shiori stood in the hallway, her thin pajama shorts and tank top doing absolutely nothing against the chill. Her brain finally caught up with her fight-or-flight response, reminding her that running outside in December wearing practically nothing wasn't her brightest move.

  She clutched her coffee cup like a lifeline and drfted to door 204, knocking with perhaps more urgency than appropriate for 7 AM.

  The door creaked open to reveal Maki, her hair resembling a bird's nest that had survived a hurricane. One eye was still firmly shut, the other barely managing a squint. She wore mismatched fuzzy socks and an oversized t-shirt with 'I'd Rather Be Sleeping' emblazoned across it.

  Maki took in Shiori's desperate expression, chattering teeth, and completely inappropriate attire for the freezing temperature. Her one functioning eye widened slightly as understanding dawned.

  "Oh no." Maki's voice was rough with sleep. "You fucked up again, didn't you?"

  Shiori nodded miserably, hugging herself with her free arm. "He asked about the festival."

  "And you...?"

  "Panicked. Ran. Here." Shiori gestured vaguely at herself. "In this."

  "Of course you did." Maki stepped aside, opening the door wider. "Get in here before you freeze to death. Though that might be less embarrassing than whatever just happened in your kitchen."

  Shiori trudged into Maki's apartment, only to find Sato doing stretches in the living room, already dressed in workout clothes and practically glowing with morning energy.

  "Good morning, Shiori!" He waved cheerfully, bouncing on his toes. "Early morning crisis?"

  Shiori stared at him, then at her coffee cup, then back at him. Her sleep-deprived brain struggled to process how anyone could be this... functional before sunrise on a weekend.

  "How are you..." she gestured vaguely at his entire existence, "...like this? It's 7 AM. On a Saturday."

  "Oh, I always get up at 5:30!" Sato beamed, launching into a series of arm circles. "Best way to start the day! Did some light cardio, practiced my serves, made breakfast—"

  Maki shuffled past them both, making zombie-like groaning sounds as she collapsed face-first onto the couch. "He's not human," she mumbled into a cushion. "We've tested this theory."

  "Want to join my morning routine?" Sato asked, completely missing Shiori's look of horror. "We could do some volleyball drills—"

  "No," Shiori and Maki answered in unison.

  Maki dragged her hands down her face, smearing whatever remnants of yesterday's mascara she'd failed to remove. "Shiori, this is getting ridiculous. You're literally running around the dorm in pajamas at seven in the morning because he asked about a festival."

  "I know," Shiori groaned, curling into a ball on the other end of the couch.

  "And yesterday at practice?" Maki continued, sitting up properly. "You missed three layups. Three! Coach asked if you were sick."

  Sato paused his morning aerobics routine, concern crossing his perpetually sunny face. "Wait, is that why you kept looking at the volleyball court instead of the basket?"

  "No!" Shiori protested, then wilted under Maki's raised eyebrow. "Maybe. Yes. He was doing that thing where he scrunches his nose when he's concentrating on a set and it's just... distracting."

  "Girl." Maki threw a pillow at her friend. "You're the best player on the team. You once scored twenty points while having the flu. But one mediocre setter—"

  "Hey!" Sato interjected.

  "—sorry, one improving setter makes a confused face, and suddenly you can't remember which end of the court is yours?"

  Shiori hugged the pillow to her chest, face burning. "It's not my fault his confused face is cute."

  "That's it." Maki stood up, wobbling slightly as her sleep-deprived body adjusted to vertical positioning. "We're fixing this. Today."

  Maki stumbled to her feet, yanking her favorite oversized hoodie from where it hung on a chair. "No more waiting. No more planning."

  "What?" Shiori's eyes widened in panic. "Maki, no—"

  "Maki, yes!" She shoved her arms through the sleeves, nearly putting her hand through the pocket in her rush. "The Christmas festival isn't for weeks, and I refuse to watch you walk into any more walls. My entertainment threshold has been reached."

  Sato perked up, somehow managing to look even more energetic. "Oh! Should I get the others? Jin's been taking bets on—"

  "No!" Shiori launched the pillow at him. "No bets! No others! No anything!"

  But Maki was already heading for the door, her mismatched fuzzy socks sliding on the hardwood floor. "I'm going to tell Taiki right now. We're all going to the festival today. The winter one. The one that's happening now."

  "In your pajamas?" Shiori squeaked.

  Maki looked down at her sleeping shirt and shorts combo, shrugged, and kept moving. "Fashion is temporary. Romance is forever."

  "That doesn't even make sense!" Shiori scrambled after her friend, nearly tripping over her own feet. "Maki, wait—"

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  "Nope!" Maki yanked open the door. "I've waited a month. You've waited a month. Even the volleyball team is tired of waiting, and they're literally always at practice. Time for action!"

  She marched into the hallway, Shiori trailing behind her making distressed noises that sounded vaguely like a keyboard smash come to life.

  Taiki nearly jumped out of his skin when the apartment door banged open, coffee sloshing dangerously close to the rim of his mug. He blinked owlishly at Maki, who stood in his doorway looking like she'd gotten dressed in the dark while running from wolves.

  "Uh... hello?" Taiki managed, carefully setting his coffee down before any more near-disasters could occur.

  "Festival!" Maki announced, throwing her arms wide and nearly taking out a lamp. "We're going. Today. All of us."

  "We're... what now?"

  Behind Maki, Shiori appeared in the doorway, still in her pajamas and looking like she wanted to melt into the floor. Her face was roughly the color of a stop sign, and she seemed to be trying to hide behind her coffee cup.

  "The winter festival," Maki continued, bouncing on her mismatched toes.

  Taiki's sleep-addled brain struggled to keep up. "But I'm still in my—"

  "Get dressed!" Maki clapped her hands. "We leave in twenty minutes!"

  "Twenty min—" Taiki started to protest, but Maki was already spinning around, nearly colliding with Sato who had appeared behind her in workout clothes.

  "Morning!" Sato beamed, completely unfazed by the chaos. "I hear we're going to a festival!"

  Taiki looked between his enthusiastic teammates, his blushing roommate, and his rapidly cooling coffee. It was way too early for whatever this was.

  Taiki huddled deeper into his thin jacket, cursing every life choice that had led him to this moment. The festival entrance loomed before them, completely devoid of activity because - surprise, surprise - it was 8 AM on a Saturday morning.

  "This is ridiculous," he muttered, shooting Maki a glare that would have been more effective if his teeth weren't chattering. "Nothing's even open."

  Maki bounced on her toes, somehow immune to the cold in her proper winter coat. "Details! We're going to spend the whole day here. And night. It'll be great!"

  "Yeah, right." Taiki snorted, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets. "My fingers are already falling off."

  His strategy for cold weather usually involved staying firmly indoors, preferably wrapped in blankets with hot tea. The jacket he wore was meant for mild autumn days, not whatever frozen hellscape this morning had become.

  "Should've grabbed a better coat," Sato observed helpfully, decked out in what looked like professional ski gear.

  "Thanks for the tip," Taiki deadpanned. "I'll remember that next time someone drags me out of my apartment at 7.30."

  "Oh my god, everyone relax," Maki groaned, pulling out a mysteriously acquired candy cane from her pocket. "This city's winter festivals are legendary. We've got ice sculptures, winter markets, hot spring pop-ups-"

  "Hot springs?" Taiki perked up immediately, then narrowed his eyes. "Wait, aren't those.."

  "The point is," Maki continued, crunching down on her candy cane with disturbing intensity, "this festival is huge. Like, people-travel-from-other-prefectures huge. There's ice skating, winter carnival games, night markets with lanterns everywhere..."

  Sato nodded enthusiastically. "Last year they had this massive snow slide thing! And professional ice carvers doing demonstrations. Oh, and this awesome competition where-"

  "Please stop listing things we can't do yet," Taiki interrupted, watching his breath form little clouds in the air. "It's still basically dawn."

  Maki rolled her eyes. "Fine, Mr. Grumpy Pants. We'll grab breakfast first. Happy?"

  "Ecstatic," Taiki muttered.

  Shiori sat cross-legged on Maki's floor, staring at the blank wall like it might offer answers to why today had gone so spectacularly nowhere.

  Beside her, Maki maintained an equally intense focus on the wall, occasionally stuffing festival candies into her mouth with aggressive determination.

  "So," Maki finally broke the silence, "that was..."

  "A complete disaster?" Shiori supplied, falling backward onto the floor with a groan.

  "I was going to say 'interesting,' but yeah, that works too." Maki turned to look at her friend. "I mean, who knew Taiki could eat seven different types of takoyaki in one day?"

  "Eight," Shiori corrected automatically. "You missed the spicy cheese one when you were buying that fox mask."

  "Right." Maki popped another candy in her mouth. "And let's not forget the four different curry breads, two bowls of ramen, and that entire tray of festival dango."

  "I don't understand," Shiori mumbled into her hands. "I did my hair. I even wore the cute tabi socks you lent me."

  "And Taiki spent the entire day creating a one-man food tour of the festival." Maki sighed, slumping against the wall. "While maintaining at least two meters of distance from you at all times."

  "One time he literally hid behind a cotton candy stand when I tried to ask if he wanted to see the ice sculptures."

  "To be fair, he was probably having a food coma by that point."

  Shiori let out a frustrated noise that sounded suspiciously like a whimper. "Twelve hours, Maki. We spent twelve hours at that festival. The most he said to me all day was 'these dumplings are really good' and 'watch out for that puddle.'"

  "At least he warned you about the puddle?" Maki offered weakly.

  "I'm going to die alone," Shiori declared to the ceiling.

  The door burst open with enough force to make both girls jump, revealing Sato's beaming face. He bounded into the room like an overexcited puppy, practically vibrating with energy.

  "Why are you so..." Maki narrowed her eyes at his suspicious grin. "What did you do?"

  "Me?" Sato pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense. "I'm just enjoying the start of winter break! No classes, no matches, no-"

  "Cut the crap," Maki interrupted, throwing a candy wrapper at his head. "You've got that look that means you're plotting something."

  His grin widened as he pulled something from his back pocket with a flourish. "Oh, you mean these?"

  Four tickets dangled from his fingers, making both girls sit up straighter.

  "My dad's company had some kind of corporate thing they couldn't use," he explained, practically bouncing on his toes. "Three days at this fancy hot spring resort about an hour away. Everything included - meals, baths, the works."

  Maki snatched the tickets from his hand before he could start waving them around again. "Are these real? Like, actually real?"

  "One hundred percent legitimate, all-expenses-paid vacation tickets," Sato confirmed, looking entirely too pleased with himself. "And since it's winter break..."

  Shiori finally found her voice. "Four tickets?"

  "Well yeah," Sato said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You, me, Maki, and Taiki. Who else?"

  Maki's eyes scanned the tickets, taking in every detail. Her grin grew wider with each line she read, until she was practically radiating chaotic energy.

  "Shiori." She grabbed her friend's shoulders, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Shiori, this is perfect."

  "I don't like that look," Shiori muttered, trying to lean away. "That's your 'I'm about to cause problems' look."

  "No, you don't understand." Maki waved the tickets in front of Shiori's face. "One room. Four futons. Hot springs!"

  Sato nodded enthusiastically. "The private baths are supposed to be really nice-"

  "Shh, not now," Maki cut him off, still focused on Shiori. "Do you know what hot springs mean in winter?"

  "That... we won't freeze?"

  "Romance!" Maki threw her hands up, nearly smacking Sato in the process. "It's like, the most romantic setting ever! The steam, the snow, the cozy indoor spaces-"

  "The awkward shared sleeping arrangements," Shiori added dryly.

  "Exactly!" Maki bounced on her knees. "And everything's included, which means no excuses about going out for food or separate activities. We'll all be stuck together the whole time!"

  Shiori buried her face in her hands again. "That sounds like my personal nightmare."

  "That sounds like the perfect opportunity," Maki corrected, poking Shiori's shoulder. "Three whole days where Taiki can't run away to buy more curry bread or hide behind festival stands. This is literally the best plan ever."

  "I thought the festival was the best plan ever," Shiori mumbled through her fingers.

  "No, this is way better. This is god-tier planning. This is-"

  "A disaster waiting to happen?" Shiori suggested.

  "A romantic winter getaway!" Maki declared, clutching the tickets to her chest like precious treasures.

  Maki launched herself at Sato, wrapping him in a bear hug that nearly knocked them both over. "You beautiful genius! You're actually the hero you think you are!"

  Sato's face flushed red as he awkwardly patted her back, his usual confident demeanor cracking. "I, uh... thanks?"

  "This is perfect!" Maki squeezed tighter, causing Sato to make a small choking sound. "Hot springs, winter vacation, trapped together for three days-"

  "We should probably ask Taiki first," Sato managed to wheeze out.

  Maki released him with a dismissive wave. "Please, Taiki will definitely say yes. He never says no to free food, and this includes all meals." She started counting on her fingers. "Plus, it's during break, so no classes to worry about. And he's been complaining about being sore from practice, so the hot springs will help with that."

  "But-"

  "Trust me," Maki said, already gathering her things. "This is happening."

  Twenty minutes later, Maki stood in front of Taiki with her jaw hanging open, the tickets clutched limply in her hand.

  "I'm sorry," she finally managed, "but did you just say no?"

  Taiki, sprawled on his couch with a manga covering his face, didn't even look up. "Yep."

  "To a free vacation?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "With hot springs?"

  "That's correct."

  "And unlimited food?"

  "Still no."

  Maki's brain short-circuited. This wasn't part of the plan. Taiki never said no to free food. It was like one of the fundamental laws of the universe, right up there with gravity and Sato's inability to sit still.

  "But... but..." she sputtered, "it's FREE!"

  "So is staying home and sleeping," Taiki replied, turning a page in his manga. "Which is exactly what I plan to do for all of winter break."

  Maki stared at Taiki like he'd just announced he was giving up curry bread forever. She dropped onto the couch next to him, deliberately squishing his legs until he was forced to sit up with an annoyed grunt.

  "But we're all going," she whined, shoving the tickets in his face. "Me, Sato, Shiori - it'll be fun!"

  "No"

  Maki stared at Taiki for a long moment, her mind racing. Something was definitely off here. He never passed up a chance to...

  Her eyes widened slightly as realization hit. Without another word, she pushed herself off the couch and headed for the door, ignoring Taiki's confused "What?" behind her.

  She found Shiori and Sato exactly where she'd left them, sprawled across Sato's living room floor surrounded by discarded candy wrappers. They both perked up at her entrance, but their hopeful expressions quickly fell at her grim face.

  "So..." Sato ventured, "I'm guessing it didn't go well?"

  "He said no." Maki dropped down between them, stealing one of Shiori's remaining candies. "Like, immediately no. Didn't even think about it."

  Shiori's shoulders slumped. "Oh."

  "But here's the thing." Maki turned to face them both, unwrapping the candy with determined focus. "Why would he turn down three days of fancy resort meals?" She popped the candy in her mouth, pointing at them dramatically. "Unless..."

  Shiori groaned, falling backward onto the floor. "Unless he's avoiding me."

  "Bingo." Maki nodded sagely. "Our boy's got it bad."

  "What?" Sato blinked between them. "But I thought Shiori was the one who-"

  "Keep up," Maki interrupted. "Taiki's so convinced Shiori's out of his league that he's literally turning down free food to avoid being trapped with her for three days. That's not normal Taiki behavior. That's panic mode Taiki."

  Maki chewed her candy thoughtfully, her eyes narrowing as she formulated a plan. She turned to Sato with the kind of expression that usually preceded chaos.

  "I hate to say this, but you need to talk to him."

  Sato's head snapped up, genuine offense crossing his features. "What? Why me?"

  "You're a boy!" Shiori and Maki exclaimed in perfect unison, making Sato jump slightly.

  He looked between them, betrayal written across his face. "That's your reason? Because I'm a boy?"

  "Obviously," Maki said, rolling her eyes. "Look, if I try to convince him, he'll just think I'm plotting something-"

  "Which you are," Shiori pointed out.

  "Not helpful," Maki shot back. "And if Shiori talks to him, he'll probably spontaneously combust or something. But you?" She gestured at Sato. "You're his teammate. His volleyball buddy. His bro."

  Sato wrinkled his nose. "Please never say 'bro' again."

  "The point is," Maki continued, ignoring him, "he'll actually listen to you. Plus, you can do that whole guy bonding thing where you pretend feelings don't exist while secretly talking about them anyway."

  "We don't do that," Sato protested weakly.

  Both girls fixed him with identical skeptical looks.

  "Okay, fine, maybe sometimes," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "But what am I even supposed to say? 'Hey man, want to come hang out at a hot spring so you can avoid eye contact with your crush for three days straight?'"

  Maki's death glare made Sato physically recoil. If looks could kill, he'd already be six feet under.

  "Say that," she hissed, "and you're a dead man."

  Sato raised his hands in surrender, scooting back until he hit the wall. "It was just a joke!"

  "This isn't funny!" Maki threw her hands up in exasperation. "I don't know, just... try to figure out what's actually wrong? Like why he really doesn't want to come?" She started pacing, her sock-covered feet making soft shuffling sounds against the floor. "But don't you dare mess this up, Rentaki. I mean it."

  The use of his last name made Sato swallow hard. In the months he'd known Maki, she'd only used it once before - right after he'd accidentally told the whole volleyball team about her fear of mascots. He still had nightmares about that week.

  "Okay, okay," he said quickly. "I'll be subtle. Professional. Like a... what's that thing called? Where you ask questions but don't give away what you're really asking about?"

  "A conversation?" Shiori suggested dryly from her spot on the floor.

  "Yeah! That!" Sato beamed, missing the sarcasm entirely. "I'll just casually bring it up during practice or something. Super casual."

  Shiori watched Sato's retreating back with growing dread. The moment the door clicked shut, she turned to Maki with wide eyes.

  "We're screwed, aren't we?"

  "Oh, completely." Maki flopped onto her back, staring at the ceiling.

  Sato rapped his knuckles against the door of apartment 205 before letting himself in. "Yo!"

  Taiki barely glanced up from his manga, sprawled across the couch in what appeared to be the same position he'd been in for hours. "Ever heard of waiting for someone to say 'come in'?"

  "Nope!" Sato vaulted over the back of the couch, landing with enough force to make Taiki bounce. "Whatcha reading?"

  "The same thing I was reading when you texted me five minutes ago." Taiki shifted his legs to make room, though his eyes remained glued to the page. "And when you texted me fifteen minutes before that. And thirty minutes before that."

  "Right, right." Sato drummed his fingers against his knee, an irregular beat that made Taiki's eye twitch. After a moment of uncharacteristic silence, Sato cleared his throat. "So, uh, you've been kind of weird lately."

  Taiki finally lowered his manga. "Weird how?"

  "Like, avoiding-everyone weird. Skipping-team-lunch weird." Sato's fingers stopped their drumming. "Running-away-from-Shiori weird."

  "I don't run away from-" Taiki started to protest, then caught Sato's raised eyebrow. "Okay, maybe I speed-walk occasionally. In the opposite direction. But that's different."

  "Different how?"

  "It just is." Taiki lifted his manga again, trying to hide behind it.

  Sato yanked the book down. "Look, I know I'm not exactly the team's designated feelings guy-"

  "That's Jin."

  "-but I am your friend." Sato's usual boundless energy settled into something more serious. "And friends notice when other friends start acting like they're trying to disappear every time certain people walk into a room."

  Taiki slumped deeper into the couch. "I'm not... it's not..."

  "You can talk to me, you know?" Sato's voice was uncharacteristically gentle. "About whatever's going on. Even if it's complicated or weird or you think I won't get it."

  Taiki let out a long sigh, sinking further into the couch cushions. "Maybe I have been weird lately. It's just... after that night with you guys, with Jin and Hiro drilling me about..." He waved his hand vaguely in the air. "You know."

  "About Shiori," Sato supplied helpfully.

  "Yeah." Taiki's voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "It just hit me, you know? She's got all these things going for her. The basketball team needs her. She's got scouts watching her games already, and she's only a first-year. The last thing she needs is..." He gestured to himself. "This whole mess getting in her way."

  "What mess?"

  "Me, boys ?" Taiki's laugh came out hollow. "Come on, Sato. You've seen me in practice. I'm just starting to not completely suck at volleyball. Meanwhile, she's out there breaking school records and probably heading for the nationals. She doesn't need some guy messing up her focus or giving her weird ideas or whatever."

  "Weird ideas?" Sato's eyebrows shot up.

  "Like thinking she has to include me in stuff just because we're roommates. Or feeling awkward around me. Or..." Taiki ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. She's got more important things to worry about than some random guy who can barely receive a volleyball properly."

  "So you're avoiding her... for her own good?" Sato's tone made it clear exactly what he thought of that logic.

  "When you say it like that, it sounds stupid."

  "It's not stupid," Sato said, his usual smile fading. "But you're definitely being something."

  Taiki picked at a loose thread on his sleeve. "She's just been acting weird lately, you know? Like at the festival, and all these other things. It's like she's trying extra hard to prove she can be nice to me or something." He slumped further into the couch. "I don't know, man. She's got way more important stuff to focus on than making sure her disaster roommate feels included."

  "Taiki-"

  "And yeah, sure, she's pretty and talented and basically perfect at everything," Taiki continued, words tumbling out faster now. "But let's be real - that's so far out of my league it's not even funny."

  Something in Sato's expression shifted. His perpetual cheerfulness vanished.

  "League?" Sato's voice was dangerously quiet. "What league? Please, enlighten me about these magical 'leagues' you've invented."

  "I mean, come on-"

  "No, seriously." Sato cut him off. "Show me where these leagues are defined. Is there some rulebook I missed? Some official ranking system that sorts people into dating categories?" His voice rose with each question. "Because last time I checked, that's complete bullshit you made up to protect yourself from actually trying."

  Taiki blinked, startled by Sato's uncharacteristic outburst.

  "I'm just being realistic," Taiki muttered, but the words sounded weak even to his own ears.

  "No, you're being a coward." Sato's bluntness hit like a volleyball to the face. "The same way you were about joining the team. The same way you were about being a setter. Every time something scares you, you come up with these elaborate reasons why you shouldn't even try."

  Heat crept up Taiki's neck. "That's not-"

  "Remember what you said about setting? 'Oh, I could never do that, I'm too uncoordinated.'" Sato's impression of him was irritatingly accurate. "And now look at you. Starting setter. Making plays even Jin didn't see coming."

  "That's different," Taiki protested. "That's just volleyball."

  "Yeah, and this is just you making excuses again." Sato's intensity softened slightly. "Look, I get it. Shiori's amazing. But you know what else she is? A complete dork who stress-cleans the kitchen at midnight and knows every word to those weird commercial jingles from five years ago."

  Sato ran a hand down his face, his expression shifting between exasperation and something like pity. "You really don't get it, do you? You're literally the only person who sees Shiori as... well, Shiori. Not the basketball prodigy or the school's rising star or whatever label everyone else slaps on her."

  He leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "And that matters to her, you know? Like, way more than you realize."

  Taiki blinked slowly, his manga forgotten in his lap. "What are you talking about?"

  Sato stared at him for a long moment, mouth slightly open. "Oh my god." He threw his hands up. "Oh my actual god. You didn't even know that? Do you two even talk?"

  "We talk!" Taiki protested, sitting up straighter. "We talk about... um... curry? And practice schedules. And whose turn it is to clean the bathroom."

  Sato didn't even bother responding. Instead, he jumped to his feet, snatched the manga from Taiki's hands, and yanked him up by the arm with surprising strength.

  "Ow! What are you-"

  SMACK.

  "Did that reboot your brain?" Sato asked, his hand still hovering from where he'd smacked the back of Taiki's head. "Or do we need another attempt?"

  Taiki just blinked, rubbing the spot where Sato had hit him. It hadn't hurt - much - but the shock of Sato actually hitting him was enough to short-circuit his thoughts.

  "Look at these." Sato waved the hot springs tickets in front of Taiki's face like he was trying to hypnotize him. "Free food. Not just any food - actual resort food. Like, fancy curry you've probably never even heard of. And hot springs! Do you know how good that is for muscle recovery?"

  Taiki tried to back away, but Sato followed, still waving the tickets.

  "Three whole days of absolutely nothing to do except eat and relax with your friends." Sato's voice rose with each word. "And you're really gonna throw that away because you're being stupid?"

  "I'm not being-"

  "You're being the stupidest person I've ever met," Sato cut him off. "And I've met Roku when he tried to spike with his eyes closed."

  Maki sprawled across her bed, still grinning about their successful hot springs scheme. "The food alone is worth like twenty thousand yen. There's no way he'll-"

  The door crashed open with enough force to rattle the walls. Taiki stood in the doorway, chest heaving like he'd sprinted there.

  "Fine!" he blurted out, pointing accusingly at Maki. "I'm in. But only because of the fancy curry. And if anyone tries to make this weird, I'm locking myself in my room for the entire trip."

  Shiori, who'd been sitting cross-legged on Maki's floor, promptly choked on her milk tea.

  "What happened to 'absolutely not' and 'I'd rather die'?" Maki asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

  "Sato hit me."

  "He what?" both girls exclaimed.

  "With a manga. And his hand. And possibly logic?" Taiki counted on his fingers. "Look, do you want me to come or not? Because I'm having second thoughts about-"

  "No takebacks!" Maki launched herself off the bed, nearly tackling him. "You said yes! We all heard it! It's legally binding now!"

  "That's not how anything works," Taiki grumbled, but didn't try to escape as Maki latched onto his arm.

  "Too late!" Maki sang. "We're going on vacation! All four of us! And there's nothing you can do about it!"

  "Speaking of rooms-" Sato's head popped around the doorframe, his usual megawatt grin back in place. "Did we mention it's just one big traditional room? No escape hatches for you, Taiki!"

  The color drained from Taiki's face. "What."

  "Surprise!" Maki released his arm to jazz-hands dramatically. "We're getting the authentic ryokan experience! One room, four futons, zero personal space!"

  "I take it back," Taiki said weakly. "I un-agree. This is cruel and unusual punishment."

  "Nope!" Sato bounded into the room, slinging an arm around Taiki's shoulders.

  "It's gonna be so much fun!" Maki bounced on her toes. "Hot springs, amazing food, late-night card games-"

  "Ghost stories," Sato added helpfully.

  "Absolutely not," Taiki and Shiori said in perfect unison

  "See?" Maki gestured between them. "You're already in sync! This trip is exactly what we all need!"