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  The morning sun over Kyoto was sharp, reflecting off the silver tiles of the school roof and casting long, pale shadows across the entrance. Yoshito walked through the main gates with his head down, his footsteps feeling twice as heavy as usual. He was "tired from the inside," a deep, bone-aching exhaustion that made the strap of his school bag dig into his shoulder. He couldn't quite put his finger on why he was so drained; he just knew that when his alarm went off at 7:00 AM, it felt like he was being pulled out of a deep ocean of fog.

  He reached the indoor entrance, the getabako area, and stopped at his assigned shoe locker. The air here was cool and smelled of old wood polish. Yoshito moved mechanically, sliding his outdoor shoes into the cubby and reaching for his white indoor slippers. His movements were slow, his eyes half-closed as he tried to wake up his brain.

  Suddenly, a heavy weight crashed into his back. A pair of arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, nearly knocking him face-first into the lockers.

  "Yo! What’s up, Yoshito?"

  Yoshito didn't even have to look up. That loud, overly energetic voice could only belong to one person. "Hi," Yoshito muttered, his voice raspy and drained.

  Chitose pulled back but stayed close, hovering beside him with a massive, mischievous smirk. "Oow man! What’s with that attitude? You look like you just finished a marathon. Where’s the energy?"

  "I’m just tired," Yoshito grumbled, slamming his locker shut with a sharp metallic clack. "Didn't get enough sleep. My head feels like it’s full of lead."

  "Ooh, I see, I see," Chitose said, his eyes glinting as they began walking toward their classroom. He nudged Yoshito with his elbow. "By the way, I saw you walking home with Aiko yesterday. Just the two of you, late in the evening. Are you two—"

  "It’s not like that," Yoshito cut him off immediately, his face heating up.

  To stop the teasing, Yoshito quickly began explaining what had actually happened (about the rain incident). He told Chitose about how they had spent the time in their house chatting with Mei completely.

  Chitose’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Ooh? So you actually took her to your home afterward, Yoshito?"

  Yoshito stopped dead in the middle of the hallway, glaring at him. "Hey! I told you, it’s not like that! She was exhausted, and my place was closer. My grandmother and Mei was there, and we just needed a place to sit down for a second. We're just friends, okay? Don't make it sound weird."

  "Yeah, yeah, dude! Chill!" Chitose laughed, raising his hands in mock surrender. "I’m just saying, for a guy who usually keeps to himself, you sure are spending a lot of quality time with her. It’s a good look on you."

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  They reached the classroom and slid the door open. The room was buzzing with students chatting before the first bell. Yoshito and Chitose made their way to their desks and sank into their seats. Yoshito leaned back, closing his eyes for a second, hoping to catch a few moments of peace.

  But the peace didn't last long. The classroom door slid open again with a rhythmic thud.

  Haruka walked in. As the "Academic Ace," she carried a natural aura of focus. She was adjusting her bag strap, her expression calm and bright as she moved toward her desk near the front.

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  Yoshito opened one eye and looked over at Chitose. The confident, teasing boy from the hallway had vanished instantly. Chitose was now sitting perfectly straight, his face turning a deep, painful shade of crimson as he stared intensely at a blank page on his desk. His hands were trembling slightly as he tried to act like he was deeply involved in his notes.

  Now it’s time for revenge, Yoshito thought, a small, tired smirk appearing on his lips.

  "Ooh, look, Chitose," Yoshito whispered, leaning over toward his friend. "Haruka is here. Go on, go Chitose! You like her, don't you? Come on, go say hi."

  Chitose’s head snapped toward Yoshito, his eyes wide with pure panic. "Hey! Hey, stop it! Stop teasing me!" he hissed, his voice cracking. He grabbed his textbook and tried to hide his face behind it, but he couldn't hide his bright red ears.

  "What happened to the 'cool' guy from the shoe lockers?" Yoshito teased. "Go talk to her. Come on, go Chitose!"

  "I hate you," Chitose whispered behind the book, though he didn't stop looking in Haruka's direction.

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  The atmosphere in the room shifted a few minutes later when the morning announcements began. The teacher pinned a flyer to the board for the Kyoto Cultural Festival. Watching Haruka immediately volunteer to lead the coordination committee seemed to hit Chitose hard.

  During the break, Chitose pulled Yoshito and Aiko—who was watching them with a quiet smile—into the corner of the hall.

  "I’m done waiting," Chitose said, his voice unusually firm. "Watching her today... she’s moving forward, and I’m just standing still. I’ve decided. I’m going to confess this Friday, behind the gym. No more waiting around. I need you guys to help me for real."