Tuesday. 3:50 PM – School Library
Ren walked into the library, glancing around nervously.
It was strangely quiet—even for a library.
And there, near the window where golden afternoon light poured in, sat Yui Sakamoto, waiting patiently with two cups of warm cocoa and a stack of romance novels.
She smiled when she saw him. Not too wide. Just enough.
"You came."
Ren nodded. "You're... really prepared."
"I like planning ahead." She blushed a little. "And I wanted to share something I love."
Reading Side-by-Side
They sat close—just close enough that their arms brushed now and then.
Ren picked up a book and opened to a random page. Yui watched him for a moment.
"I… always imagined sharing this with someone," she said softly.
Ren looked at her. "Reading?"
She nodded. "Not just reading. The quiet. The peace. The feeling of being understood… even in silence."
He paused.
And realized—
She wasn't lonely. She was just waiting for someone who saw the world the way she did.
A Sudden Rainstorm
The sky outside turned gray.
Yui gasped softly. "I forgot my umbrella…"
Ren stood. "Wait here."
He dashed off—and returned a minute later, soaked, but holding an extra umbrella he'd grabbed from the lost-and-found box.
She blinked. "You ran through the rain… for me?"
He handed her the umbrella. "Of course I did."
Yui suddenly hugged him. Tight.
It was quiet.
Rain tapping the window.
Her heartbeat near his chest.
"I don't know if I'll be the one you choose, Ren-kun," she whispered.
"But you're already the one I wait for."
Back at the Gate
Ren walked her home under the umbrella.
They didn't talk much.
But when she smiled at him before parting ways, Ren felt something stir deep in his chest.
Not excitement.
Not confusion.
Just… warmth.
Ren thought to himself that night:
"Haruka makes my heart race.Yui makes it slow down.What am I even feeling anymore?"
He didn't have an answer.
But tomorrow, another girl would claim her time.