Yui practically pounced on Aiko the moment she sat down.
"Tell. Me. Everything."
Aiko dropped her head on the table with a soft thud. "It was an accident."
"You look like someone who just kissed a firecracker."
"I did. And then exploded. Emotionally."
Yui gasped so loud, even the biryani at the next table seemed to flinch.
"You mean you actually kissed him? Tongue or no tongue?"
"Yui!" Aiko clutched her water bottle like a shield.
"No judgment! Just data collection."
Aiko groaned, burying her face in her hands. "It just... happened. Like boom. Lips. Contact. Boom again."
Yui grinned. "He's going to be so flustered tomorrow."
Meanwhile – Staff Room
Haruki sat at his desk, staring blankly at his coffee. He hadn't touched it. Or blinked. Possibly for ten minutes.
"Takeda, you kissed a student," he muttered. "No. A student kissed you. No... it was an accident. Mutual. Collateral lip damage."
He groaned and lightly thumped his forehead against the desk. "Why does she have to be so cute when she panics?"
Then another thought hit him.
John.
The tall, charming, too-perfect-for-his-own-good new transfer student who sat beside Aiko.
The same John who had returned David's book just minutes ago... with a suspiciously smug smile.
Elsewhere – Library
John lounged back in his chair, pretending to read Shakespeare, though his eyes were far from the page.
"I saw that blush," he thought. "I saw the tension."
A small smirk curved his lips.
"This just got interesting."
Later – Classroom Corridor
Aiko walked into class like a ninja. Black hoodie. Cap pulled low. Her eyes darted around, scanning for danger.
She wasn't mentally or spiritually prepared to face Haruki.
"I'll avoid him. Like spicy food before exams. Like homework during holidays. Like—"
"Aiko!"
She jumped.
It was John. Looking perfectly tall, perfectly confident, and somehow even more luminous in the morning light.
"Good morning," he said, his smile unnervingly bright.
"H-Hi," she stuttered. "You… look… awake."
Her brain stalled. Words failed. Her internal processor crashed.
He chuckled. "I wanted to thank you again for sharing your notebook yesterday."
"Oh… yeah. No problem. Sharing is... educational."
"Educational? Really?" her inner voice screamed.
Yui arrived just in time, raised an eyebrow, and tugged Aiko aside.
"Okay, enough Disney prince energy. We need to revise biology before this quiz."
Aiko shot her a grateful look, like someone rescued from drowning.
First Period – Mathematics
Haruki entered the room.
Today, he looked sharper than usual—crisp shirt, clean stubble—but there was something off. Distracted energy clung to him.
"Good morning," he said, scanning the room like he was looking for something—or someone.
Aiko ducked behind Yui's head.
A girl from the middle row giggled. "Sir, you look… intense today. Bad mood?"
He offered a tight smile. "No. Just thinking how coffee betrayed me this morning."
The class chuckled. Even Aiko.
Haruki's eyes found her instantly.
She laughed.
He smiled.
Her breath hitched when she realized he was still watching. She coughed violently into her notebook.
Yui leaned in, whispering, "Ma'am, subtlety is not your strong suit."
During the Lesson
Haruki started scribbling a complex equation on the board.
"Let's solve this together. Aiko, can you help me?"
The classroom froze.
Aiko's entire soul tried to exit her body.
Yui nudged her. "Go. He's not going to kiss you in front of the board."
"Not helping," Aiko hissed under her breath.
She stood up, legs wobbling slightly. The marker in her hand shook like it had its own nervous system.
Haruki handed it to her, and their fingers brushed again.
A jolt.
He leaned in, his voice low. "No pressure. Just pretend I'm invisible."
"You're six feet tall and glowing. Not possible," she whispered back.
He blinked, then chuckled. "Fair."
Somehow, through the static in her brain and the wildfire in her chest, Aiko managed to solve half the problem. Her cheeks were so hot she could've boiled tea on them.
After Class – Near the Water Cooler
John was waiting.
"So... you and Haruki-sir..."
Aiko choked on nothing. "W-What?!"
"I'm just saying—the chemistry on that board? It was more flirt than formula."
She splashed water on her face. "We're just teacher and student. Not even friends. Barely acquaintances. Actually, enemies. Academic rivals."
John raised an amused eyebrow. "Interesting kind of enemies. I'm rooting for the drama."
Aiko didn't answer. She just turned and bolted down the hall.
Evening – Yui's House (Group Call)
Yui stared at her screen, eyes wide. "Okay, spill. The board. The look. The spark. Girl, are you in a drama or an anime?"
Aiko groaned, hugging a pillow. "I don't know! Every time he looks at me, I feel like I'm in a K-drama. And then there's John!"
"Ooooh triangle! Classic! I'm loving this."
"Don't love my misery, Yui."
"But it's entertaining misery!"
Night – Haruki's Apartment
Haruki sat on his couch, a lesson planner open on his lap, but he hadn't read a single line.
"John likes her. That much is clear. She's awkward around me. But does she like me too?"
He sighed, rubbing his temples.
"I should stop thinking about her. I should think about work."
But all he could see in his mind was the kiss.
And the way she blushed afterward.
And the way his lips still curved, just slightly, every time he thought about her.