I’m just not feeling like myself today, perhaps. Saito could feel his heartbeat speeding up. If he were next to Shisei, his cousin, he wouldn’t think anything of it. But this was Akane. He wasn’t the kind of person who would do something this intimate for her. Had the exhaustion finally caused him to snap?
It seemed like Akane was struggling with the same feelings.
“Hey… I’m thirsty. I’d like some water, please,” she murmured in a soft, almost pleading voice.
“Sure, okay.”
Saito got up from the bed, walking over to the water dispenser by the wall. He poured a glass, while Akane sat at the edge of the bed, absentmindedly tracing patterns on the floor with her bare toes. Her slightly disheveled hair and the way one of her pajama buttons had come undone gave her an unguarded, sleepy appearance that added to the quiet, still atmosphere of the bedroom.
“Here. Don’t spill.” Saito sat down beside her and handed her the glass. Akane took it with both hands, drinking in small sips.
Gulp. Gulp.
The delicate sound of her swallowing filled the dimly lit room.
In the silence of the bedroom at this late hour, with no one else around, Saito was acutely aware of Akane’s presence. She looked up at him.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“…No reason.”
Saito quickly averted his gaze. Even he didn’t know why he was acting so strangely right now. It was extremely unusual for him—because he was such a logical person—to have a certain…feeling throw him off like this.
“Thanks for the water.”
“…Yeah.”
Without another word, they both slipped back under the covers. Their backs were pressed together, but tonight, Akane didn’t complain. Through the shared blanket, Saito could feel the warmth of her skin and smell her faint scent.
His smartphone, resting on the headboard, blinked faintly. From the water dispenser, a gentle gurgle echoed as bubbles rose to the surface. Saito knew he wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep right away, so he figured he’d fill the void by speaking with Akane.
“Next time, you can pick the game we play. I’ll find a movie for us to watch too, Sakuramori-san,” Saito mumbled.
“…Why don’t you call me by my name?” said Akane. Her voice carried a hint of frustration.
“Huh?”
Saito didn’t know what she meant.
“I don’t like it. It feels like I’m being disrespected. Call me by my name.”
“Sakuramori?” Saito muttered.
“Not my last name,” Akane clarified.
Saito hesitated, taking a quiet breath. For some reason, it felt harder to breathe than usual.
“Okay then…Akane?”
“Yes, Saito?”
Her voice had a subtle softness to it, her tone almost teasing, almost sweet.
“…Nothing,” said Saito.
“…Mmn,” murmured Akane.
Their backs remained pressed together, and the body heat of the two felt as if it could become one.
During the break, Saito was slumped over his desk, fast asleep. Despite being in a classroom full of students, he was completely unbothered in his nap, so at ease that he was drooling onto the desk. His mechanical pencil and eraser had already fallen to the floor, and his notebook was about to suffer the same fate.
You’re sloppy as ever, Saito… Akane sighed as she passed him, bending down to gather his fallen stationery. With a slight trace of irritation, she poked his head with a pencil to wake him up.
“You dropped these.”
“Hmm? Oh… Thanks.”
Saito blinked sleepily and muttered his gratitude to her.
Akane said nothing in reply, simply walking past him to take her seat. But for some reason, she couldn’t shake the strange restlessness she had been feeling. Lately, every time Saito thanked her, an odd, itching sensation stirred inside her heart. This relationship where she and Saito exchanged gratitude was refreshingly different from the one where they were in constant conflict. The sudden shift threw Akane. Being on the receiving end of his thanks felt…oddly pleasant. She found herself craving it.
I should hate him… What the hell is this feeling? Confused even by her own feelings, Akane pressed her warm cheeks with both hands. At that moment, Himari plopped down in the seat in front of her.
“Akane, did you and Saito-kun have a fight or something?” Himari inquired.
It was a strange question, considering they had actually been fighting less, lately.
“We’re always fighting, I think…” Akane replied, puzzled.
Himari frowned, lost in thought.
“Yeah, but I noticed something about you guys seems different lately. You haven’t been snapping at him as much… I was kinda wondering if you just got tired of even talking to him.”
“Ah.” Akane got alarmed. The absence of conflict made things seem suspicious now, given their default was all-out war. It was a problem Akane hadn’t considered. She regretted not maintaining at least some level of daily conflict—if only for appearances’ sake.
“It’s not like I’m avoiding him or anything,” explained Akane.
“So…did you two get closer?” Himari asked.
“Hell no, I’d never ever get close to that guy,” Akane replied.
“Then what’s going on? Do you have a fever or something?” Himari placed her cool palm against Akane’s forehead.
It was crazy that people would suspect Akane to be ill just because she wasn’t fighting with Saito. But compared to Himari’s hand, Akane’s forehead was noticeably hot. Not wanting her secret to be exposed, Akane quickly pulled away and shielded her forehead.
“I don’t have a fever! Listen, I’m…I’m just conserving my energy for the next fight. The battlefield may look peaceful for now, but I am merely in a regrouping phase,” explained Akane.
Himari raised an eyebrow.
“And what exactly do you have planned for the next battle?”
“I haven’t decided yet, but I’ll make Saito regret the day he was born. He will suffer a degree of pain beyond his imagination.”
Himari’s face went ghost white.
“Saito-kun, run!” Himari called out.
Good…that should take care of that. Akane sighed in relief—until she noticed Himari tilting her head at her, unconvinced.
“Hey, Akane, you haven’t ever called Saito-kun by his first name before, have you?”
“!”
This time, it was Akane’s face that turned ghost-white.
“What happened between you guys? Now that I think about it…Something must have changed between the two of you, didn’t it?” Himari interrogated.
“N-no! Nothing happened…” Akane stammered.
“Are you sure? Wait…weren’t you saying before that there was someone you kinda wanted to get along with better? Was it actually Saito-kun?”
“N-no, it’s not like that at all! I mean—uh, um…” Akane stammered, desperately trying to think of an excuse. But nothing came up. Her mind spun in circles, her body temperature skyrocketed, and even breathing felt difficult.
“I—I’m going home! See you tomorrow!”
“Akane, it’s only first period—?!”
Ignoring Himari’s stunned voice, Akane bolted out of the classroom at full speed.