“You know, I’m a big fan of detective and mystery fiction,” he said.
“Okay?”
“Been reading them so much that I feel confident in my ability to think like criminals do, figuring out their plans and stuff. You could say I’m really good at making educated guesses.”
“If you say so, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“Want me to guess what you’re thinking right now?”
“Wha—? You can do that? Sounds fun. The floor is all yours!” Yui chirped with unbridled enthusiasm, totally on board with his idea. There was even a faint hint of surprise coloring her expression, considering this was the first time Yuuki had taken the initiative and brought up a topic of his own volition.
“I’ve got you all figured out. You’re playing a game where you try to make your seatmate fall in love with you!” he claimed with confidence and pointed his finger at her.
Yui’s eyes had been twinkling with anticipation up until that point, but upon his declaration, some of that light vanished, and she tilted her head to the side. She looked unconvinced at first, but it didn’t take long for her to swing her arm in an exaggerated manner and point right back at him.
“You are correct,” she answered quietly.
They stood there with their fingers almost touching before Yuuki finally brought his arm down. Yui slowly did the same soon after.
“... Or so you might think. Sorry to rain on your parade, Sherlock.”
“Don’t give me that. I know I got it right.”
“Fake news. Of all of the things you could’ve said, that was the best you could come up with?! What made you even think such a thing? Actually, riddle me this too while you’re at it, detective. What do I gain from playing around like that?”
“Elementary, my dear Yui. It’s because you find it amusing, or something along those lines?”
While Yuuki was still not entirely sure of her true motivations, her behavior only made sense if this was what she was aiming at. Not to mention that, from where Yuuki was standing, she now looked like a criminal struggling in vain to justify themselves after being exposed by the good guy.
“You should’ve set your sights on some cheerful, up-and-coming guy.”
“Are your ears clogged or something?” Yui demanded. “I already told you that’s a load of bogus. Just thinking about it gives me the creeps!”
“Then why do you insist on following me around?” he asked without an ounce of hesitation. He thought that this would have struck a nerve, but much to his surprise, he was only met with a puzzled look.
“I dunno what you’re talking about. Oh wait, now I get it. So you’re basically saying that you’ve fallen for me?” she glanced up at him with a cheeky smile.
And with that, Yuuki couldn’t contain his laughter any longer.
“I made you laugh! Mission accomplished!” she cheered.
“Yeah, you got me. That was pretty good.”
“Hmmm? But you do know I was being serious, right?” she teased triumphantly.
Yuuki realized that she would probably fall into a serious misunderstanding if he stayed silent, so he decided it was best to play along a bit and simultaneously clear the air.
“I’ll do you one better,” he said. “You’re planning to make me fall in love with you just so you can turn me down when I confess to you, aren’t you? Not cool.”
“Excuse me? Where did you get that from?” she questioned, the anger clear in her voice. It was the first time he’d ever heard her use this tone.
Now that he thought about it, Yuuki’s source on this matter was Keitarou. He couldn’t actually be sure if it had any truth to it or not. He realized he might have offended her.
“I’m sorry. Forget I said anything,” his apology was quick and tinged with regret.
“Suspicious. Makes me want to forget it less. Maybe I should go ahead with my ‘game,’ after all.”
“What?” he asked, reflexively turning his gaze at her.
“Well, you know, I just thought your smile was kinda cute. Got my heart skipping a beat and everything,” she smiled teasingly. She then once again pointed at Yuuki, who was now in utter disarray. “Gotcha! You should see your face right now! You head-over-heels yet? No, but seriously, I’ve actually been interested in you for a while now. We just never really had a chance to talk, so I’m happy that we’ve ended up becoming seatmates,” she finished her confession bashfully.
The game had already been set, and she had just made her first move. Yuuki was aware that she would sweep the whole board if he just sat idly by and watched, and thus he opted to call her on her bluff and asked a question of his own.
“And why are you interested in me exactly?”
“Because you always look all bored by yourself, like you’re holding back. It’s super mysterious! Like, everyone in class has their own group, but you’re always choosing to be by yourself, and nobody approaches you because of it. So obviously I got a little curious about what sort of person you really are.”
It was too compelling of a reason for it to have been made up on the spot. However, she had made one grave mistake: she assumed that he was an introvert with no friends, let alone a girlfriend. That he was so depressed and dissatisfied with his life that he forgot how to laugh or smile. The reality of the situation was much less dramatic. Yuuki was simply sleepy most of the time in class and never bothered to engage with anyone of his own accord. While he was apathetic in general, he had no problems with his current school life. In other words, it’s not that deep.
If anything, she was at least right about him being alone most of the time, but it wasn’t as if it bothered him.
“But yeah, now that I’ve talked to you, you’re kinda fun to have around, and I really want to get to know you more,” Yui said.
“I don’t particularly see myself as a bundle of joy, but suit yourself.”
“Don’t sell yourself short! I’ve been having a good time, even with all the awkward pauses between each conversation.”
“Uh-huh...” he responded, still perplexed at her words. He wasn’t sure if she was being truly sincere or merely toying with him as Keitarou would have said. Once again, he figured that it would be troublesome if she misjudged his character, so he proceeded to explain his way of thinking to her. “I think you have the wrong idea. I don’t mind being boring or whatever as long as I get to do my own thing. I mean, if you’re healthy, have food on your plate and a roof over your head, what more could you want?”
“Wow, and you said you weren’t into philosophy?”
“I’m just repeating what my mother used to tell me. The older I get, the more I see the wisdom in it.”
“Oh, I guess she’s serious about raising you well. She must be strict on you with all kinds of things, huh?”
“Not anymore. She passed away due to illness three years ago,” he said nonchalantly. It no longer was that big a deal for him, but the revelation must have come as a shock to Yui, whose head drooped in shame.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
“No need to apologize.”
Yui didn’t expect him to react with any amount of consideration for her, which made her even more depressed. Yuuki, meanwhile, knew that a lively girl like her shouldn’t be making such a sad expression. It brought up bad memories that he had long forgotten, memories that actively blocked his path to happiness. He gathered himself together and instinctively extended his arm, gently placing his hand on top of her soft brown hair.
“It’s all right, trust me,” he said calmly, as though he was comforting a child.
A moment of silence passed as he patted her head before Yui slowly raised her head in an effort to understand what was happening. She was frozen in place, and her face was becoming more and more red as the gears turned in her head. She suddenly jerked head side to side, causing Yuuki to pull back his arm in a hurry.