Chapter 10
____
Max arrived early to class. Same seat. Corner by the window.
He unpacked his things. Textbook, notebook, pencil case. Set them in their usual arrangement.
Other students filtered in. Conversations. The scrape of chairs.
Aiko entered a few minutes before class started.
She walked to her seat without looking at him. Set her bag down. Pulled out her materials.
Max glanced at her once. She was already focused on her notebook.
He looked away.
Hirata started the lesson. Grammar structures. Verb conjugations.
Max took notes. Kept his eyes on the board.
Forty minutes passed.
When Hirata dismissed them, Aiko packed up quickly. Left before Max had finished putting his books away.
It had been like this for two weeks now.
Since the party. Since that Saturday.
Max had messaged her once. *How was the party?*
She'd replied: *Fine.*
Nothing else.
He'd meant to ask if something was wrong. But she was always busy. Always leaving right after class. Always somewhere else.
So he'd stopped trying.
They still sat next to each other. But the space between their desks felt wider than it had before.
---
◆
---
Aiko sat with Yuki and Hiro at lunch. Their usual spot in the cafeteria.
"So," Yuki said, "are you coming Friday?"
"Coming where?"
"Karaoke. Me, Hiro, Sato, a few others."
"Oh." Aiko picked at her rice. "Maybe."
"Maybe means no."
"I have a lot of studying."
Yuki exchanged a look with Hiro. "You always have studying lately."
"Midterms are coming."
"They're two weeks away."
Aiko didn't respond.
Hiro leaned back in his chair. "Is this still about that guy?"
"No."
"Because you've been weird since that party."
"I haven't been weird."
"You kind of have," Yuki said gently. "You barely talk anymore."
"I'm just busy."
Yuki poked at her own food. "Did you ever figure out if it was a girl? The person he was helping?"
Aiko's jaw tightened. "I don't know. I didn't ask."
"You could ask."
"Why would I?"
"Because you care?"
"I don't."
Hiro laughed. "Right."
Aiko set her chopsticks down. "Can we talk about something else?"
"We're just saying—" Yuki started.
"I know what you're saying."
Across the cafeteria, Aiko saw Sato sitting with a different group. Girls from another class. Laughing. Looking comfortable.
When had that started?
"Is Sato not eating with us anymore?" Aiko asked.
Yuki shrugged. "She's been sitting with them lately. I think she has a project with one of them."
"Oh."
"Why? Does it bother you?"
"No. Just noticed."
But it did bother her. A little.
People were shifting. Rearranging. Moving into different configurations.
And Aiko felt like she was staying still while everyone else moved.
---
◆
---
In class the next day, Aiko noticed more people sitting in different spots.
Not her seat. She was still by the window. Still next to Max.
But others had moved. The social geography of the room had changed slightly.
She told herself it didn't mean anything.
People sat where they wanted. It was normal.
But she kept noticing the small things.
The way some classmates would glance at her, then look away quickly.
The conversations that stopped when she approached.
The group project planning she wasn't invited to.
It's nothing, she told herself.
But the feeling persisted.
Like everyone was watching. Judging.
Like they all knew something about her that she didn't.
She caught her reflection in the classroom window during break. Looked tired. Drawn.
When had that happened?
Max sat next to her, reading something on his phone. Completely absorbed.
He hadn't noticed. Hadn't asked if she was okay. Hadn't said anything beyond polite formalities in two weeks.
Aiko looked away from the window.
Focused on her notes.
Tried to ignore the weight settling in her chest.
---
◆
---
Max arrived at school the next morning earlier than usual.
The entrance hall was mostly empty. A few students changing shoes. Cleaners finishing the overnight shift.
He went to his locker. Number 47. Third row from the bottom.
Opened it.
Empty.
Max stared at the space where his indoor shoes should be.
He'd left them there yesterday. He was sure of it. Always left them there.
He checked the number again. 47. His locker.
Definitely empty.
He looked around. No one was paying attention to him.
Maybe he'd put them somewhere else? But where?
Max closed the locker. Stood there in his outdoor shoes, uncertain.
A teacher walked past. Gave him a look. Students weren't supposed to wear outdoor shoes inside.
Max went to the office. Explained the situation to the woman at the desk.
"Your shoes are missing?"
"Yes."
She frowned. "That's unusual. Did you check your locker carefully?"
"Yes."
"Perhaps someone moved them by mistake. Check with your classmates."
Max nodded. Thanked her.
He borrowed a pair of guest slippers from the office. Too small. Uncomfortable.
Went to class.
The day passed slowly.
By afternoon, it was gym class.
Max went to the changing room. His gym locker was in the back row. He'd been assigned it at the start of term.
He opened it.
Empty.
His gym clothes. The ones he'd washed and returned last week. Gone.
Max stood there, looking at the empty metal space.
Around him, other students were changing. Pulling on their gym uniforms. Talking. Laughing.
No one looked at him.
No one seemed to notice anything wrong.
Max closed the locker slowly.
Checked the number again. His locker. Definitely.
He went to the gym teacher. Explained.
The teacher sighed. "Two things in one day? That's strange."
"Yes."
"Do you have enemies, Whitmore?"
"No. I don't think so."
The teacher looked at him thoughtfully. "Well. Sit out today. We'll figure this out."
Max sat on the bench while the rest of the class ran drills.
He watched them. Tried to see if anyone looked at him strangely.
No one did.
Everything seemed normal.
Except his things were gone.
And he had no idea why.
---
◆