After school, the back of Sakuragaoka High was usually empty. Forgotten. A place where nothing happened.
Today, it was the center of the universe.
Kaito walked there alone, his steps unhurried, his expression unreadable. Every window facing that direction seemed to hold faces—students pretending to clean, pretending to study, pretending not to watch.
From the second floor, two figures pressed against the glass, hidden behind a curtain.
"This is insane," Hikari muttered. "We're actually spying."
Riko didn't respond. Her eyes were locked on the scene below.
The girl arrived.
She was from Class 2-C—the same girl from the infirmary. Suzuki Mei. The one who had thanked Kaito for stopping the bullies. She walked with her head down, hands clasped in front of her, radiating nervous energy.
They stood facing each other. The distance too far to hear. The tension close enough to feel.
Riko strained forward. What are they saying? What is he—
The girl looked up. Her lips moved. Kaito responded.
More words. The girl's shoulders sagged slightly.
Then—a miracle.
She smiled. Small. Sad. But genuine.
She bowed deeply. Kaito inclined his head in return. And then she walked away, her steps lighter than when she arrived.
No tears. No breakdown. No parents needed.
Riko exhaled. She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath.
"What just happened?" Hikari whispered.
"I don't know. I couldn't—"
"HEY!"
Both girls spun around.
Yuki stood behind them, arms crossed, grinning like the cat who caught the canary.
"You two are TERRIBLE spies," she announced. "I've been watching you for five minutes. You didn't even notice."
Riko's face flushed. "We weren't—we were just—"
"Uh-huh. Sure." Yuki bounced forward, pressing her nose against the window. "Anyway, I know what he said."
Hikari's eyes narrowed. "How?"
Yuki tapped her lips. "I read them. Lip reading. Learned it in middle school for fun."
Riko grabbed her arm. "What did he say? Tell us!"
Yuki grinned wider. "Okay, so she confessed. Obviously. And Kaito-san said—" she adopted a terrible impression of his voice "—'I appreciate your feelings, but I like someone else. So I can't accept. I'm sorry.'"
The world stopped.
He likes someone else.
Riko's heart plummeted. Hikari went completely still.
Yuki continued, oblivious. "Then she asked if he was just making an excuse, and he said no, it's true. So she thanked him for being honest and left." She shrugged. "Pretty smooth, actually. No drama."
Silence.
Riko forced her voice steady. "So... he made an excuse. Like he said he would."
Yuki tilted her head. "Maybe? But he seemed pretty serious when he said it. And she believed him."
He likes someone else.
The words echoed.
Hikari found her voice first, rough and quiet. "Who?"
Yuki shrugged again. "Didn't say. Could be anyone." She glanced between them, a knowing glint in her eye. "Could be someone we know."
She bounced away, leaving them alone with their thoughts.
Riko stared at the empty space where Kaito had stood. Her mind raced through possibilities. Every girl in their class. Every interaction. Every glance she'd catalogued.
Who?
And deeper, more terrifying:
Is it me?
Hikari stood frozen beside her, thinking the exact same thing.
Two girls. One question. No answers.
(End of Chapter 70)