"Then come with me."

The words fell into Nozomi Sakura’s ears like a stone sinking into deep water, and for a brief moment, she forgot how to breathe.

The tone was flat, bland as boiled water, stripped of any emotion.

And that very neutrality made it far more disturbing.

It was agreement on the surface, yet beneath it lay the clearest refusal.

Nozomi snapped awake.

There was no real foundation between her and Alan. Forget Akari Hojo, she suspected even Hojo’s younger sister was closer to him than she was.

She was nothing more than an outsider he had known for less than half a month.

A sour, nameless feeling churned in her chest.

It wasn’t quite jealousy, but it was irritating all the same.

Her hands, resting on her thighs, clenched so tightly that not even a sliver of air could slip between her fingers.

Alan noticed her sudden silence and turned to look at her.

Damn it.

We’ve already broken up...

"What’s wrong?"

"Ah—"

Nozomi pulled herself together.

A bright smile snapped into place. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and spoke lightly.

"I was just joking. You two already made plans in advance. Dragging along an outsider would be awkward, wouldn’t it?"

She meant to sound casual, but the stiffness in her politeness only made it feel more forced, far more than if she had simply agreed to meet Akari Honne.

Alan studied her for a long moment.

"Do you actually want to come?"

The question pierced straight through her defenses.

Nozomi’s gaze darted away. Her heart pounded, her palms damp with sweat.

Still, she forced a rigid smile.

"Huh? No, not really."

Alan didn’t respond.

His steady gaze held her in place. After only a few seconds, she couldn’t endure it anymore and lowered her head.

Regret washed over her.

Damn it.

"I really don’t think it’s a good idea for you to come meet Akari Honne," Alan said, looking at the side of her face. "That girl has problems. Bad temper. Even her sister can’t deal with her."

Nozomi blinked in surprise.

Her pale ear twitched. The tight knot in her chest loosened, just a little. She looked up.

"Then... she’s still willing to go out with you?"

"Mm."

Alan nodded.

"Matter-of-fact, she likes me."

"..."

Staring at his calm expression, Nozomi didn’t know what to say.

Casually announcing another girl’s feelings right in front of his girlfriend, only a real jerk would do something like that.

And yet, to her own surprise, she wasn’t angry.

"So you’re still going to see her?" she asked. "Aren’t you worried she’ll cling to you?"

"I’m not worried."

"If I avoided her, that would mean I had something to hide."

"The so-called ’impossible’ really is impossible. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have posted that photo with you. She can see it."

"Oh."

The word slipped out softly.

The panic in Nozomi’s chest finally settled.

"You don’t need to worry about your friends recognizing me either," Alan continued. "It’s just a photo. They’ve never met me. If I change clothes, no one will know."

"Oh."

"Alright. Everything’s out in the open."

Alan zipped his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and met her eyes.

"But more importantly, focus on the assignments I gave you. If your grades don’t reach the target, you won’t get a single yen."

He turned off the air conditioner and left the classroom without another word.

"..."

Nozomi watched his retreating back, her eyes filled with complicated light.

She bit her lip.

How unfair.

Going on a date with another girl and sounding so righteous about it.

Still, whatever the case, right now she was the one he called his girlfriend.

The more she replayed his words, the lighter her heart felt.

Then, suddenly, the feeling peaked.

She burst out laughing, bright and explosive, like fireworks.