Walking back into the building, my phone buzzed again. I wasn't surprised to see it was Ren.
> **\[Ren]:** Can we meet after class? 3rd floor, room 3-C. Gotta talk.
My heart fluttered for a second. *Gotta talk* sounded serious. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, but I didn't know what to type back. So I turned off my phone and slipped it into my pocket. I'd deal with him later.
---
**Third period** dragged on like a marathon of corporate training videos. Chemistry class had never felt more irrelevant. I stared at the periodic table as if it held the secret to my life, when really, I was too distracted thinking about Ren's message. *Gotta talk.* Why did he need to talk? Was it about the rumor? Was he… upset with me? Or did he want to say he was okay with the rumor? Or—God, did he want to admit that he actually liked me? Jesus, stop. *Stop.*
I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment, and when I reopened them, the periodic table still hadn't changed. But maybe that was a good thing; a stable backdrop while everything around me felt like it was tilting.
By the time the bell rang for the next class, I was practically vibrating. I shot a quick glance at the clock—11:45. I had forty-five minutes until I had to meet Ren. I took a deep breath, paced the hallway for a few moments, then decided to head to the gym for a quick warm-up. If nothing else, running could calm my racing thoughts.
---
At **noon**, I arrived at the gymnasium, removed my gym shoes, and slipped on my running sneakers. The soft thud of soles on the wooden floor sounded familiar and comforting. A few second-year students were already there, shooting basketballs and dribbling in place, but the track team had the school track fields now. I decided to do some agility drills instead—ladders, cone weaves, quick steps. My body moved on autopilot, a blessed escape from the whirlwind in my mind.
I glanced at my phone again. No messages from Ren. I felt a pang—anxious, hopeful, irritated, all at the same time.
"Akari, hey," a voice said, breaking my concentration. I turned to see Kaito leaning against the wall, his notepad and pencil in hand. He looked… concerned.
"Hey," I replied, panting slightly.
He walked over, gaze on my form, then my face. "You okay?"
I tried to pretend. "Yeah, just doing some conditioning."
He nodded and raised an eyebrow. "School gossip?"
I looked away, trying to play it cool. "Maybe."
He was quiet for a few seconds, studying me. Then he said, "If you want to talk about it—"
I cut in, voice a tad harsher than intended. "I don't."
He raised his hands in surrender. "Okay. But if you do… I'm here."
I offered a half-smile. "Thanks."
He nodded and leaned against the wall again. We stood in silence for a moment, the gym's ambient sounds echoing: basketball hoops, sneakers squeaking, the muffled hum of the reverse joggers on the treadmills.
Finally, I sighed. "I'll be fine."
Kaito gave me a small, encouraging nod. "Good. See you in class."
I nodded back, then finished my agility drills with renewed focus. Each footfall, each pivot, each sprint felt like a minor victory over the chaotic swirl of rumors.
---
**At 2:50 PM**, I slipped into Classroom 3-C—barely minutes before Ren. There was something almost comforting about the empty desks, the soft echo of my footsteps. His seat was by the window; I took the one directly across from him. When he walked in, I felt my heart rate spike again, but I forced myself to breathe.
He sat down, snapped his bag shut, and waited for me to speak.
I caught his gaze and blurted out, "Why did you want to talk here?"
He gave me a small smile—nervous, maybe, but genuine. "Because no one else comes here during free periods. I thought… we needed privacy."
I nodded, leaning back in my chair. "Okay. Privacy. Good."
He took a deep breath. "About the rumor."
I narrowed my eyes. "What about it?"
He ran a hand through his hair, looking, for the first time, uncertain. "I thought… if people believe it's true, maybe it could become true."
My eyebrows shot up. "What does that mean?"
He paused, searching for words. "I mean… maybe somewhere in my mind, I kind of wanted it to be true. Because… because I like you, Akari."
My chest tightened. I stared at him, wondering if I'd misheard.
He continued, voice soft: "Not like I hate how things are now. I love our rhythm—walking home together, teasing each other, the way you push yourself when you run. But… when that rumor started, instead of objecting, I kind of… froze."
I blinked. "You didn't stop it?"
He winced. "I did, but not fast enough. And then there was something in the way people looked at you… at us. And I realized… that maybe I wanted them to think something I wasn't ready to admit out loud."
I shook my head, my mind spiraling. "So—you like me?"
His head bobbed once, just a gentle nod. "Yeah. That's… that's pretty much it."
A silence fell so heavy that I could almost hear the clock on the wall ticking. I looked away, heart pounding, trying to process. Of all the things I'd thought Ren might feel—indifference, annoyance, even pity—I'd never guessed… this.
"You like me," I repeated, voice barely above a whisper.
He nodded. "Does that… change things?"
I swallowed, my muscles suddenly feeling stiff. "I don't know."
He looked crestfallen for a moment, then reached across the desk and gently brushed a lock of hair behind my ear—something he'd done countless times before when we were close friends. This time, though, it felt different: tender, loaded.
I let my eyes close for a second, the memory of his touch sending a shiver down my spine. When I opened them, I said, "Your face is really close to mine right now."
He pulled back instantly, like he'd burned himself. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm… sorry."
I took a deep breath and leaned back in my seat, running a hand through my ponytail. "This is a lot."
"I know," he said quietly.
"I need time," I admitted, surprising even myself. "I need to figure out if… if this is something I can think about."
He gave me a small, understanding nod. "Okay."
I looked at him, and suddenly, a weird kind of warmth spread through me. The same warmth I felt after a hard workout—strings of fatigue and triumph woven together. "But if you think it's okay to let rumors spread just because you want to see if I feel the same… that's not fair."
He exhaled slowly. "I know. It was… stupid. Immature. I'm sorry."
I nodded. "I appreciate your honesty."
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "I… I need to figure out what I feel, too. Okay?"
He swallowed. "Okay."
We sat in silence for another minute, the hum of the empty classroom suddenly deafening. I wanted to get up and run laps—anything to dispel that tightness in my chest.
Finally, he broke the silence. "Do you… maybe want to go for a run? Together?"
My heart skipped in an entirely different way. I stared at him, then let out a breathy laugh. "You want to go for a run… after this?"
He shrugged, cheeks pink. "Just… like old times."
All I could do was nod. "Yeah. Okay. Let's run."
---
We laced up our shoes at the track in a silence that felt comfortable—like a shared secret. The bleachers were empty except for Samara and Kaito, who gave us an encouraging wave. I felt self-conscious, knowing they knew the truth now, but also… oddly relieved. Honesty felt good.
We started with a jog around the outer lane. My ponytail bounced with each step; Ren's sneakers shuffled behind me. Despite the flood of emotions, the familiarity of our routine grounded me.
Ren spoke first. "I'm sorry for letting the rumor spiral."
I exhaled slowly. "It's not your fault entirely. People love gossip."
He glanced at me. "But I shouldn't have let it… happen."
I shook my head, focusing on my breathing. "I get that. People see what they want to see. But you could have spoken up sooner."
He nodded. "You're right."
We kept running, passing the halfway point of the track. The late afternoon light painted everything gold, and the world felt a bit magical—like this moment existed out of time.
I slowed to a walk, and Ren slowed with me, matching pace. I turned to him, heart fluttering as I searched his face. "So… you like me. I like you—sort of. I think."
He swallowed. "Sort of?"
I rolled my eyes. "What I mean is… I care about you. A lot. But as a … friend. Honestly, Ren, the idea of us… dating? It's new. Strange. I'm not saying it could never happen, but right now, it's weird."
He nodded, eyes honest. "I get it."
I looked at him with a lopsided smile. "I mean, if we actually dated, you'd have to slow down your daily mirror worships. That alone is a dealbreaker."
He laughed—something close to real, heartfelt laughter. "I can tone it down."
"Good," I teased, bumping him lightly in the ribs with my elbow. "Because I can't date someone who takes longer to get ready than I do to train."
We ran another lap in silence. My heart still felt jumpy but lighter—as if the fear of *not knowing* had lifted. I realized I was smiling. And it felt natural.
Finally, as we slowed to a jog near the bleachers, I turned to him. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being honest. And for… well, this run."
He gave me a small grin. "Anytime."
We slowed to a walk, the day's exhaustion settling in. I felt a kind of calm I hadn't felt all week—like I'd navigated a storm and come out the other side.
We returned to our bags by the entrance. The sun dipped lower, the sky shifting to pastel pinks and purples. The track was quiet now, the steady thump of my heartbeat almost as loud as the birds settling on the nearby trees.
Ren gave me a glance. "So… lunch tomorrow?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Friends or…?"
He shrugged. "Friends."
I nodded. "Friends."
Underneath it all, though, I felt something shift. Like the first crack in a frozen pond. And while I wasn't sure what lay beneath the surface, I knew I was ready to find out.