Chapter 1

The First Study Session

The final bell rang, its sharp tone cutting through the classroom chatter. Students hurriedly packed their bags, eager to escape into the freedom of the afternoon. Hikata moved deliberately, his usually automatic motions now careful and measured. Each textbook he placed in his bag felt heavier than normal.

"Don't mess this up," Satoshi whispered, slapping Hikata's shoulder as he passed. "This is your chance."

Hikata nodded without looking up. His mind was racing through all possible scenarios of the study session ahead—most ending in embarrassing silence or him saying something incredibly stupid.

As the classroom emptied, Hikata remained at his desk, watching as Hanaki said goodbye to her friends. She turned to him with a smile that made his chest tighten.

"Ready, Hikata-kun?" she asked, approaching his desk.

"Yeah," he replied, standing up perhaps too quickly. "Where should we... I mean, did you have a place in mind?"

Hanaki tilted her head slightly. "The library might be too quiet today. How about the café near the station? Their parfaits are amazing!"

"Sounds good," Hikata managed, grateful she had made the decision.

The walk to the café was filled with small talk about classes and teachers. Hikata was surprised by how easily the conversation flowed once they were away from the eyes of their classmates. Hanaki was animated as she spoke, her hands sometimes punctuating her words with graceful movements.

"Nanakami-sensei's equations are like trying to read ancient hieroglyphs," she sighed as they settled into a corner booth at the café. "No matter how much I stare at them, they don't make sense."

Hikata smiled slightly. "It's about seeing the pattern. Once you understand the formula structure, you can solve almost anything."

"That's easy for you to say," Hanaki pouted, opening her math notebook. "You're at the top of the class."

"I'm really not—"

"Don't be modest! I've seen your test scores when they post the rankings."

Hikata felt heat rise to his face. She had noticed his scores? Had she been paying attention to him too?

"Let's start with the basics," he said, trying to focus. "Show me which problems are giving you trouble."

As Hanaki pointed to several equations, Hikata leaned closer to see her notebook. The scent of her cherry blossom shampoo caught him off guard, momentarily scattering his thoughts. 

"The key is understanding what each variable represents," he explained, recovering quickly. "Here, let me show you."

He took a pencil and began breaking down the problems step by step. Hanaki watched intently, her eyes following his every mark on the paper. When she didn't understand something, she would furrow her brow and lean closer, asking direct questions that showed she was genuinely trying to grasp the concepts.

"Wait," she said suddenly, placing her hand on his to stop him from writing. "I think I see the pattern now."

The sudden contact sent electricity through Hikata's arm. He froze, unable to move as Hanaki took the pencil from his hand.

"If x equals this value, then we substitute it here..." she murmured, working through the problem herself. Her face lit up when she reached the correct answer. "I got it! I actually got it!"

"Y-yeah, that's right," Hikata confirmed, his voice slightly unsteady.

Hanaki looked up at him, her eyes bright with excitement. "You're a really good teacher, Hikata-kun. You explain things clearly."

"I just understand math. It's... logical. Predictable." Unlike the way his heart was behaving right now.

"Still, thank you." Her smile was genuine, warm. "I've always been intimidated by you, you know."

"By me?" Hikata blinked in surprise. "Why?"

Hanaki stirred her neglected parfait thoughtfully. "You're always so quiet, so focused. Like nothing ever bothers you. And you're smart without trying to show it off."

Hikata wanted to laugh at the irony. If only she knew how much effort he put into appearing calm whenever she was around.

"I'm not that impressive," he said, looking down at his hands. "I just... keep to myself."

"Why is that?" she asked, her tone curious rather than judgmental.

The question caught him off guard. No one had ever really asked him that before, not even Satoshi.

"I guess I've never been good at... connecting with people," he admitted. "Words don't come easily to me."

Hanaki regarded him for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "I think you're doing fine right now."

Their eyes met, and for a brief moment, Hikata felt something shift—as if a small window had opened between them, offering a glimpse of something more.

The moment was broken by the buzzing of Hanaki's phone. She checked it and sighed.

"My mother needs me home," she said, gathering her books. "But this was really helpful. Could we... maybe do this again?"

Hikata nodded, perhaps too eagerly. "Anytime."

As they packed up and left the café, the setting sun cast long shadows across the street. They walked to the station in comfortable silence, the day's study session replaying in Hikata's mind.

At the station entrance, Hanaki turned to him. "Same time tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" Hikata hadn't expected another session so soon.

"Is that a problem?" she asked, uncertainty flickering across her face.

"No!" he said quickly. "Tomorrow is perfect."

Her smile returned. "Great! It's a date then."

She waved and hurried down the stairs to catch her train, leaving Hikata standing there, her words echoing in his mind.

*A date.*

He knew she didn't mean it that way, but his heart refused to listen to reason. As he turned to walk home, a small smile formed on his lips. For the first time in a long while, he found himself looking forward to tomorrow.

Behind him, the cherry blossoms swirled in the evening breeze, dancing like the newfound hope in his chest.

Hikata's footsteps echoed against the pavement as he walked home. The evening air cooled his flushed face, but did nothing to settle the storm in his chest. His phone buzzed—Satoshi, no doubt, hungry for details.

He glanced at the screen.

**Satoshi:** So??? Did you confess your undying love or what?

Hikata rolled his eyes and typed a quick response.

**Hikata:** We studied math. That's all.

**Satoshi:** Boring! Give me the good stuff!

**Hikata:** Meeting again tomorrow.

Three dots appeared immediately, followed by a flood of messages.

**Satoshi:** WHAT

**Satoshi:** HOW

**Satoshi:** DETAILS NOW

Hikata smiled and pocketed his phone. Let Satoshi wonder.

The Nanakami household greeted him with its usual emptiness. His father worked late, and his mother's business trip extended through the week. The silence enveloped him as he slipped off his shoes at the entryway.

In his room, he collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. Hanaki's face floated in his mind—the way her eyes lit up when she solved the equation, how her fingers felt against his hand, the soft scent of cherry blossoms that lingered around her.

"It's not a date," he said aloud, his voice breaking the silence. "She didn't mean it like that."

But her words replayed in his mind: *It's a date then.*

His phone buzzed again. Unknown number. He answered.

"Hello?"

"Hikata-kun?" Hanaki's voice came through, sending his heart into his throat. "Sorry to call so suddenly. I got your number from the class contact list."

He sat up straight. "No, it's fine. Did you... need something?"

"I forgot to ask—could we meet at the school gate tomorrow? My last class is in a different building."

"Sure," he replied, trying to sound casual while his mind raced. She called just for that?

"Great!" A pause. "Also... I wanted to thank you again. Most people get annoyed when I ask too many questions, but you were patient."

Hikata leaned back against his wall. "Your questions were good. Shows you're actually thinking about the problems."

"You think so?" The smile in her voice traveled through the phone. "Most teachers just tell me to memorize the formulas."

"That's stupid. Math isn't about memorization. It's about understanding."

"Exactly!" Her excitement bubbled through. "That's what I've been saying!"

A comfortable silence settled between them. Hikata realized he'd never spoken so freely with anyone besides Satoshi.

"Hikata-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you..." She hesitated. "Do you like movies?"

The question caught him off guard. "Movies? Sure, I guess."

"There's this new sci-fi film coming out this weekend. My friends canceled on me, and I still have the tickets..."

Hikata's breath caught. Was she—?

"If you're busy, it's totally fine!" she added quickly.

"No, I'm not busy," he said, perhaps too eagerly. "I'd like to go."

"Really? That's great! It's on Saturday at 2. We can meet at the station."

After they hung up, Hikata stared at his phone in disbelief. First a study session, now a movie? His mind spun with possibilities, each more improbable than the last.

His phone buzzed with a text.

**Hanaki:** Looking forward to tomorrow's study session and Saturday's movie! Goodnight, Hikata-kun! (✿◡‿◡)

He read the message five times before responding.

**Hikata:** Me too. Goodnight.

Simple. Direct. But his fingers trembled as he pressed send.

The next morning arrived with soft rain tapping against his window. Hikata dressed with unusual care, checking his reflection multiple times before heading out.

Satoshi waited at their usual corner, an umbrella dangling from his wrist. His eyes widened at Hikata's appearance.

"Did you... style your hair?"

Hikata touched his slightly less messy hair. "Just combed it."

Satoshi leaned in, eyes narrowed. "You smell different too. Is that cologne?"

"Shut up." Hikata pushed past him, heat creeping up his neck.

"Holy crap, you're taking this seriously!" Satoshi jogged to catch up. "What happened yesterday? And don't say 'nothing' because clearly something did."

Hikata kept walking. "We're going to see a movie on Saturday."

Satoshi stopped in his tracks. "You what?" He grabbed Hikata's arm. "Details. Now."

"Her friends canceled. She had extra tickets."

"Pity invite?"

"Maybe." Hikata shrugged, but deep down, he hoped for more.

"Or maybe," Satoshi waggled his eyebrows, "her friends never existed. Maybe it's all an elaborate ploy to spend time with the mysterious Hikata Nanakami."

"You read too much manga."

They arrived at school just as the first bell rang. As Hikata slid into his seat, he glanced three rows ahead. Hanaki hadn't arrived yet.

The clock ticked by. One minute before class. Two minutes after. No Hanaki.

The door slid open. Hanaki rushed in, hair damp from the rain, cheeks flushed.

"Sorry I'm late!" she bowed to the teacher.

"Take your seat, Kitori-san," the teacher said with a sigh.

As Hanaki made her way to her desk, her eyes met Hikata's. She gave a small, secret smile that sent electricity through him.

That smile contained a promise—a continuation of something that had just begun.

The rain intensified during lunch, transforming the school courtyard into a shimmering mosaic of puddles. Hikata watched water cascade down the classroom windows, each droplet distorting the world beyond into liquid abstraction. The sharp tang of ozone seeped through cracked windows, mingling with the earthy musk of wet concrete—a scent that always reminded him of lonely elementary school afternoons waiting for a father who never came.

"Your elbow's in the curry," Satoshi noted, mouth full of bread. 

Hikata jerked upright, realizing he'd been leaning perilously over his untouched lunchbox. Across the room, Hanaki's laughter rang clear above the classroom din, a bright arpeggio that cut through the drumming rain. She stood surrounded by friends near the heater, cheeks flushed from its warmth, gesturing with a half-unwrapped rice ball. The steam rising from her tea curled around her fingers like living calligraphy.

When the afternoon bell trilled, metallic and insistent, Hikata's pencil snapped mid-equation. Graphite dust smeared his thumb as he stared at the broken lead, suddenly conscious of Hanaki gathering her things three rows ahead. The rustle of her pleated skirt against chair legs sounded louder than the shuffling of thirty other students.

"Ready?" She appeared at his desk, schoolbag dangling from one shoulder. A droplet clung to her eyelash, refracting light into a microcosm of the classroom behind them.

Their shared umbrella became a intimate dome against the downpour, the pattering rhythm above syncing with Hikata's pulse. Hanaki's shoulder brushed his with each step, the heat cutting through damp fabric. They navigated rivulets carving paths through sidewalk grit, past steaming manhole covers exhaling sulfurous breath. 

The café's bell jingled as they entered, wrapping them in aromas of roasted beans and caramelized sugar. Muted amber lighting glazed tabletops where condensation rings overlapped like ancient tree growth. Hanaki shook her umbrella with a practiced flick, droplets arcing through air to land shimmering on the entryway tiles.

"Two strawberry parfaits, please!" She smiled at the waitress without consulting him, sliding into a booth upholstered in cracked crimson vinyl. Hikata's knees bumped hers beneath the table—she didn't pull away.

As she bent over her notebook, a strand of hair escaped its clip to brush the equations. Hikata noted how numbers blurred at the edges where her sleeve smudged pencil markings, how she bit her lower lip in concentration, leaving faint indents in the soft pink flesh. The parfait arrived in a towering glass, layers of ruby compote and ivory cream quivering under their spoons.

"Wait," she breathed, hand freezing mid-scoop. "If we treat the cosine component as variable here..." Her spoon handle tapped the notebook margin, leaving a sticky imprint. A dollop of cream clung to her thumb when she reached across to point, gloved in powdered sugar from the taiyaki she'd nibbled earlier.

Hikata's explanation dissolved when she leaned closer, cherry blossom scent cutting through the café's coffee musk. Her knee pressed against his under the table, radiating warmth through uniform wool. The clatter of dishes behind the counter became distant as her nodding comprehension synced with his racing heartbeat.

"You make it sound simple," she sighed, collapsing back against the booth. A fleck of strawberry gleamed at the corner of her mouth. "Like math's this beautiful... language."

"Numbers don't lie." Hikata stared at his distorted reflection in parfait glass. "Not like people."

Hanaki stilled. Outside, a delivery truck's reverse beeper sliced through the café's jazz soundtrack. When he dared glance up, her gaze held unexpected gravity. 

"Truth can be lonely," she said quietly, tracing the rim of her empty glass. A high-pitched whine sounded as her fingernail circled crystal. 

The walk home after dusk found them navigating streets lacquered with reflected neon. Puddles fractured their silhouettes into prismatic shards with each step. Hanaki's umbrella brushed low-hanging power lines, sending silver showers cascading around them. At her apartment gate, she turned with textbook clutched to chest, lower lip caught between teeth.

"Today felt..." She searched his face, streetlamp glow haloing her hair. "Different."

Hikata's throat constricted around unspoken words. A motorcycle roared past, drowning whatever she said next. He caught only the shape of "tomorrow" on her lips before she disappeared behind closing steel.

His empty house greeted him with refrigerator drone and the tinny echo of dripping faucet. In the bathroom mirror, Hikata found a powdered sugar smudge on his collar—pale against navy fabric. He pressed the pad of his thumb against the stain, watching white particles dissolve into the weave. Through the open window, distant train horns moaned their nightly laments.

The pillowcase smelled faintly of cherry blossoms when he buried his face in it.