Chapter 7: Whispers and Wondering

The next day came with clear skies and a gentle breeze. Students filled the school grounds with their usual chatter, but Hikari moved through the morning fog in her mind, still lost in the conversation she had with Aoi the day before.

There was a strange comfort in Aoi’s words. Not the kind that came from hearing something sweet, but the kind that settled somewhere deep—like a steady hand on your back when you didn’t know you needed one. Aoi hadn’t smiled much. Hadn’t said anything dramatic. But still, her quiet presence stayed with Hikari.

She couldn’t stop thinking about it, even as she sat in class.

After the bell rang for lunch, Hikari made her way to the vending machines Aoi mentioned the other day, curious to see if it really was as quiet as she said. True enough, tucked away behind an unused building, the spot was peaceful. The hum of the machine, the shade of a small tree, and a well-worn bench made it feel like a little escape from everything.

She sat there for a few minutes, quietly sipping a juice box, when the sudden sound of footsteps pulled her attention.

“Hikari!”

She turned to see a few of her classmates—girls from her homeroom—hurrying toward her. She blinked in surprise.

“Hey, uh…” one of them began, brushing a hand through her bangs awkwardly. “Sorry if this is random, but we were kinda talking earlier and—well, we noticed you’ve been talking to Aoi lately.”

Hikari stiffened slightly, caught off guard. “Oh… yeah?”

Another girl leaned in, wide-eyed. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Talk to her without freaking out!” the first girl burst out. “Like, seriously. She’s… terrifying sometimes.”

“Totally!” another chimed in. “She always glares at people like she’s annoyed, and she never talks unless she has to. I thought she didn’t like anyone!”

“She never smiles either,” one added with a shiver. “Not even during class events. It’s like she’s allergic to joy.”

Hikari blinked, caught somewhere between confusion and amusement. “I don’t think she’s that scary…”

The girls stared at her like she’d just said water wasn’t wet.

“You don’t?” one asked in disbelief. “Weren’t you the one she carried to the infirmary last week when you collapsed? How did that even happen? Aoi caring?”

“Did she threaten you to stay quiet about it?” another whispered, half-joking.

Hikari almost laughed but caught herself. Instead, she smiled faintly and looked down at her juice. “She’s… not what she seems. I guess.”

The girls exchanged glances.

“I don’t know,” Hikari added with a little shrug. “I think she just has her own way of doing things.”

One of the girls narrowed her eyes. “You’re not, like… into her or something, right?”

Hikari almost choked on her drink. “Wh-what? No! I mean—what does that even mean?”

They giggled at her flustered reaction, nudging each other.

“I’m just saying,” one said with a teasing smile. “You’re the only person I’ve seen her actually talk to for more than five seconds.”

“She didn’t even snap at you!” another whispered dramatically. “That’s basically a love confession coming from her.”

Hikari flushed slightly but forced a small laugh. “You’re exaggerating…”

The girls laughed too, and the topic shifted. But even as they chatted about something else, Hikari’s mind lingered on their words.

She didn’t snap at you.

She hadn’t thought about it that way. Aoi had been blunt, yes. Quiet, always. But not cold—not to her. In fact, Aoi had been warmer than anyone else had been lately, in her own strange way.

When the bell rang again, the girls left first, still laughing, while Hikari took her time standing up.

The vending machine softly whirred behind her, and a warm breeze lifted her hair.

Aoi doesn’t smile. But maybe… maybe she doesn’t need to. Maybe this is her smile, Hikari thought, her chest stirring with something she couldn’t quite name.

And with that thought, she returned to class—still unsure, still confused, but with a little lighter in her heart.

After the lunch break, the classroom felt quieter than before. The noise and chatter had settled, leaving behind a gentle hum of students settling into their seats, preparing for the afternoon lessons. Hikari walked back to her desk, still feeling the remnants of the flustered conversation from earlier. Her heart was still racing, and the teasing words from her classmates wouldn’t stop replaying in her mind.

That’s basically a love confession coming from her.

The question was so simple, but it had shaken something inside of her. She couldn’t help but wonder—had she really been talking to Aoi without realizing how strange it must seem to everyone else? Was it that obvious to others how much she... cared about being around Aoi?

She sat down, still lost in her thoughts, her face a little warmer than usual. She glanced toward Aoi, who was sitting by the window again, her eyes distant and calm as she stared out at the school grounds. The stillness of Aoi’s presence was something Hikari had grown used to, but now it felt like it was pulling at her. She quickly looked away, trying to calm the racing thoughts inside her.

As she stared at her desk, trying to focus, she could feel that familiar weight in her chest. She was aware of every little movement in the classroom, of every breath she took. Aoi’s words from earlier still echoed in her head, and the concern in her voice had left a lasting impression. If you’re not feeling well, you should rest. It was such a simple thing to say but hearing it from Aoi had made Hikari’s heart flutter in a way she didn’t understand.

Why am I acting like this? Hikari thought, her hands fidgeting with the corner of her notebook. She wasn’t sick. She wasn’t feeling unwell, either. But somehow, she felt more nervous than she had before. She had to admit it: the closer she got to Aoi, the more she found herself affected by little things that should’ve been normal.

She tried to focus on the lesson in front of her, but her mind kept drifting back to that conversation with the girls. And then, there was the memory of Aoi looking at her with those intense eyes, so calm and sure. It made her stomach flip every time she thought about it.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and the start of the afternoon class, Hikari hesitated before standing up. The classroom was gradually filling with more chatter as everyone found their seats again, but Hikari’s thoughts were still consumed by everything that had happened.

She sat down and tried to focus on the teacher’s words, but it was impossible. She kept thinking about Aoi, about how she had felt when she looked at her, about the softness in Aoi’s voice when she asked if Hikari was okay. Her mind swirled with the question: Why does this feel so strange?

As the minutes passed, Hikari could feel her cheeks burning again, a flush of warmth spreading across her face. She just couldn’t get rid of the feeling that something was different between her and Aoi. Even if she couldn’t quite put her finger on what had changed, there was a sense of anticipation hanging in the air.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching, and before she knew it, Aoi was standing right next to her desk again. Hikari’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly tried to hide the fluster she felt.

“Are you sure you’re, okay?” Aoi’s voice came softly, with a hint of concern, just like before. The sincerity in her tone sent another rush of warmth to Hikari’s cheeks, and she could feel her hands trembling slightly as she tried to give a casual smile.

“I... I’m fine,” Hikari said, but her voice was shaky. She could feel the heat rising, and it was almost as if her body was betraying her. Why is this so hard? she thought, feeling like she might just implode from the intensity of the moment.

Aoi stood there for a moment, looking down at her with an unreadable expression. “Okay,” she finally said, her gaze lingering a bit longer before she turned and walked back to her seat. Hikari watched her go, her heart still racing as she tried to make sense of everything.

As Aoi sat down, Hikari stayed frozen for a moment, her mind still trying to catch up with the whirlwind of emotions inside her. She wasn’t sure what had happened between them, but she felt it—a shift, a change. And for the first time, she found herself wondering if she could handle whatever came next.

For now, though, she just hoped that the afternoon lessons would keep her distracted, even though she knew deep down that the warmth in her chest wouldn’t be going away anytime soon.