Chapter 11: A Glimpse Beyond the Classroom

The weekend arrived quietly, bringing with it a rare freedom Yasu hadn't felt in a long time.
No classes, no school bells—just a wide, empty Saturday stretching ahead.

He decided, after much inner debate, to go into town.

There was a manga he had been eyeing for a while, a new series that had just come out. It felt like a small reward to himself, a reason to get out of his room for once.

The streets were lively, filled with the soft hum of conversation and the colorful chaos of weekend shoppers. Yasu kept his head down, weaving through the crowds, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his hoodie.

The bookstore he liked was nestled between a café and a florist, its familiar blue sign welcoming him in.
The smell of paper and ink hit him the moment he stepped inside, and he relaxed slightly.

He headed straight for the manga section, navigating the narrow aisles with practiced ease.

His fingers trailed along the spines of the books, searching.

That’s when he saw her.

Out of the corner of his eye, through the glass window facing the street—
Hoshiko-sensei.

Yasu froze, his heart skipping.

She was standing just outside the bookstore, smiling brightly, her casual clothes somehow making her seem even more stunning than when she wore her usual work attire.
A simple white blouse, a soft beige skirt fluttering just below her knees, and her hair loosely tied back.

But she wasn’t alone.

Next to her stood a man.

Tall. Handsome. Stylish.
He had short, slightly messy dark hair and a confident, easy-going posture that suggested he was comfortable around her—too comfortable.

Yasu's stomach twisted strangely.

Instinctively, he grabbed the nearest manga volume off the shelf, holding it up to obscure his face.

He peered over the top of the book carefully, trying not to look obvious.

Were they… on a date?

He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but he could see their body language—the way Hoshiko leaned in a little when she laughed, the way the man lightly nudged her shoulder with his.

They looked… close.

Yasu's fingers tightened around the manga volume.

He told himself to stop staring, to mind his own business.
She was an adult. She could meet whoever she wanted.

But his feet refused to move.

The man said something that made Hoshiko laugh—a real, open laugh that Yasu had never heard from her before.

It wasn’t the teasing laugh she gave him at school.

It was different.

Warm.

Intimate.

Yasu swallowed hard, feeling something tighten painfully in his chest.

He watched as the man reached out casually, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Hoshiko's ear.

She didn’t pull away.

She smiled at him.

And for a moment, the world seemed to narrow until all Yasu could see was the two of them standing there, looking so natural, so easy together.

He dropped his gaze to the manga in his hands, trying to focus.

But the words blurred.

Why did it hurt?

He didn’t understand. It wasn’t as if…
It wasn’t as if he had any right to feel anything.

To her, he was just a student.
A quiet boy who barely spoke unless spoken to.

Not someone she would meet on weekends.
Not someone she would laugh with like that.

A bitter taste filled his mouth.

He pretended to flip through the manga, pretending to read, pretending he was invisible.

Outside, Hoshiko and the man turned and began walking down the street together, their shoulders almost brushing.

Yasu watched them go until they disappeared into the crowd.

Only then did he lower the manga, staring blankly at the pages.

He stood in the aisle for what felt like a long time, the noisy chatter of the bookstore fading into a dull background hum.

Finally, he forced himself to move, grabbing the manga he had come for originally.

At the counter, the cashier smiled brightly at him.

"Big plans for the weekend?" she asked, ringing up his purchase.

Yasu gave a vague nod, murmuring something noncommittal.

The bell above the door jingled as he stepped back outside.

The sun was higher now, the streets busier.
But the day felt heavier somehow, pressing against his shoulders.

He walked aimlessly, the bag with his manga swinging lightly at his side.

His mind kept replaying the scene.

Her laugh.
Her smile.
The way the man touched her hair.

He told himself it didn’t matter.
That it wasn’t his business.

And yet...

He hated the way it made him feel.
Small.
Stupid.
Left behind.

At some point, he found himself sitting on a bench at the small park near the river.

Children ran past, laughing and shouting, their voices high and bright.

He stared at the water, watching the slow current drift by.

He pulled the manga out of the bag, flipping it open without really seeing the words.

All he could think about was the strange, hollow ache inside him.

He had no name for it.

It wasn't jealousy, was it?

He barely knew her.
She barely knew him.

And yet…

That warm, familiar image of her smiling at someone else—that was something he had never seen before, and it stung more than he expected.

He closed the manga quietly, resting it on his lap.

Above him, the sky was beginning to cloud over again, soft grey patches drifting lazily across the blue.

It might rain later.

Yasu leaned back against the bench, closing his eyes.

For now, he would just sit here.

For now, he would just try to forget.