Wednesday.
They announced a health check during homeroom.
Height, weight, vision, and blood pressure.
Normal stuff.
Unless you’re me.
Because I had to go through all of it with Airi Fujimoto.
“This way, Yuuji-kun~!”
she chirped, practically dragging me by the sleeve toward the gym.
“I can walk. My legs are functional.”
“But not your brain, apparently,” she said.
We were lined up in order. Thanks to fate or the devil.Airi stood right in front of me.
And every time the line moved forward, she turned to talk.
“I hope I grew taller.”
“You’re already too short,” I said.
She squinted. “I hope you shrink.”
Fair enough.
“Height: 156.7 cm,” the nurse said to Airi.
She twirled proudly. “Yay! I grew 0.2 cm!”
Then it was my turn.
“Height: 169.8 cm.”
Airi peeked over. “You’re not even in the cool 170 club.”
“Guess we’re both not cool.”
“Speak for yourself.”
Next was weight. I’ll spare the details,
but Airi looked pleased with her number and then smirked at mine like she’d won something.
Then came the blood pressure station.
“Try not to pass out, okay?” Airi teased as I sat down.
“I’m not scared of a little cuff.”
“Your face says otherwise.”
The cuff squeezed. I flinched.
Airi leaned in, her face way too close.
“Should I hold your hand?”
“…Please don’t.”
The nurse raised an eyebrow.
My blood pressure probably spiked 30 points.
After the check, we got little health slips and were free to go back to class.
Airi was at her desk.
Smiling, Cheerfully. Holding something in her hands.
I looked left. I looked right. Was this a trap?
She held out a small box.
"Ta-da! Bento time!"
I squinted. "You made this?"
"Of course. I thought it’d be cute."
She pushed it into my hands like a proud grandma.
Inside were tiny animal shaped rice balls. One looked vaguely like a bear. Another looked like me, probably. It had my tired eyes.
"Why does this one look like it wants to scream?"
"It’s you before exams," she said with a grin.
I sighed. "I knew it."
"I’m full of surprises, Aren't I?" Airi said sweetly.
"You’re also full of mood swings," I mumbled.
“Eat,” she said. “Or I’ll personally feed you each rice grain with chopsticks.”
“Okay okay, I get it!”
She smiled and leaned on her elbows as I took a bite.
It was good.
Too good.
“What’s in this? Happiness? Poison?”
“Just normal seasoning,”
she said.
“I added love. That’s an ingredient, right?”
“I’m going to choke.”
I heard some students whispering.Someone gasped.Kenta started recording.
Halfway through lunch, Hina peeked in through the door and stepped inside.
“Oh. I see. Bento date in progress.”
Airi waved. “I made enough if you want some!”
Hina politely declined, sitting by the window with a book.
“You know,” she said quietly, “You’ve been very thoughtful lately.”
Airi blinked.
“Really? You think so?”
Hina nodded.
“It’s nice. But… also surprising?”
Airi laughed.
“I guess I’m in a good mood this week.”
I kept chewing in silence.
The whole thing felt like a scene from a rom-com manga.
Except I was the confused background character who got dragged into the plot.
After lunch,
Airi stepped out to get something from the vending machine.
As soon as she left, Hina tapped her book like it was Morse code.
“Notice anything… odd lately?”
I blinked.
“You mean like Airi bringing me homemade bento like she’s in a shoujo manga?”
“That too.”
She handed me a small folded square of paper.
I unfolded it.
It wasn’t signed.
It just read:
'If someone feels different, maybe they are.'
I looked at her.
“Is this a riddle? A fortune cookie?”
Hina gave a faint smile.
“Or maybe a warning.”
Before I could ask more, Airi returned.
“Who wants milk tea~?”
she said, holding two bottles.
After school.
We stayed behind to do our cleaning duty.
Airi grabbed a broom like it was a magical staff.
“Let’s make this place sparkle!”
“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I muttered.
“You’re just grumpy because your mop hates you.”
“I’m grumpy because I think I’m hallucinating you being helpful.”
She twirled once, holding the broom like a sword.
“Shut up and sweep, Raccoon-kun.”
I sighed. “There it is. The nickname.”
By the time we finished cleaning, the classroom actually looked decent.
Airi wiped her forehead dramatically. “We did it.”
“You mean I did it.”
“I supervised.”
Yuuji’s Mental Diary – Wednesday
Things that happened today :
Got bento that looks like it's made for kids
Airi is suspiciously sweet again.
Hina stared at us? like she’s trying to decode a prophecy.
Conclusion: This school needs a therapist, and probably me too.
--------------------------
Bonus Scene – After-School Ambush (A.K.A. Shopping Trip)
After school, I thought I was free.
But then Airi turned to me and said, “Let’s go somewhere.”
That’s how most of my problems start.
“Where exactly is ‘somewhere’?” I asked.
She tapped her chin. “A bookstore?”
That… didn’t sound too bad. Peaceful. Safe. And most importantly no dressing rooms.
“Sure, I guess.”
Hina appeared out of nowhere. “I heard bookstore. I’m coming.”
“You weren’t invited,” Airi said.
“I’m still coming.”
And that’s how I ended up walking between them like some confused bookmark.
---
The bookstore was quiet, warm, and smelled like old paper and new ink.
Airi zoomed toward the romance section. Hina drifted to the mystery aisle. I stood in the middle, holding my schoolbag and wondering how I got here.
Airi peeked out from behind a shelf, holding a book with pink cover.
“Should I buy this?”
“What is it?”
She held it up.
'100 Ways to Know if He Likes You Back.'
I blinked.
Then blinked again.
“Is that… for research?”
“Maybe,”
she said, flipping a page.
“Did you know if a boy gets flustered when you lean close, it’s a sign?”
“Anyone would get flustered if you invade their oxygen zone,” I muttered.
Airi leaned in anyway, her face way too close.
I backed up instinctively and knocked over a display of bookmarks.
“…So predictable,” she giggled.
“I hate love books,” I mumbled.
---
Fifteen minutes later, Hina came back with two novels and a puzzle book.
“We done?” she asked.
Airi clutched her bag. “Yes! But I’m not ready to go home yet.”
“There’s a park nearby,” I offered without thinking. “Benches. Quiet, and peaceful.”
Airi smiled. “Perfect!”
I regretted everything.
---
The park had soft wind and orange light. We found a bench. I sat in the middle. Again.
Airi unwrapped a rice ball from her bag. “Want half?”
“Where did that come from?”
“I’m always prepared.”
Hina sat beside me and opened her book, reading in the warm light like she was part of a painting. Airi leaned into my side, nibbling her half of the rice ball.
“You’re unusually quiet,” I said.
“I’m happy,” Airi answered softly.
“…That’s suspicious.”
She smiled. “Can’t I just enjoy the moment?”
“Statistically? No.”
She chuckled and rested her head briefly against my shoulder.
On the other side, Hina turned a page and said, “Don’t let her fool you. She’s plotting something.”
“I am not,” Airi pouted. “I’m just… content.”
And for a strange second, so was I.
---
Yuuji’s Mental Diary – Bonus Entry
Bookstores are traps in disguise. Airi likely used psychology. Hina used silence.
Also, why is it so peaceful today?
---
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