Chapter 9 – Aya’s Secret Admirer

The sweet scent of chocolate wafted through the halls of Misora High, carried on the cheerful chatter of students. Heart-shaped boxes peeked out of tote bags, and nervous giggles echoed near shoe lockers.

Valentine’s Day.

Haru clutched her lesson plan a little too tightly, trying not to get swept up in the sugary chaos. She’d always thought of Valentine’s as a cute holiday—back when it was just manga characters confessing dramatically under cherry trees. Now? It felt… complicated.

Because everywhere she turned, the whispers were about Aya.

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“Kurozawa-sensei is soooo cool. I heard she likes dark chocolate!”

“Should we give her something? Imagine her smile if she accepted…”

“Do you think she has a type?!”

Haru ducked behind the library corner, pretending to study the bulletin board while eavesdropping like a guilty criminal. Her chest felt… tight. She didn’t like that feeling.

Why did it bother her so much that half the female student body wanted to give Aya chocolates? Aya was popular—it made sense. Aya was gorgeous, athletic, confident… everything Haru wasn’t.

Still, the thought of Aya smiling that warm, lazy smile at someone else—maybe even saying yes to a student’s bold confession—made Haru’s stomach twist like a wrung-out towel.

What is wrong with me?

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She hurried back to the staff room, determined to drown herself in grading instead of spiraling into weird feelings. But as soon as she slid open the door, fate laughed in her face.

Aya was there, leaning against her desk, scrolling casually on her phone. Her hair was tied up in a loose ponytail, and her crisp white shirt sleeves were rolled to the elbows, exposing toned forearms that could probably break Haru in half.

Several gift bags sat on the desk beside her.

Chocolates.

Haru froze in the doorway. “W-Wow… you’re… popular.”

Aya glanced up, smirking. “Jealous, newbie?”

Haru’s face went nuclear. “W-What?! N-No! I was just… stating a fact!”

Aya chuckled, tapping one of the heart-shaped boxes. “You’d think people would realize I can’t accept these. Boundaries and all that.”

Haru shuffled past her, muttering, “They just… admire you, I guess.”

Aya tilted her head, watching her with that unreadable look Haru had learned to both dread and crave. Then, in the smoothest tone imaginable, Aya said:

“So… where’s my chocolate, newbie?”

Haru’s brain short-circuited. “I—I didn’t—It’s not like—I mean—”

Aya grinned like a cat toying with its prey. “Relax. I’m teasing.”

Haru’s heart wasn’t listening. It pounded so hard she thought it might crack her ribs. She mumbled something incoherent, grabbed a random file from the desk, and fled like the room was on fire.

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Later that night.

Haru lay sprawled on her futon, laptop balanced on her knees, papers forgotten. The hum of the heater filled the silence as she stared at the blinking cursor in the search bar.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she typed the words that had been gnawing at her all day:

“What does it mean if your heart races around a girl?”

She hovered over the Enter key, heat flooding her face. This was ridiculous. She was a grown woman, not some confused teenager. She didn’t need to Google—

She pressed Enter anyway.

The screen lit up with articles:

> “10 Signs You Might Have a Crush on Your Best Friend (Yes, Even If She’s a Girl)”

“Romantic Feelings vs. Friendship: How to Tell the Difference”

“It’s Normal to Like Whoever You Like—Here’s Why.”

Haru swallowed hard, her pulse hammering as she scrolled. Every point felt like a spotlight on her soul:

Do you think about her when she’s not around? (Yes.)

Does her smile make your stomach flip? (Absolutely yes.)

Would you feel jealous if she dated someone else? (Oh god, yes.)

Haru slammed the laptop shut, burying her face in her pillow with a groan.

What is happening to me?

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In the dark quiet of her room, the truth pulsed louder than the rain outside:

She didn’t just admire Aya.

She wanted her.

And that realization terrified her more than anything else.