Chapter 15 – Avoidance Game

The next morning, Haru woke up running on less than two hours of sleep, her brain still tangled in the memory of last night—the kiss, Aya’s voice, the words she couldn’t stop hearing:

I want you, Haru.

Her chest tightened just recalling it. And then, the crushing truth: Aya would be in the staff room. Aya would see her. Aya would—

“Nope.” Haru smacked her cheeks lightly, glaring at her reflection in the mirror. “You just… avoid her. It’s fine. Just act normal. Professional.”

Except there was nothing normal about the way her stomach twisted when she thought of Aya’s lips on hers.

---

Morning – Staff Room Tension

Haru stepped into the staff room like someone sneaking into enemy territory. Her gaze flicked automatically to the back window—Aya’s usual perch.

And there she was. Aya, leaning against the frame with her arms crossed, chatting lazily with another PE teacher like nothing in the world bothered her.

Haru’s breath caught. Even in a simple track jacket and black joggers, Aya looked like confidence personified, all sharp lines and easy grace.

Don’t stare. Don’t think about last night. Don’t—

Aya’s eyes slid toward her. Just a flicker, a single glance—and Haru’s pulse detonated.

She darted to her desk and sat down so fast her chair screeched, earning curious looks from a couple of teachers. Haru buried her face in her planner, pretending to study the day’s schedule like it was holy scripture.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Aya smirking faintly before turning back to her conversation.

---

First Period – The Longest Class Ever

Haru threw herself into teaching with the enthusiasm of a drowning woman clinging to driftwood. She wrote on the board like her life depended on it, overexplaining feudal tax systems just to avoid thinking about Aya’s hands, Aya’s breath—

Stop it!

When the bell rang, she almost sagged with relief. She managed to escape the classroom, clutching her notes like a shield—only to nearly collide with Shinichi in the hallway.

“Oh—Takamine-sensei,” he said, flashing a smile. “Heading to lunch?”

Haru panicked. Lunch meant the staff room. Lunch meant Aya. Lunch meant—

“Ah! I-I forgot I have… um, papers to grade! Yes, lots of grading!” Haru blurted, bowing so fast her glasses nearly flew off.

Shinichi blinked. “Uh… okay. Good luck?”

She fled before he could say another word.

---

Lunch – Rumors Start

Haru ended up hiding in the empty library, nibbling her sandwich in peace—or so she thought.

When she returned to the staff room later to grab her next lesson plan, the chatter hit her like a wave.

“…Kurozawa-sensei was watching Takamine-sensei the whole time at lunch.”

“Seriously? No wonder she didn’t join us!”

“Think something’s going on?”

Haru froze mid-step, face blazing. She forced herself to walk calmly to her desk, but her ears burned as the whispers trailed after her like smoke.

She risked a glance toward Aya.

Aya sat in her usual spot, leaning back casually, eyes half-lidded—but the second Haru looked, those dark eyes snapped to hers like magnets.

Haru jerked her gaze away, heart slamming.

Oh no. Oh no no no.

---

After School – Escape Plan Fails

By the time the final bell rang, Haru was ready to sprint out of the building and hide under her futon for a week. She waited until most teachers left, then slipped toward the exit, clutching her bag like a lifeline.

She made it to the courtyard. She could almost taste freedom—

“Newbie.”

Haru froze. That voice. Low, smooth, unmistakable.

Slowly, she turned.

Aya stood by the gym doors, one hand in her pocket, the other resting on the frame like she owned the entire school. The sunset behind her painted her silhouette in molten gold, highlighting every sharp angle, every dangerous curve.

Haru’s throat went dry. “A-Aya…”

“Busy avoiding me all day?” Aya’s tone was calm, almost playful—but her eyes were anything but.

“I-I wasn’t—”

Aya tilted her head, smile curling like smoke. “Really? Because you’ve been acting like I have the plague.”

Haru flushed, fumbling for words. “I just… needed space.”

“Space,” Aya repeated softly, stepping forward. “Funny. That’s not what you wanted last night.”

Haru’s heart lurched violently. “Aya—”

Aya didn’t let her finish. She closed the distance with slow, deliberate steps until Haru’s back hit the cool wall of the empty gym. Aya’s hand braced beside her head, caging her in effortlessly.

The faint scent of citrus and rain clung to her skin, intoxicating and overwhelming.

“You can ignore me all you want,” Aya murmured, her voice dropping into a husky whisper that curled down Haru’s spine like smoke, “but you can’t ignore what happened.”

Haru’s breath hitched, her fingers clenching around her bag strap. Aya leaned closer still, lips hovering just above her ear, and Haru swore her knees might give out.

--

Aya’s lips brushed the shell of her ear as she whispered the final blow:

“Tell me I’m wrong, Haru. Tell me you didn’t feel it.”

And Haru—trembling, breathless—couldn’t say a single word.