Chapter 32: — "Echoes of a Crush"

The classroom hummed with magical energy as students practiced incantations and charms. Mika’s eyes flicked to Riku across the room, who was sitting quietly, watching the other witches with mild disinterest. A mischievous grin spread across her face.

Without hesitation, she stood up and tiptoed toward one of the witches practicing levitation spells. The girl was mid-incantation, wand raised, concentration deep. Mika cleared her throat.

“Uh… excuse me?” Mika whispered, holding out a cookie. “I… I was wondering if… maybe… you could help me with something?”

The witch lowered her wand slightly, eyeing Mika suspiciously. “Help you? With what?”

Mika bit her lip, trying not to fidget. “I-I want him to… like me back. Just a little… tiny spell. Nothing harmful, I promise!”

The witch shook her head firmly. “Absolutely not. I don’t even know you. I can’t just cast a spell on someone like that. It’s… it’s unethical!”

Mika’s eyes widened, but she quickly recovered, holding out the cookie like a peace offering. “Please! Just… just try a little charm. You can have this cookie. It’s super good. I saved it just for you!”

The witch glanced at the cookie, then back at Mika. Her resolve wavered slightly. “I… I suppose… but just a minor charm. Nothing permanent!”

Mika’s grin practically glowed. “Thank you! You won’t regret it!”

The witch muttered a few magical words, the tip of her wand glowing faintly, as a soft shimmer appeared around Riku. From across the room, Akari glanced over at Mika, noticing her sneaky behavior, but said nothing, assuming Mika was just stretching her legs.

Riku, suddenly feeling a strange warmth in his chest, frowned. “Huh… why do I feel… like I want to be near her?” His heart thumped faster than usual. He frowned at his hands, confused. “What the…? Why does everything feel… weird?”

Mika’s eyes sparkled as she quietly cheered in her mind. Akari, still oblivious, sighed and returned to her studies.

Riku kept glancing at Mika, his confusion growing. “Why… why am I… thinking about her all the time? That’s… not… normal…”

Mika, hugging the cookie tightly, whispered to herself, “It’s working… it’s actually working!”

“Ahem!” the witch cleared her throat, snapping Mika out of her thoughts. “The cookie?”

Mika blinked, then gasped. “Oh... right, sorry!” She shoved the cookie into the witch’s hand, her cheeks red. “I almost forgot!”

The witch smirked, taking a bite. “Hmph. Typical.”

Mika laughed nervously before sneaking another glance at Riku, who was now frowning in confusion, his gaze repeatedly darting toward her.

—

The cafeteria buzzed with chatter as witches gathered at long wooden tables, their plates filled with steaming food. Mika sat across from Akari, humming happily as she kicked her legs under the bench, munching on a sandwich she’d put together.

But Akari’s gaze wasn’t on her food. Instead, her eyes darted toward Riku, who sat alone at a far table. He wasn’t eating much, just poking at his plate, glancing at Mika every few seconds, then quickly looking away, his face flushed. His fingers tapped nervously against the wood, and he looked completely out of place.

Akari squinted. “...Why isn’t he sitting with us?”

Mika blinked mid-bite, playing dumb. “Hm? Who?”

Akari shot her a look. “Riku. He looks like he doesn’t even know what to do with himself. He’s confused, flustered… and he’s been staring at you for the past ten minutes.”

Mika’s cheeks heated up. She set her sandwich down slowly, a mischievous grin creeping across her face. “Maybe, just maybe… he has a crush on me? Who knows?”

Akari’s eyes widened slightly before narrowing into a sharp glare. “...Mika. What did you do?”

Mika froze for a split second, then turned her head to avoid her sister’s piercing stare. “N-Nothing!” she said quickly, puffing her cheeks out.

Akari leaned in, voice low but firm. “Don’t play dumb with me. You pressured someone, didn’t you? A witch. You had her cast a spell on Riku.”

Mika’s lips tightened, and her cheeks burned crimson. She crossed her arms and looked away, refusing to meet her sister’s gaze. “So what if I did? He… he never notices me like that. I just… wanted to try.”

Akari slammed her fork down, making Mika flinch. “Mika! You can’t just mess with people’s feelings like that! It’s wrong, love spells aren’t a joke. You’ve basically stolen his free will!”

Mika frowned deeper, sinking into her seat, her voice a stubborn mumble. “You don’t get it… I just… I wanted him to like me back.”

“Listen to yourself,” Akari hissed, rubbing her forehead in frustration. “He already cares about you. More than you think. But forcing him with magic? That’s not love, Mika. That’s selfish.”

Mika pouted, clutching her sandwich tighter as if it could shield her. “Hmph. You don’t understand anything.” She turned her head, lips pressed into a thin line, clearly upset.

Akari sighed heavily, watching her sister sulk like a stubborn child. But her gaze flicked once more to Riku, still staring, still flustered, and her heart sank.

The afternoon sun poured into the academy’s courtyard, bathing the old stone walls in warm orange light. Students milled around, some studying spell scrolls, others practicing flicks of their wands under the watch of hovering familiars. But for Riku, all of that was just a blur.

His eyes locked, again and again, on Mika.

She sat under a willow tree, legs crossed, flipping through her notebook while doodling in the margins. Every so often she twirled her pen idly, or puffed her cheeks in thought, her hair catching the sunlight in a way that made Riku’s chest tighten. He didn’t understand it. He couldn’t think straight. All he knew was, his heart wouldn’t stop hammering.

Why do I… feel like this all of a sudden? It’s like… I can’t stop looking at her.

He dragged his gaze away, pressing a hand to his chest. His heartbeat thundered. No… no way. This isn’t normal. But… every time I look at her…

“Riku?”

He nearly jumped out of his skin. Mika was standing there, notebook in hand, peering at him with wide, curious eyes.

“O-Oh, uh, h-hey,” he stammered, his voice cracking embarrassingly. “Y-You startled me.”

Mika tilted her head, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “You look… weird. All red and stiff. Are you sick or something?”

Riku opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His brain scrambled for excuses, anything, but the spell tugged at his chest like an invisible hand. Words spilled out before he could stop them.

“I… like you.”

The air went still. Mika froze, blinking rapidly, her face heating up so fast it felt like steam might shoot out of her ears.

“…Eh?”

Riku’s eyes widened, horror flickering across his face. “W-Wait... I mean... I didn’t mean it like! Or maybe I did, I…” He buried his face in his hands. “God, why did I just say that…”

Mika’s heart pounded like a drum. She hugged her notebook close to her chest, biting her lip to stop herself from grinning too wide. He confessed… he actually… confessed!

She crouched down so they were eye level. “Riku… did you really mean it?” Her voice trembled, softer than she intended.

Riku groaned into his hands, then peeked through his fingers at her. His whole face was tomato red. “…Y-Yeah. I think so. No. I know so. Mika, you just… you make me crazy. I can’t stop thinking about you, and every time you smile it’s like... like my heart is going to explode or something.”

Mika’s breath caught. Her cheeks flushed bright pink, and she clutched her notebook tighter, trying to steady her shaking hands. This is really happening… he’s actually saying it…

From a nearby bench, Akari watched, her brows furrowed, arms crossed tightly. She could practically see the spell’s influence in the way Riku’s words spilled so clumsily, so unlike his usual guarded self. Her stomach twisted, but she didn’t step in. Not yet.

Mika sat beside him, her knees brushing his. “Riku… I… I’ve wanted to hear you say something like that for so long.”

He blinked at her, eyes wide. “You… you have?”

She nodded quickly, her hair bouncing. “Y-Yeah. You’re always so serious, and sometimes you act like you don’t care, but I always wondered if maybe… maybe you felt the same way I did.”

Riku’s chest clenched, his breath shallow. He wanted to say something cool, something meaningful, but the spell kept tugging, pulling raw words straight from his heart.

“I… I think I’ve always liked you, Mika. I just… didn’t know how to say it. You’re… you’re loud, and stubborn, and kind of reckless, but you’re also… amazing. You make everything more fun. And… you make me feel like… like I actually matter.”

Mika’s eyes glistened, her lips parting slightly. Her whole body tingled with warmth, and her heart felt like it might burst from her chest.

“Riku…” she whispered.

The world seemed to shrink around them, the chatter of students fading, the courtyard melting into nothing but the space between them. Riku leaned closer, breath trembling, his face inches from hers. Mika’s heart screamed inside her chest, her hands shaking as she clutched her notebook like a lifeline.

It’s happening… oh god, it’s actually happening…

Their eyes locked, their breaths mingling. Mika tilted forward, closing the gap.

And then—

“Wait... what the hell?!”

Riku jerked back, clutching his head. His heartbeat stuttered, the haze in his chest evaporating like smoke. His wide eyes flicked between Mika’s flushed face and his own trembling hands. “Wh-what was I just… saying?!”

Mika blinked, her entire body frozen. “R-Riku?”

He staggered up, pointing a shaky finger at her. “Y-You! You did something, didn’t you?! That… that wasn’t me! I don’t just say stuff like that out loud... ever!”

Mika’s heart sank. Her notebook slipped from her hands, hitting the grass with a dull thud. “I-I… um…”

Riku’s eyes widened. “It was you. I knew it! You. You got someone to cast a spell on me, didn’t you?!”

Her face flared red, and she twisted her fingers together nervously. “I… maybe…”

“Maybe?!” Riku groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Mika! Do you realize how insane that is?! You can’t just... just mess with people’s feelings like that!”

She shrank back, her shoulders curling inward, lips pressing tight. “I’m sorry… I just thought… it would be funny…”

Riku narrowed his eyes at her. “Funny? That didn’t feel like funny. That felt… real.” His voice dropped, a mix of hurt and frustration. “Do you… do you actually…?”

Mika’s eyes shot wide. She quickly shook her head furiously, waving her hands. “N-No! I-I mean... I just thought it’d be a prank! That’s all!”

Riku stared at her for a long moment, his chest tight, his heart pounding with a different kind of confusion now. “…Tch. Unbelievable.” He turned away, crossing his arms. “You’re lucky the spell wore off.”

Mika bit her lip, guilt twisting in her stomach. She wanted to say more, to tell him the truth, the real reason, but the words stuck in her throat. All she could do was stand there, watching him avoid her eyes, while inside her heart screamed with regret.

From across the courtyard, Akari muttered under her breath, “Way to dig your own grave, Mika…”

—

The house was quiet when they finally got back. Riku had gone to his room without a word, still red in the face and muttering under his breath about “crazy witches” and “never trusting Mika again.”

Mika sat curled up on the couch, hugging her knees tightly against her chest. The weight of regret pressed down on her harder than she expected. She’d gotten what she wanted, a version of Riku who openly confessed he liked her, but it wasn’t real. Not truly. And worse, she had lost the chance to actually say what she felt before the spell broke.

Akari came over and lowered herself onto the couch beside her. She didn’t speak at first, just leaned back, letting the silence settle between them. Then, gently, she said,
“...I hope you learned your lesson, Mika.”

Mika’s chin sank deeper against her knees. She gave the smallest nod, not daring to meet her sister’s eyes.

Akari sighed but her voice softened. “You were lucky. Riku didn’t notice. He didn’t catch on to your feelings—even with everything you said while he was under that spell. If he had…” She let the words trail off, leaving the thought unfinished.

That was the part Mika hated most. Not that Riku yelled at her, not even that he looked so hurt when he realized what had happened, but that she’d come so close to slipping, to admitting something she’d been holding back for months.

Her voice was small when she finally whispered, “...I regret not telling him. I should’ve said it when I had the chance.”

Akari’s head tilted toward her, surprised at the honesty in her tone. “Mika…”

Mika swallowed hard. “Ever since I moved in with him, I’ve been struggling. For two, maybe three months now, I’ve wanted to say it. To confess. But I can’t. Every time I think about it, I get scared. What if I ruin everything? What if he doesn’t feel the same?”

Akari reached over, resting a hand on Mika’s shoulder. Her voice carried the calm steadiness that only an older sister could have.
“You don’t have to force it. Don’t rush. If it’s meant to be, the chance will come naturally. Just… give it time. Let things play out. Don’t think about it so hard.”

Mika blinked, her eyes stinging slightly, but she nodded. She leaned her head against Akari’s shoulder, breathing out slowly. “...Okay. I’ll wait. I’ll try.”

Akari smiled faintly and squeezed her shoulder. “Good. That’s all I ask.”

The living room fell quiet again. Mika stayed curled up, hugging her knees, but the regret didn’t feel quite as heavy anymore. She still wished she’d confessed… but maybe, just maybe, Akari was right.