Chapter 25: Can You Make Me Smile?

A few days later, I was back to work as usual. I thought everything was back to normal, but Manager Toshiro called me over.

"Akira-kun, I just got a complaint from a customer," he said with a serious face. "He said you never smile!"

I was silent for a moment. I looked at him squarely. "I don't understand what a smile is. I've even forgotten how to smile."

Everyone was shocked. Renji, who was sipping his coffee, immediately spat it out. Fwussshh!

"Hey! Hey! Akira, are you serious? You don't know how to smile?" Renji asked, his eyes wide.

"Oh, my God!" one of the employees exclaimed. "This is the first time in my life I've met someone who's never smiled!"

I tried to remember. "If I'm not mistaken, I once smiled when I took Yui to a karaoke place," I muttered.

"Oh, I get it now!" Renji finally understood. "So you can smile when you see someone else happy. I get it. Tomorrow, I'll ask for Reina-san's help."

Renji glanced at Hanamura, who just smiled at him.

The next day, I tried to follow the instructions from a book titled "A Quick Guide to the Perfect Smile." I practiced in front of the mirror, but the results were terrifying. My lips formed a strange line, my eyes were empty, and my forehead was furrowed. The smile looked more like a psychopath's expression.

I even tried to smile at a cat and a dog in the park, but they ran away in fear.

Frustrated, I went to Ayaka on campus. "Ayaka-san, can you help me?" I asked, shyly covering my face with the book.

Ayaka paused, then smiled with red cheeks. "Yes, what do you need help with, Akira-kun?"

"Actually... I really want to learn how to smile, but I don't know how," I said, still embarrassed.

Suddenly, Ayaka burst out laughing. "Hahaha! You're so funny, Akira-kun! You don't even know how to smile!" She kept laughing until tears came to her eyes. "Don't worry," she said after she stopped. "I know an expert."

During break time, we had lunch in the cafeteria as usual. Ayaka told them about my problem.

"Is it true that Akira-kun can't smile? That's so funny!" Kazuma exclaimed, laughing loudly.

Reina, who was sitting across from me, observed my face carefully. "It seems I need to examine you more closely, Akira-kun. Would you like to stop by my lab after school?" she offered in a flat tone.

After class, Ayaka and I went with her to the campus lab. Reina placed me in a chair and began to examine me, from my facial nerves to my muscle expressions. She noted everything she saw on her tablet.

"As I suspected, there's something strange about you, Akira-kun," she said, but she found no definitive medical results. My problem was something far deeper.

As we walked home, Ayaka got a call from her mom, asking her to buy groceries for dinner.

"Sorry, I can't walk home with you," Ayaka said. "See you, Akira-kun, Reina!" She waved as she ran off. We waved back.

Reina and I walked together, still talking about smiling. We passed a small park and saw an incredibly cute cat. Reina stopped, her eyes immediately sparkling. She crouched down, forgetting about me standing beside her.

"Meow... Meow... Meow..." Reina called out to the cat in a soft voice I'd never heard before. She moved her hands like paws, making her face look adorable.

Suddenly, I laughed. A genuine, heartfelt laugh came out of my mouth. A laugh I hadn't felt in a very long time. I was looking at Reina, the ice queen who was always so calm, acting so cute.

Thump-thump! Reina's heart pounded. Her face immediately turned red.

"What's wrong, Reina-san? Why are you suddenly embarrassed?" I asked, a smile still on my face.

"N-nothing!" Reina reverted back to her kuudere persona, covering her flushed face.

"You're very cute and sweet when you're with cats," I said.

This time, Reina was truly flustered. Her red cheeks grew even redder. A confession from the person she liked, and it came with a smile.

The next day, I was back at work. This time, I smiled at every customer. They were all so happy to see it, and Manager Toshiro nodded in satisfaction. Finally, I could smile again.