Chapter 134: Operation: Normalcy Failure 2.0 (with Extra Awkwardness)

Operation: Act Normal continues its catastrophic failure trajectory. My attempts to interact casually with Aiwa are hampered by my own overwhelming guilt and the constant, suffocating presence of my self-appointed chaperones. Aiwa's attempts to interact with me are hampered by her own embarrassment over the sleepover and her dawning realization about my potential identity. The result is a level of awkwardness so profound it should be studied by science.

"H-Hinamata-kun," Aiwa stammers during a break, holding out a small container. "I… I made extra kimchi fried rice. Would you… like some?"

It is a peace offering. A gesture of normalcy after the chaos of the weekend. But before I can accept, Rina swoops in like a hawk defending its nest.

"Oh, that looks… spicy," Rina says, eyeing the container suspiciously. "Onii-chan has a very sensitive stomach. He really should stick to the perfectly balanced, non-threatening bento I prepared for him." She holds up my own lunchbox, which suddenly feels like a lead weight in my hands.

Aiwa flinches back, withdrawing the container. "O-oh. Okay. Sorry."

"No, it looks great!" I say quickly, trying to salvage the situation. "I can handle spicy! Give me the kimchi!" I reach for the container.

"Onii-chan, your delicate constitution!" Rina insists, physically blocking my hand.

"My constitution is fine! I want the forbidden rice!"

"It is just fried rice!" Aiwa squeaks, looking terrified.

We are now having a silent, three-way standoff over a container of fermented cabbage and rice. Haruka just watches, raising a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. Kenji just looks hungry.

Eventually, Rina "wins" by subtly maneuvering me away from Aiwa's offering. Aiwa looks crestfallen. I feel like a terrible person. Rina looks smugly victorious. My stomach just feels empty.

Later, I try to talk to Aiwa about the literature project. "Hey, Matsuki-san, did you figure out that stanza about the-"

"Rui-kun!" Haruka interjects smoothly, appearing at my side. "A fascinating question has arisen regarding the structural integrity of EVA unit construction versus traditional Gundam frames. Your expert opinion is required." She effectively kidnaps me for a ten-minute, highly technical mecha debate that I suspect she cares nothing about. By the time I escape, Aiwa is gone.

My life is a prison of passive aggression and strategic topic changes.

Aiwa, however, is not giving up entirely. Her shy clinginess continues, but now it seems tinged with a new layer of investigative curiosity. I catch her staring at me during class again, but it is not just the embarrassed blushing from before. It is an intense, analytical stare. She is comparing me to the photograph. She is looking for clues.

One afternoon, she "accidentally" drops her pencil case near my desk. As I bend down to help her pick up the scattered contents, she asks, her voice a near-whisper, "Hinamata-kun… did you happen to live near Sakuranomiya Park when you were little?"

My blood turns to ice. It is a direct probe. Act normal. Act clueless. "Uh, maybe?" I stammer, fumbling with a handful of erasers. "My family moved a few times. Why?"

"N-no reason!" she squeaks, snatching the erasers from my hand and quickly retreating to her desk. "Just… wondering."

The brief interaction does not go unnoticed. Rina, who has developed supersonic hearing when it comes to Aiwa mentioning my name, narrows her eyes from across the room. Haruka makes a small note in her planner.

My attempts at normalcy are failing. Aiwa's attempts at investigation are becoming bolder. Rina and Haruka's surveillance is becoming suffocating. The fragile peace maintained by Rina's unnerving calm feels like it is about to shatter at any second. And I am pretty sure Kenji is still convinced Aiwa is a secret agent.