Chapter 8:
Chapter 8: The Relay of Lies
Campus Confessions — Volume 1: The Secrets We Keep
Campus Confessions — Volume 1: The Secrets We Keep
The morning of the festival arrived in a blur of color and noise.Music from the main stage echoed through the courtyard, mixingwith laughter and the smell of fried food.Rurii adjusted her ribbon in the mirror for the fifth time.“Senpai, be honest—how do I look?”Kazuki looked up from the camera he was checking. “Likesomeone who’s about to bankrupt us in photo paper.”“That’s a compliment,” she decided, spinning once in hercafé uniform.MeiMei clapped. “Adorable! Too bad I look even cuter.”Hina peeked out from behind the curtain. “Line’s alreadyforming! Oh wow, people actually showed up!”“Of course they did,” Rurii said proudly. “Who can resist ourcharm?”Kazuki sighed, straightening his borrowed vest. “Or the freecandy at the door.”---The Memory BoothBy noon, the Memory Booth was the most popular attraction oncampus. Couples posed with paper hearts, friends made peacesigns, and laughter filled the air. Haruka managed the queuewhile Yuki handled the prints, her tablet glowing with every flashof the camera.“Next group, please!” Rurii called cheerfully, snappinganother photo. Kazuki helped reset the props, sweat forming athis temple. “We’re out of film already.”“Rurii’s fault,” MeiMei said. “She keeps taking testselfies.”Rurii stuck out her tongue. “I’m quality control!”Then she grinned, waving the camera toward Kazuki. “Yourturn, senpai! We need a staff photo!”He blinked. “What?”“Memory Booth tradition! You and me, proof we actuallyworked!”Before he could refuse, she pulled him into frame. The shutterclicked—right as Haruka walked in with the supply box.The photo caught them mid-laugh, Rurii’s hand tangled in hissleeve.Haruka froze. “Nice photo. You two look... happy.”“Team spirit!” Rurii said quickly.“Right,” Haruka replied. “Team spirit.”Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.---The RumorThe afternoon sun hung low when it started — a whisper amongthe crowd.“I heard the captain and Rurii are dating.”Rurii laughed it off, waving her hands. “Please! If we weredating, he’d at least buy me lunch.”But Kazuki hesitated. Just half a second — long enough foreveryone to notice.Haruka’s clipboard lowered slowly. “I’ll handle the nextdelivery,” she said quietly, walking away.Rurii’s grin faltered. “You could’ve said no faster.”“I didn’t know I had to,” Kazuki said.The silence that followed wasn’t loud, but it felt permanent.---The Festival LightsDusk painted the campus in soft orange and pink. The boothglowed softly in the corner, lights twinkling against the settingsky.Haruka returned eventually, helping stack boxes, her expressionunreadable.Rurii approached, trying for a smile. “You ever wish peopledidn’t talk so much?”“No,” Haruka said without looking up. “I just wish theymeant what they said.”Rurii bit her lip, then nodded slowly. “Yeah. Me too.”From a distance, Kazuki watched them both, caught between twosilences.---The FireworksWhen the first explosion lit the sky, everyone stopped. Studentsgathered on rooftops and balconies; laughter floated upward withthe sparks.On the club’s rooftop, the group sat scattered — MeiMei andHina arguing about shapes, Nao filming quietly, Yuki sketchingthe lights.Kazuki leaned on the railing, next to Rurii. The glow reflected inher eyes, bright and uncertain.“When you look at me like that,” she said softly, “it’s hardto tell what you’re thinking.”He turned. “Maybe that’s for the best.”She smiled faintly. “You’re terrible at lying, senpai.”Before he could reply, Haruka’s voice came from behind them.“You don’t have to,” she said. “We already know.”They both turned. Haruka stood by the doorway, her expressioncalm but trembling just enough for it to hurt.No one spoke. The fireworks filled the silence for them.After a moment, she turned away.Rurii’s voice broke the quiet. “She said it better than Icould.”Kazuki looked between them, unable to move, unable to speak.---The Relay of LiesCleanup came slowly that night. The festival lights flickered outone by one until only the glow of the fireworks remained.Haruka’s shadow vanished down the stairs. Rurii stood by therailing, smiling through the ache.“See?” she whispered. “We made memories.”Kazuki watched her, words caught in his throat.We spent a semester building a place where we could laughtogether, he thought. But maybe, without meaning to, we turned itinto a stage instead.The last firework bloomed over the campus — brilliant, fleeting,and gone.The festival ended that night, but the real confessions hadn’teven started.
© 2025 Kokuren Media. Campus ConfessionsTM — All rightsreserved.Published by Kokuren Books, a division of Kokuren Mediakokurenmedia.ca · contact@kokurenmedia.ca
The morning of the festival arrived in a blur of color and noise.Music from the main stage echoed through the courtyard, mixingwith laughter and the smell of fried food.Rurii adjusted her ribbon in the mirror for the fifth time.“Senpai, be honest—how do I look?”Kazuki looked up from the camera he was checking. “Likesomeone who’s about to bankrupt us in photo paper.”“That’s a compliment,” she decided, spinning once in hercafé uniform.MeiMei clapped. “Adorable! Too bad I look even cuter.”Hina peeked out from behind the curtain. “Line’s alreadyforming! Oh wow, people actually showed up!”“Of course they did,” Rurii said proudly. “Who can resist ourcharm?”Kazuki sighed, straightening his borrowed vest. “Or the freecandy at the door.”---The Memory BoothBy noon, the Memory Booth was the most popular attraction oncampus. Couples posed with paper hearts, friends made peacesigns, and laughter filled the air. Haruka managed the queuewhile Yuki handled the prints, her tablet glowing with every flashof the camera.“Next group, please!” Rurii called cheerfully, snappinganother photo. Kazuki helped reset the props, sweat forming athis temple. “We’re out of film already.”“Rurii’s fault,” MeiMei said. “She keeps taking testselfies.”Rurii stuck out her tongue. “I’m quality control!”Then she grinned, waving the camera toward Kazuki. “Yourturn, senpai! We need a staff photo!”He blinked. “What?”“Memory Booth tradition! You and me, proof we actuallyworked!”Before he could refuse, she pulled him into frame. The shutterclicked—right as Haruka walked in with the supply box.The photo caught them mid-laugh, Rurii’s hand tangled in hissleeve.Haruka froze. “Nice photo. You two look... happy.”“Team spirit!” Rurii said quickly.“Right,” Haruka replied. “Team spirit.”Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.---The RumorThe afternoon sun hung low when it started — a whisper amongthe crowd.“I heard the captain and Rurii are dating.”Rurii laughed it off, waving her hands. “Please! If we weredating, he’d at least buy me lunch.”But Kazuki hesitated. Just half a second — long enough foreveryone to notice.Haruka’s clipboard lowered slowly. “I’ll handle the nextdelivery,” she said quietly, walking away.Rurii’s grin faltered. “You could’ve said no faster.”“I didn’t know I had to,” Kazuki said.The silence that followed wasn’t loud, but it felt permanent.---The Festival LightsDusk painted the campus in soft orange and pink. The boothglowed softly in the corner, lights twinkling against the settingsky.Haruka returned eventually, helping stack boxes, her expressionunreadable.Rurii approached, trying for a smile. “You ever wish peopledidn’t talk so much?”“No,” Haruka said without looking up. “I just wish theymeant what they said.”Rurii bit her lip, then nodded slowly. “Yeah. Me too.”From a distance, Kazuki watched them both, caught between twosilences.---The FireworksWhen the first explosion lit the sky, everyone stopped. Studentsgathered on rooftops and balconies; laughter floated upward withthe sparks.On the club’s rooftop, the group sat scattered — MeiMei andHina arguing about shapes, Nao filming quietly, Yuki sketchingthe lights.Kazuki leaned on the railing, next to Rurii. The glow reflected inher eyes, bright and uncertain.“When you look at me like that,” she said softly, “it’s hardto tell what you’re thinking.”He turned. “Maybe that’s for the best.”She smiled faintly. “You’re terrible at lying, senpai.”Before he could reply, Haruka’s voice came from behind them.“You don’t have to,” she said. “We already know.”They both turned. Haruka stood by the doorway, her expressioncalm but trembling just enough for it to hurt.No one spoke. The fireworks filled the silence for them.After a moment, she turned away.Rurii’s voice broke the quiet. “She said it better than Icould.”Kazuki looked between them, unable to move, unable to speak.---The Relay of LiesCleanup came slowly that night. The festival lights flickered outone by one until only the glow of the fireworks remained.Haruka’s shadow vanished down the stairs. Rurii stood by therailing, smiling through the ache.“See?” she whispered. “We made memories.”Kazuki watched her, words caught in his throat.We spent a semester building a place where we could laughtogether, he thought. But maybe, without meaning to, we turned itinto a stage instead.The last firework bloomed over the campus — brilliant, fleeting,and gone.The festival ended that night, but the real confessions hadn’teven started.
© 2025 Kokuren Media. Campus ConfessionsTM — All rightsreserved.Published by Kokuren Books, a division of Kokuren Mediakokurenmedia.ca · contact@kokurenmedia.ca
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