Chapter 26 : The Accidental Kiss

Festival prep always sounded fun until the class actually had to do it.

It was past sunset, the windows showed nothing but dark sky, and everyone was tired enough to start snapping at each other.

Haru and Mina were assigned to carry a stack of wooden props to the gym storage room.

A mistake, really.

Two stubborn people with one job.

“Lift your side higher,” Mina said.

“I am lifting it higher,” Haru replied.

“You’re tilting it.”

“You’re the one tilting it.”

They glared at each other over the top of the prop board.

A full thirty seconds of silent, petty glaring.

Finally, they set the board down in frustration.

Mina sighed and stepped back.

Haru stepped forward at the same time.

She turned to go left.

He turned the same direction.

They bumped shoulders.

Then they bumped again.

And the third time—

They both turned at once.

Their lips brushed.

Barely a second.

Barely a touch.

But it felt like someone had unplugged the world.

Mina froze, eyes wide.

Haru went bright red from neck to hairline.

They didn’t jump away.

They didn’t scream.

They just stood there, stunned, breathing too fast.

Mina’s fingers curled near her chest, trembling.

Haru swallowed hard, unable to move.

Which was, of course, the perfect moment for Ren and Yuki to walk in.

Yuki stopped.

Ren blinked.

Haru exploded.

“THIS IS NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE—”

Yuki pointed. “It looks like exactly what it looks like.”

Mina made a tiny squeak and hid behind a large cardboard box, crouching with her hands over her burning face.

Ren stepped forward and patted Haru’s shoulder like a supportive big brother.

“It’s okay. Really.”

Haru covered his face with both hands.

“Ren, please take me to the afterlife.”

Yuki peeked behind the box. “Mina, you good?”

“No,” came the tiny voice.

But when she finally emerged, her cheeks were still red, and she didn’t snap at Haru.

Not this time.

---

Later That Night — A Warm Shift

The four of them walked home together after the clean-up wrapped.

Ren nudged Yuki with his elbow.

“They’re cute.”

Yuki smiled softly. “Took them long enough.”

Haru and Mina walked ahead of them, shoulder to shoulder, awkward in a sweet way.

Every few seconds, Haru glanced at Mina as if checking she was real.

Every few seconds, Mina caught him and looked away quickly.

For the first time in a long while, all four of them felt… right.

Like a small piece of friendship they lost in the old timeline had finally returned.

Ren and Yuki shared a quiet look.

A warm, proud look.

They both knew Haru and Mina deserved this.

---

But Then…

Just as they reached the school gates to grab their bags, the hallway lights flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then the dull vibration came.

Low.

Sharp.

Wrong.

It wasn’t quite a chime.

Not quite static.

Something in between—

Like a signal glitching.

All four of them stopped.

Mina grabbed Haru’s sleeve.

Yuki felt the hairs on her arms rise.

Ren looked around, eyes narrowing.

The sound faded as quickly as it appeared.

Silence returned.

But none of them missed the feeling in their stomachs:

Something in the timeline just shifted again.

And it wasn’t small.

It was getting stronger.