A Handkerchief’s Aftertaste

POV—(Yuzuki Shion)—(Admirer #1)

There was this boy in middle school. He would always show up late for class, and even though he never seemed to pay attention, he was always in the top ten of our grade.

At first, I hated him.

He looked untidy and lazy, not to mention gloomy.

We would occasionally pass by each other without any interaction, until one day I accidentally blocked his path.

It happened at the doorway of our classroom—and of course, it had to be the day I had come down with a cold.

My best friend, Reina, and I had just returned from the school cafeteria. Our plan was to eat in the classroom that day with two of our other friends, when suddenly, I bumped into him with a dull thud.

My face collided with the chest of the boy named Shimizu Yuki.

He was tall.

His curly black hair hid his eyes.

I winced at the sudden impact. It felt as though I had walked straight into a brick wall.

My nose felt warm.

Gently touching my nose, I glared at the person standing in the doorway.

"Could you move?" I said coldly.

At that, he smiled. It was the first time I had ever seen him smile.

My heart fluttered. For the lazy and untidy Shimizu Yuki?

But something about him in that moment felt… attractive... What the heck am I even saying?!

There was no way I would feel drawn to someone like him. I was probably just shocked in the moment. Yeah, that had to be it!

But...

"Your nose is bleeding."

"Huh?"

He took out a handkerchief and placed it on top of my head.

"Use this—and watch where you're going in the future, Yuzuki Shion."

With those words, he walked past me, not even giving me time to respond.

I grabbed the handkerchief from my head before wiping my nose, all while in a daze.

He knew my name?

He patted me on the head?

Was that really the Shimizu Yuki I knew?

There was something about him...

My face felt unbearably hot, yet I still called out to him.

"W-Wait!"

He glanced over his shoulder.

"T-Thank you... I'll give this back after c-cleaning it."

"No thanks."

Huh?

I watched him walk down the hallway as he disappeared into the crowd of students.

The handkerchief slipped from my hands as my heart pounded louder than the concerned Reina beside me, who was yelling something about the infirmary.

I ignored her.

For the first time in my life, something other than acting had begun to pique my interest.

My head felt light as my vision started to blur.

I collapsed to the ground.

"Shion!"

I knew it... There was no way I could have a crush on Shimizu Yuki. It was just my cold making me imagine things...

And with that final thought, I passed out.

Ironically, the boy I claimed not to have feelings for was still the last thing on my mind.

A year had passed since that day, and now I was in high school... and once again stuck in the same class as Shimizu Yuki.

The only difference was—we were complete strangers now. I don't think he remembers me, but for some reason, I'm not sad about that.

It just means I've become more mature! And more beautiful!

Just then, someone bumped into my desk.

I looked at her.

She glared at me.

"What are you looking at? Huh? Ugly!"

"N-No, I-I... I'm sorry..."

I lowered my head.

"Tch. Figures." she said, walking away.

I let out a small sigh. I knew I should've worn contacts. Glasses just don't look good on me.

I glanced toward Shimizu.

I hope he didn't see that. But contrary to my worries, he was staring out the window.

Guess not, I thought, taking out a handkerchief from my pocket. It was the one he had given me that day.

Why was I still holding onto it? I knew the answer, but if I acknowledged the warmth on my cheeks, only pain awaited me.

"Shimizu-kun..." I mumbled under my breath.

I glanced toward him.

Would he accept this handkerchief back... along with this warmth? I wondered.

Only he knew the answer to that.

***

POV SWITCH—(Shimizu Yuki)

The first day of high school...

For some, it felt frightening.

For others, it was exciting.

And for me?

It was just noisy. The classroom was filled with chatter and laughter, yet none of it was directed at me... although I could feel someone's gaze now and then.

Nothing had changed since middle school.

So why exactly am I telling you this?

Why am I monologuing like the protagonist of some kind of rom-com novel?

The answer was simple...

I'm bored!

Nothing ever really interested me. I tried basketball and became the best at it, yet lost interest soon after. I learned the piano—it only satisfied me for a while, even after mastering the most complex songs.

I even started writing novels. I won an award, yet all I got from it was a bit of money and a small fanbase.

Everything I did only left behind a void, one that craved something more interesting. Something more special.

I glanced out the window as a sigh escaped my lips.

Please let something interesting happen today. Maybe a chicken running through the hallways, that would be pretty funny.

Or maybe a ridiculous misunderstanding about something random.

Anything would be fine...

...

Nothing happened. The day passed exactly as you'd expect any normal school day to. I listened to the teachers' boring lectures, went to the cafeteria during break, then attended class again before heading home.

It was then that I came across a girl standing on the sidewalk, handing out posters.