If that offer still stands (part 1)

The dance competition ended without further incident. Koyama and Takumi, along with several other couples, had secured a spot in the next round. With Mai and Ryota out, the operation Dancefloor Romance had reached its conclusion.

Ryota escorted Mai to the infirmary as soon as they left the dance hall. Sato, who was supposed to help them, had mysteriously vanished.

The infirmary was empty, leaving the two of them alone. Mai sat on the bed, staring at the floor as she rubbed her aching ankle.

“Hey, prez.”

Mai glanced up at Ryota.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, concern lacing his words.

She nodded slowly. She sighed softly and averted her gaze.

“I didn’t know you were so nervous.”

She remained quiet, her expression unreadable. Ryota glanced around the infirmary, searching for a first aid kit. Spotting a shelf on the wall, he walked over and rummaged through its contents until he found a small roll of elastic bandage. Returning to Mai’s side, he kneeled down in front of her, his gaze fixed on her leg.

“Uh... I’ll do it,” she said, trying to move away from him.

Ryota ignored her, setting the bandage aside as he placed one hand on her ankle. Mai remained quiet, her eyes wide with surprise.

“This will hurt,” Ryota said, his tone flat. “Let me know if it’s too painful.”

“Um... okay.”

“Okay, then...”

He gently wrapped the bandage around Mai’s foot. He was slow and careful. He applied light pressure, causing a slight twinge of pain to shoot through her leg. She winced and let out a small gasp, her eyes squeezing shut.

“Sorry, did it hurt?” he asked, his tone apologetic.

Mai shook her head. She opened her eyes and looked down at him; her face flushed with embarrassment.

The young man continued to work, his hands moving quickly as he wrapped the bandage tightly, but not too tight.

“I never thought I’d be the one to mess up at the very end,” she finally muttered, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I thought it was going to be perfect,” she replied, her voice laced with regret. “Winning was almost a sure thing, right?”

Ryota nodded, then tied the ends of the bandage into a tight knot.

Mai glanced down at the bandage around her ankle, then sighed. She leaned back, her expression filled with disappointment.

“I guess that’s that,” she said, her voice filled with resignation. “We lost, and my plan failed.”

“Failed? But we did what we came for. Koyama and Takumi got together.”

“You don’t understand me! I wanted to win!” she replied, her tone laced with frustration. “I wanted to win!”

She balled her hands into fists and punched the bed beside her. The mattress sagged beneath her weight, and she stared up at the ceiling.

“I didn’t think I could lose.”

Ryota glanced up at her. Her hair was a mess, her cheeks flushed, and her lips twisted into a pout. He chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” she snapped, her eyes narrowing as she stared at him.

“You look adorable when you’re frustrated,” he replied, a faint smile crossing his lips.

“Adorable, huh?”

“Yeah. Like a puppy.”

Mai stared at him, her eyes filled with surprise. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, he stood up and walked over to the first aid kit.

“More importantly,” he said. “To which extent did everything go according to your plan?”

She looked at him with a puzzled expression, her brows furrowing in confusion. She tilted her head slightly, trying to make sense of his question.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Ryota opened the first aid kit and rummaged through it. After a few seconds of searching, he found a bottle of painkillers and brought them over to Mai.

“Nearly everything went according to your plan, right?” he asked, setting the bottle on the bedside table.

The young woman glanced at the painkillers, then back at him. She nodded slowly, her expression unreadable.

“Yes, nearly everything,” she replied.

“Nearly? So, was spraining your ankle part of the plan as well?” he asked, a playful tone in his voice.

Mai stared at him for a long moment before letting out a sigh and shaking her head.

“Idiot,” she muttered, her voice laced with embarrassment.

Ryota grinned. He sat on the edge of the bed and poured two pills from the bottle into her palm.

“Here, take this.”

The young woman stared at the pills in her hand, then looked at him.

“Um...” she started, then stopped, unsure of how to continue.

“What’s wrong?” Ryota asked, his tone concerned.

She shook her head and turned away from him. She lowered her gaze to the floor and remained quiet.

“What is it?”

“Do you have any drinks?” she asked.

“Oh, you need water. Yeah, I’ll get you some.”

Ryota stood up and walked over to the sink. He opened a cabinet and began rummaging through its contents. He picked up a plastic cup and filled it with water, then brought it over to her.

“Here you go,” he said, setting the cup beside her.

Mai picked up the cup and swallowed the two pills, then took a small sip of water.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her tone subdued.

“Can you stand? Do you think you can walk?”

Mai nodded. She slowly got off the bed and balanced herself on her feet, her face scrunched up in pain. Ryota held out his hand to her. She briefly hesitated before taking it and using it as a support as she made her way to the door.

“I’ll escort you back to your home.”

“No, it’s okay,” she replied, a faint smile crossing her lips. “You need to get back home early, right?”

“Are you sure? I mean...”

“Yeah. Don’t worry about me.”

Mai turned away from him and stepped through the doorway, leading the way out of the infirmary. She limped as she walked, her steps awkward as she tried to conceal the pain in her ankle.

“Don’t act like it’s not hurting,” Ryota said, walking up beside her.

“It’s nothing, really,” she replied, refusing to meet his gaze.

Ryota kept quiet, but he remained close to her. He placed his hand on her back, supporting her.

They were quiet for a few minutes. The silence filled with unspoken thoughts.

As they walked silently, Ryota’s mind raced with thoughts and emotions. He couldn’t help but reflect on everything that had happened since the beginning of February.

Beginning with the enigmatic secret admirer, to Hatsumi's situation, and now Koyama and Takumi's love story. There was a pattern that he couldn’t ignore.

In particular, he couldn’t ignore that Mai’s involvement in these events seemed more than just being the club president. Her role had been vital in many of these events.

He glanced over at her. Her long hair fell around her face, partially hiding her expression. She kept her head down, her gaze fixed on the ground as she walked.

And then there was the matter of the club budget. The decision to sponsor another club’s event with their funds was unheard of. It seemed like a drastic measure for a club whose purpose was to create romantic connections. Then again, a matchmaking club wasn’t exactly normal in the first place, especially in a high school environment.

As they approached the vicinity of Mai’s house, Ryota finally broke the silence. He took a deep breath, gathering his courage before speaking.

“Remember the offer you made at the start of the month?” he asked, his voice shaky. “About going on a date?”

“Yes, I do.”

“I... I was just wondering if that offer still stands.”

Mai stopped walking and turned to face him. Her eyes widened with surprise and shined with excitement. She stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

She lifted her head and smiled at him.