Who Is Following Us?

 Kai and Yuki's attempts to set him up with Mana left him puzzled, and he couldn't find a logical reason for their actions. When he asked them why they were doing this, Yuki and Kai explained that they thought he and Mana would get along well and that Mana was a great person. But Mika still couldn't understand why they chose him for this setup.

"Why are you doing this?" Mika asked again, seeking a clearer answer.

"Umm... Because we thought you would be compatible," Kai replied.

"Yeah, Mana is really nice, and we thought you two would get along well," Yuki added.

Mika was still not convinced. 

"But why me? Can't you find someone else?"

"Because you've never been close to any girl since childhood," Yuki said firmly, emphasizing his lack of past romantic experiences.

"And we don't want you to regret it later, like 'I wish I had a girlfriend in high school!'" Kai added, trying to support Yuki's argument.

"But what will I gain from this?" Mika asked, still skeptical about the potential benefits.

"Trust me, you'll regret it in the future. Just think about it," Yuki said, her frustration becoming evident in her tone.

"We don't want to force you into anything, Mika. We just wanted to help," Kai said, trying to defuse the tension.

"When did you start thinking about this, then?"

"This morning, I guess. Right, Kai?"

"Um, yeah, I think so."

Mika pondered whether he could refuse their offer. He questioned himself,

Do they really see relationships in high school as something disposable? Is love really such a fleeting emotion?

"Sorry, I can't do it," Mika finally said, firm in his decision.

"Why?" Yuki asked, disappointed.

"Because I don't want to be with someone I don't have feelings for. I also don't want to play with her emotions and hurt her," Mika explained honestly.

There was a brief silence. Kai and Yuki exchanged meaningful glances, silently communicating their thoughts about the situation.

"Okay then, if that's what you want..." Yuki said, her tone filled with a hint of defeat as she reluctantly accepted Mika's decision.

As they went to get their drinks and came back, Yuki whispered to Kai

 "I wonder what type of girl Mika likes?"

"Um, I don't know..." 

Mika found himself lost in his thoughts. 

      Should I have opened up to them about my secret beforehand? 

***

Karaoke continued as usual. Mana sang her song, and while she was singing, Mika thought to himself,

 Would I have accepted her if I had feelings? She actually looks cute girl...

Even though Mana hoped for some response from Mika, he didn't reciprocate. Later, Mika sang a song and amused everyone with his voice. 

After leaving the karaoke place, they convinced Mika to take a walk by the river and sit on the grass in a nearby park.

"Let's go!" Yuki was very excited.

"We can also get some drinks from the next to the park," Kai said nonchalantly.

"Sure, hey Mika, w-what will you have to drink?" Mana asked shyly.

"Hmm, I don't know... I guess I'll have some coffee."

"I see... Then I'll have coffee too," Mana said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Mika had been preoccupied with something he had noticed earlier. It felt like someone was following them. As they strolled down a path surrounded by trees, the sky painted in shades of turquoise and orange, creating a romantic atmosphere. Suddenly, Kai turned around, his voice now serious and firm:

"Whoever is following us, show yourself!" Mana was taken aback by Kai's sudden outburst and swiftly turned around.

"Why would anyone follow us, for god's sake..." Yuki asked, a mix of frustration and curiosity in her tone.

"Did you notice it too?" Mika inquired.

"Of course, we noticed. We think one or two girls are following us. We occasionally hear footsteps," Kai said, still glancing back with unease.

Finally, two girls emerged from behind the trees. They were wearing the same school uniform as Mika and the others. When Mika looked at their faces, everything became even more bewildering.

"Rin and Eirin. What are you doing here?" Mika asked.

***

First, Rin revealed herself from behind the tree and took a deep breath.

"So, we've been noticed, huh..." she said.

Then Eirin showed herself, looking embarrassed and staring at the ground.

"Do you know them, Mika?" Yuki asked with curiosity.

"Well, it's more like I recognize them," Mika said, avoiding the details.

"Why were you following us?" Kai asked with suspicion.

"We're sorry, we were just following Mika."

"Why?" Yuki inquired.

"Normally, he doesn't come to school, right? Today, Eirin saw that you all went somewhere together after school. We were really surprised to see him at our school," Rin explained.

"Yes, th-th-that's right. W-w-we didn't have any bad intentions," Eirin said nervously, her voice trembling.

"Oh my... Alright, there's no problem, but at least tell us this. Why were you following Mika? Do you have a crush on him or something?" Yuki asked, relieved yet irritated.

"H-h-having a crush? N-no way." Eirin looked down, embarrassed.

"No, of course not. The truth is... oh, we messed up big time," Rin said, regretful.

"Yes, we're waiting for your answer," Yuki said impatiently.

"Oh, you're right. Fine, we were following him for a friend."

"A friend? What are you talking about-"

"Yuki, hold on a second, don't get angry," Kai interjected calmly. He smiled and addressed Rin and Eirin, "If you want, you can join us and explain everything."

"W-what? What are you talking about, Kai-"

"Wait a second, Yuki. We can't learn the reasons by yelling at each other. Besides, we need to find out what else Mika is hiding," Kai said.

"Hmm, true... So you're getting to know some people from school, huh? Now we'll find out what's going on," Yuki said, smiling slyly.

"Me? What am I hiding?" Mika asked. The whole situation still seemed absurd to him.

                                                ***

Meanwhile, Rin and Eirin had gotten closer.

"Um... should I go home or something? That's probably best-" Mana said nervously.

"NO, YOU'RE STAYING!" Rin and Yuki shouted simultaneously.

Terrified by their shouting, Mana involuntarily held onto Mika's arm. Seeing this, Eirin looked both shocked and amazed.

"W-what are you d-doing, a-are you two dating?" she asked. Her face didn't clearly reveal her feelings or thoughts, but a mix of disappointment, fear, and sadness could be sensed.

"No," Mika replied.

Mika had started to think:
"What have I gotten myself into?"

***

They all headed to the grassy area. As they walked, they didn't delve into the main topic much but rather got to know each other better, discussing various interests and hobbies. Once they all sat down and got their drinks, Yuki took the lead in the conversation:

"Alright, come on. It's time for you to explain why you stalked us like creeps, I mean, why you followed Mika. By the way, would you pass the coffees to Mika and Mana?"

"Thanks," Mana and Mika said as Eirin handed their coffees to them.

"Okay, we'll try to explain it briefly. Our friend hurriedly left after the exams. We were curious about her, and that's when we saw Mika at this school and realized he was attending here. So, we started following him."

Alright, that makes sense, but why are you following Mika? Is there any connection between him and your friend?"

"Well..." Rin hesitated, quickly turning to Eirin. Everyone's attention shifted to Eirin.

"W-What? W-well, I-I think Mika can explain it better," she stammered and turned to Mika.

"What?" Mika said, not understanding. Everyone was looking at him. He looked at Eirin, sitting just to his right, and then at Mana, who had moved even closer to him on his left side. Kai was standing leaning against a tree, observing him. Rin and Yuki were sitting in front of him, cross legged, gazing at him.

 
He took a deep breath.

"Why do you expect an answer from me? I don't even know who- Wait, are you talking about Saya?" Mika started to grasp something.

"Yes, the big guy finally noticed," Rin said impatiently.

"How could I have known? Isn't she your friend?"

"Yes, but, you know..." Rin was trying to come up with an excuse.

"Just a minute, when you say 'Saya,' are you talking about the student council president?" Kai asked, surprised.

"What? Is that true? The girl who ranks first in every exam?" Yuki asked, astonished.

"Well, yes," Rin replied, feeling a bit annoyed as if others had asked her this question before.

"So, Saya is the student council president?" Mika asked. Everything was becoming even more tangled.

"Yes, and currently, she is considered the top student in the school," Mana whispered to Mika.

Mika tried to process what he heard.

 Saya... who exactly is she?