The Mysterious Love Letter Exchange (part 1)

The day continued. The classes flew by.

Ryota couldn’t focus on anything. He was nervous.

He wanted to speak to Mai. But he wasn’t sure what to say.

As he walked out of class, he saw her walking down the hallway. She was smiling and chatting with other students.

He stopped, staring at her. She looked back at him but didn’t approach.

He watched her until she disappeared down the stairs.

“You don’t want to follow her? You should at least tell her how you feel.”

He looked at Sato.

“I don’t think I can say anything.”

“You’ll regret it if you don’t,” Sato said. “Just tell her.”

“I’ll try tomorrow.”

Sato chuckled. “Fine. If you say so.”

But that didn’t happen.

By the end of the school day, Mai hadn’t returned to the clubroom.

Ryota sat at his desk, looking at the chocolate on the table.

It was Valentine’s Day... but no one had come.

He sighed and picked up one chocolate candy, trying to eat it. But his mouth was too dry. He put it down.

“Is it that hard for you?” Sato asked, leaning against the desk.

“You want one?” Ryota replied, pointing at the candy. “Take it.”

“Evading the question, huh? Okay.”

Sato grabbed the candy and shoved it into his mouth.

“Hm...”

“What is it?”

“This tastes different from what I had earlier.”

“Really?”

Ryota picked up one candy and tried to eat it, but was too nervous.

“...”

The room was quiet. There was no one else there.

“Say something,” Sato whispered.

“About what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then why did you say-“

“Never mind.”

He sighed.

“Maybe I’m the one who should say something,” Sato said.

“What are you going to say?”

Sato fell silent, thinking about it. Then he turned to Ryota.

“Imagine someone telling you right now that they love you and want to be together forever,” he said. “What would you say?”

“...”

Ryota didn’t respond.

“It’s funny. You seem to know what I’m going to say next.”

Ryota looked down, staring at the floor.

“I don’t know how I feel about her. I’ve known her for a long time, but I’m still unsure,” he said. “What if it’s just a one-sided crush? What if I’m wrong about everything?“

“So you admit you love her?” Sato said. “This is a good start.”

“I didn’t say that,” he replied. “But what if it is just a one-sided crush? How am I supposed to act around her? How do I tell her how I feel? What if I mess it up?”

Sato laughed. “No wonder Mai called you an idiot.”

“It’s not funny.”

“Sorry.” He stopped laughing. “Just kidding.”

Ryota sighed, placing his elbows on his desk.

“I feel like a failure,” he said, staring into space. “I’m a failure.”

****

The next day, a weird mood filled the school.

It all started with a letter.

A young boy named Ryosuke Hashiba visited the Whimsical Matchmaking Brigade, seeking their help.

He was a sophomore at the school. He had short, black hair and pale skin. His eyes were dark brown.

“I have a request,” he said, sitting at the table in the clubroom. “I want you to match me with a girl.”

Mai wasn’t present, so Sato took on the role of president. He smiled at Ryosuke.

“Of course,” Sato said. “We are happy to assist you. Tell us more about the girl you’re interested in.”

“She has long blonde hair, green eyes, and a cute face. She’s in my class.”

“Oh, she sounds great.”

“Her name is Izumi Tanaka. We were close before, but she’s been acting differently recently.”

“I see,” Sato replied, nodding.

“I found a letter in my shoe locker yesterday morning.”

“A letter?”

Ryota leaned closer, listening carefully.

Hashiba pulled a letter out of his bag and handed it to Sato. It was a delicate, scented envelope with a heart-shaped wax seal.

“Who is it from?” Ryota asked.

“I don’t know,” Hashiba said, shaking his head. “But it’s probably from Izumi.”

Sato examined the letter.

“Follow the shadows where daylight blends,

Where leaves’ secrets whisper and send,

A riddle to guide, a clue to attend,

To a step closer to love’s sweet trend.

Yours mysteriously,

Your Secret Admirer.”

Ryota and Hashiba were silent. Sato turned to them with a smile.

“This is very creative,” he said. “I assume Izumi is your secret admirer?”

“I believe so,” Hashiba replied, nodding.

“Okay,” Sato replied, glancing at the note once more. “What is this riddle about? I don’t understand.”

“I don’t know.”

“You should go to a place where sunlight and shadows intersect, likely in a natural setting like a courtyard or garden,” Ryota said. “This is where you will find the clue to your admirer.”

“If only you were this smart with Mai,” Sato whispered.

“What was that.”

Sato laughed.

“Nothing, my good friend,” he replied, patting Hashiba’s shoulder.

“But I highly doubt Izumi is the one who wrote this riddle,” Ryota said, looking at the letter.

“Why?” Hashiba asked.

“Well, it would be great if it was from her,” Ryota replied. “But we’ve seen many letters addressed to other students lately, and they all have the same signature. ‘Secret Admirer.’”

Hashiba’s face turned pale.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“It means there’s another person with a crush on you,” Ryota replied, glancing at him. “I think the person who wrote this note wants to set you up with someone.”

Hashiba was quiet, thinking about what Ryota said.

“Okay,” Hashiba said. “Let’s first see what is the place where sunlight and shadows intersect.”

“Obviously, it’s the courtyard,” Ryota responded. “The only place that fits the description is the courtyard at the center of the school.”

“It sounds like a place for a date,” Sato said. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while. What if Mai was the one who wrote this letter?”

Ryota shook his head. “Nope, she isn’t the one who sent this.”

“Why?”

“She didn’t have any time to write this riddle. She was too busy on sunday.”

Sato’s expression changed. He looked at Ryota with a confused expression on his face.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked.

“We went on a date.”