A boy and two girls entered the train — one of them, shorter in stature, radiated a magnetic sweetness, while the other, taller, exhibited a beauty that was not to be outdone. The boy beside them could be mistaken for an idol, such was his charm.

The trio took their seats, oblivious to the scrutinizing gaze directed at them, immersed in conversation and laughter.

Meanwhile, a young spectator struggled against a whirlwind of emotions.

'Why is she here? Why did she have to be here at this time with a boy?'

'Why? Why? Why?'

...

'And on top of that... Reiji Matsuoka, that bastard, why is he with her? Why does she smile at you as if she's having so much fun? This isn't right!'

Reiji noticed a look loaded with animosity directed at him. Turning to identify the source, he encountered the author of that discomfort.

With a firm gaze, Reiji thought warningly, 'I have no idea who you are, but if you try something, I won't be polite.' His inner words carried a cutting coldness.

"Reiji-senpai?" Nene followed Reiji's gaze, surprised to recognize the person. 'Ah, it's Junichi-kun!'

However, she didn't understand the reason for Reiji's cold look towards him.

It was only upon noticing Junichi's somber expression that Nene began to piece things together.

"Nene-chan..." Junichi's voice faltered upon realizing he had been seen, and his expression softened slightly.

"Oh, Junichi-kun, hello~" Nene greeted, raising her voice to ensure Junichi heard her. She waved enthusiastically with one hand, while the other remained firmly on Reiji's arm.

"Hi..." Junichi barely raised his gaze, and said weakly.

He had hoped that upon noticing his presence, Nene would show some discomfort or withdrawal from Reiji, perhaps even signs of nervousness. However, none of that happened!

'Nene, my love for you is evident. Why, then, are you acting this way towards me?' Junichi struggled with his thoughts, anguished. 'Don't you realize how much it hurts to see you so close to that unworthy guy?'

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Junichi's passion for Nene did not have a defined beginning, but at some point, he found himself hopelessly in love with her. The girl, who hadn't grown much in stature but had developed in other ways, occupied his thoughts uncontrollably day and night...

However, this was not the time for such reflections. It was time to act, somehow, to open Nene's eyes to the truth about the company she kept. And, to make matters worse, she seemed to calmly accept the fact that Reiji was accompanied by another girl at the same time.

Junichi's frustration intensified, bringing him ever closer to a dangerous limit.

Reiji, realizing the situation, reflected: 'So, he is an acquaintance of Nene. That makes sense. I must infer that he harbors feelings for her, and seeing me beside her must have bothered him. However, his irritation seems to go beyond, as if he wanted to kill me with his eyes but feared me at the same time. Did he have any relation to the old Reiji?'

Searching his memories, Reiji found nothing that could explain such aversion directed at him, except, of course, his evident proximity to Nene.

You know what? Whatever.

Reiji decided it wasn't worth his time to dwell on trivial concerns.

Probably, this boy was just another one at Nishida's level. Someone of that nature didn't even deserve a second deeper thought. However, Reiji promised himself to stay alert for any suspicious moves from him towards Nene, just to be cautious.

But upon closer observation, Reiji concluded that the guy probably didn't have the courage to act.

With that in mind, Reiji turned to Nene with a smile, asking, "Your friend, Nene-chan?"

"Ah, yes, he lives near me, kind of a childhood friend," Nene clarified, not noticing anything amiss. "But we drifted apart a bit after I chose to go to Kuoh Academy, while he went to Genhana High School, which is closer to home."

"Oh, Genhana." Kanade commented, "It's well-regarded, but still doesn't compare to our school."

"That's true." Nene agreed, without hesitation.

With this, Reiji better understood the situation.

As for Junichi, he could barely listen to their conversation, though it seemed his name was mentioned a few times. Moreover, intimidated by the look Reiji had given him before, he didn't dare to get any closer. He knew, perhaps more than anyone, how intimidating Reiji could be...

'Why isn't Junichi-kun approaching?' Nene wondered, but decided not to press the matter.

She then resumed her conversation with Reiji and Kanade, getting distracted by the interaction.

"Next stop, next stop..." echoed the announcement on the train, drawing everyone's attention.

Reiji, Nene, and Kanade prepared to get off, while Junichi was already positioned near the door, casting occasional glances towards the trio.

"Hi, Junichi-kun," Nene greeted him warmly. "How are you?"

"Fine," he responded, avoiding eye contact with Reiji and focusing on Nene. "And you?"

"I'm great, like, really great~" She answered, displaying a peace sign accompanied by a radiant smile.

Junichi, seeing her so joyful and even more charming after the changes, felt his heart speed up. "T-That's good."

"Hahaha, you're being funny," Nene laughed, observing his sudden shyness.

She remembered a less reserved Junichi, but now he was so cautious and hesitant that it became amusing to her.

"Ah... hahaha..." Junichi let out a frustrated sigh along with a forced laugh. Feeling a bit diminished by her, he still couldn't bear any resentment.

In fact, Nene's reaction was quite natural; the strange one here was him.

As they disembarked, Junichi tried to follow the group, maintaining a certain distance, however.

Looking back and noticing the distance kept by Junichi, Nene felt perplexed. 'Really, what's going on with him?'

"Junichi-kun, are you okay?" She decided to ask, concerned.

Hearing her voice, Junichi seemed to take that as an encouragement or an invitation to approach, quickening his pace until he was beside her. However, Nene's closeness with Reiji, visible through the embrace they shared, made Junichi frown, though he tried to mask his discomfort with a forced smile. "Ah, I was... thinking about something," he said, dodging the truth.

"Mm, I see." Nene responded, trying to offer some consolation. "I don't know what's troubling you, but I hope you'll be okay."

"I will be," he claimed, though his voice lacked conviction.

Reiji watched the scene, thinking to himself, 'As I suspected, another coward...' Despite his internal critique, he remained silent, respecting Nene's friendship with Junichi as childhood friends.

||- Note -||

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