The group sat in a circle around Kanta's desk, lounging comfortably on their chairs with snacks spread across a couple of nearby desks. Kanta had a mischievous grin as he proposed, "Let's play Truth or Truth."

Lada glanced at him. "Truth or Dare, but no dares? Seriously?"

"Yeah, whenever we played Truth or Dare, no one ever chose dare. So I switched it up. You in?" Kanta explained, shuffling a deck of cards he pulled from his pocket.

"Sure, why not," Lada shrugged.

"I'm in," Kim said, looking curious.

Tanya just nodded, her expression calm but interested.

Kanta kept shuffling. "Here's how it works: highest card asks, lowest card answers. No questions are off-limits, but I can veto any lame ones. If I do, come up with something better."

Lada shot him a playful glare. "Veto power? You’re such a dictator."

Kanta shot back with a grin. "The word you're looking for is mister president."

Kim chuckled. "How do you define a lame question, mister president?"

Kanta shrugged as he dealt the cards. "If I say it’s lame, it’s lame. Simple as that. Let’s go."

The cards were drawn, and Kanta looked at Lada with a mischievous glint. "How many of those boys you rejected do you secretly think are cute?"

Lada tapped her chin, pretending to think. "Hmm, maybe one or two. But don’t worry, Kanta, you’re definitely not one of them."

Kanta smirked. "Well, that’s because I never got rejected."

The group laughed, and the game continued. Tanya turned to Kim. "Cats or dogs?"

Kanta clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Lame."

"Coffee or tea?" Tanya tried again.

"Still lame," Kanta declared.

Tanya sighed, then her lips curved into a sly smile. "Okay, if you could live one day completely free of rules, what’s the first thing you’d do?"

Kim blushed. "Probably eat all the junk food I want without worrying about anything. No limits."

They all laughed, and Kim looked at Kanta next, a smirk forming. "What’s the most ridiculous bet you’ve ever made?"

Kanta grinned. "I bet you would eat all the random junk I secretly put in your locker. And you did. Not a single question asked."

Kim shook his head at the memory, giving an awkward laugh. "To be honest, I didn't even know it was a bet. I just thought someone was messing with me, and it looked like good food, so I figured—why not?"

The group burst into laughter, Kim shaking his head at the memory.

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Lada's card was highest next, and she looked at Tanya thoughtfully. "You can only keep one—your piano or your guitar. Which one?"

Tanya hesitated, her expression softening. "The piano. It’s been with me the longest."

The room fell silent for a moment, Tanya’s answer touching them all.

Kanta drew the next high card and looked at Kim with a sly grin. "If you had to confess to someone right now, who would it be?"

Kim's face went bright red. "L-Lada, I guess. Hypothetically speaking, of course."

Lada’s eyes widened, and for once, she was at a loss for words, her usual wit failing her. Tanya looked between Kim and Lada, her eyes widening slightly.

Kanta was just as surprised. He hadn't expected Kim to say Lada—he figured Kim would just make up some random name to dodge the question. He remembered hearing something back in junior high about Kim and Lada going to the same cram school, and that Kim had feelings for her. He had dismissed it as just a rumor, but maybe there was more to it.

Kim's answer caused a stir, catching the attention of other students in the classroom. Heads turned, and a few students even moved closer, drawn in by the sudden tension and curiosity in the air.

Lada finally found her voice, a small smile forming. "Thanks," she said softly, her eyes meeting Kim's briefly before looking away.

Kanta, trying to play it cool, continued dealing the cards, glancing at Kim. "Best of luck."

Tanya had the high card. She looked at Kanta, her voice curious. "What’s something you've done that you'd never, ever admit to a teacher?"

Kanta felt a wave of relief. Her question seemed to show genuine interest, which made him feel a bit lighter. Maybe Tanya wasn't mad at him after all.

He leaned back, smirking. "I posted the Bald Danger’s search history on Discord. Wait, he’s not really a teacher. Okay, how about this—I helped a friend change his math grade."

Kim squinted. "That was Ritsu, wasn’t it?"

Kanta pointed at him, grinning. "You get one question."

Lada's turn came next, and she looked at Kim, her expression unusually earnest. "What’s something you like about me that you’d never say out loud?"

Kim scratched his head, his voice a bit shaky. "You’re, uh… really good at debating without being mean."

Lada smirked, her eyes narrowing briefly. "So I'm only nice when I'm debating, huh?" she teased.

Kanta nodded. "Gotta admit, I agree."

"Agree with what?" Lada gave him a sharp glance.

Kanta gave her a shrug and continued dealing the cards.

Kim drew the next high card and turned to Tanya. "What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done during a performance?"

Tanya bit her lip, smiling ruefully. "During a piano recital, I got so nervous that I completely forgot the piece halfway through. So I just played random notes, thinking I could make it work. It must’ve sounded awful, but the audience still gave me polite applause. It made it even worse."

Lada laughed softly, patting Tanya's shoulder. "I’m sure it wasn’t that bad."

Lada's card was highest again. She looked at Kanta, her eyes twinkling. "What’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever said just to get attention?"

Kanta chuckled. "I once told everyone, 'Life is just one big, meaningless simulation, and the only real freedom is skipping class.' I made sure Morisen heard it, too. He yelled at me, 'Why don't you ask the kids who skipped my class how that freedom feels?'"

The group laughed, Tanya covering her smile with her hand.

By this point, other students in the classroom had gotten curious and started gathering around, watching them play. The circle grew larger, with more laughter and whispers as their classmates listened in on the questions and answers.

Tanya drew the next card and looked at Lada, her tone more serious. "If you could go back to junior high and change one thing, what would it be?"

Lada sighed, her gaze flicking to Kim before she spoke. "I wish I'd started more conversations, now that I know someone was just too shy to make the first move."

Kim's face flushed, and he gave Lada a shy smile, clearly unsure of how to respond. The room went silent for a moment, and then a ripple of murmurs broke out among the gathered students. Kanta stayed quiet, simply giving Kim an encouraging nod. Tanya's eyes softened as she looked between Lada and Kim.

The bell rang, and the students reluctantly returned to their seats. Kanta gathered the cards, stealing a glance at Tanya. He had questions planned for her but never got the chance. He wanted to ask if he'd said something that bothered her and why she'd dyed her hair. But seeing her smiles and laughter during the game, he figured some questions were better left unasked.