The fans in the classroom whirred continuously, keeping the thick and humid afternoon bearable. As the cloud parted, sun rays crept back to the windows, slightly illuminating the classroom. Dipping my brush in a cup of red paint, my gaze was fixated on the girl across the classroom. Her ocean-blue eyes sparkled as her hands moved swiftly along the canvas. That girl is Yamasaki Chiharu, a fellow Art Club member and classmate. I was lost in admiration till a voice called out to me from behind. “Mori-kun, this part is supposed to use black paint, not red.” Once I realised my mistake, I quickly washed off the paint on my brush. The person who called out to me was Nakama Hayami, my senior in the Art Club. She chuckled and said, “Here, don’t use all of it, okay?”, as she handed me a tube of black paint. I thanked her and continued with my painting. After a while, Chiharu came to my table to peek at my painting and said “Ooo looking nice, your art skills have improved.”. Upon hearing that, I slightly blushed and replied that my skill still can’t be compared to hers.

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Once our club activities ended for the day, Chiharu and I waited for Kei at the school gate so we could walk home together, as we always do. Kei is our classmate and a close friend whom I have known since middle school. Soon after, Kei arrived at the gate, and we made our way home. As we approached the traffic junction where we usually split routes, I bid farewell to the two of them. Usually, they will cross the pedestrian crossing ahead of them but that day, I noticed they turned right instead. Although my curiosity was piqued, I paid no heed and continued walking home. Later that night, as I was scrolling through my social media on my phone, I saw Chiharu had posted a picture of her having pancakes at a cafe. Suspicion grew in me, as I thought of the possibility she had gone to the café with Kei. A tinge of jealousy aroused in my heart, but I decided to brush those thoughts away.

The next day in school, during lunch break, I wanted to ask Kei why he and Chiharu did not take the usual route back home the previous day, but the words couldn’t form in my mind. Or rather, I just was reluctant to know the truth.