Unraveled Ties

The afternoon sun cast long shadows over the school grounds as students moved between classes and club activities. Reiji, as usual, took his time heading to the clubroom, his thoughts preoccupied with the work ahead.

The hallway was quiet, save for the occasional chatter of students passing by. His mind was clear, calm—until he spotted someone ahead of him.

Sena.

She was walking down the hall in the same direction, though she hadn't noticed him yet.

Reiji sighed inwardly.

It wasn't like he was avoiding her.

But ever since she had joined the club, their interactions had been… different. More frequent. More unpredictable.

She was frustrating, sharp-tongued, and downright rude at times.

And yet, for some reason, their paths kept crossing.

As he continued walking, Sena eventually noticed his presence.

Her expression twisted slightly in annoyance, as if just seeing him was enough to ruin her day.

"Great," she muttered under her breath. "Just what I needed."

Reiji raised an eyebrow. "The feeling's mutual."

Sena scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself."

They continued walking in silence, neither bothering to slow down nor speed up. It was almost childish—like an unspoken challenge to see who would break away first.

When they finally reached the clubroom, Sena opened the door without hesitation and stepped inside, not even holding it open for him.

Reiji clicked his tongue in mild irritation but followed in after her.

—

The atmosphere in the clubroom was the same as usual—calm, focused, with the faint scratching of pens against paper.

Reiji took his usual seat, setting his bag down beside him. Sena, already seated, pulled out some documents and flipped through them without acknowledging him.

It was like they had entered a silent agreement—ignore each other unless absolutely necessary.

Which, unfortunately, didn't last long.

"Did you finish the article draft?" Sena asked, not even looking up.

Reiji pulled out his notebook and tossed it onto the table. "Yeah."

She glanced at it before picking it up, scanning through the pages.

Reiji leaned back in his chair, watching her expression carefully.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she read.

Then, after a few moments, she sighed and placed the notebook down.

"It's decent," she admitted. "But you need to adjust the phrasing in some parts."

Reiji raised an eyebrow. "That's all you have to say?"

Sena rolled her eyes. "What, did you want a gold star?"

Reiji smirked. "Wouldn't mind one."

Sena shot him a glare before picking up her pen and making a few marks on the paper. "Just fix these parts. You're overcomplicating some sentences."

Reiji took the notebook back, scanning the corrections.

She had a point.

Not that he would say it out loud.

—

The club meeting continued in silence, each of them working on their own tasks.

Time passed, and before long, the meeting was over.

Sena stood up first, stretching slightly before grabbing her bag.

Without a word, she headed for the door.

But then—

She hesitated.

For the briefest moment, she seemed to debate something in her head.

Reiji noticed.

"…What?" he asked.

Sena frowned. "Nothing."

Then, without waiting for a response, she walked out.

Reiji remained in his seat, staring after her.

Something about that moment felt… strange.

But he didn't dwell on it.

Instead, he gathered his things and left as well.

—

The walk home was quiet, the cool evening breeze brushing against his skin.

He took the usual route, hands in his pockets, his thoughts wandering.

He had barely spoken to Aoi today.

Lately, it felt like their interactions were becoming less frequent. Not by choice, but simply because of circumstances.

On the other hand, he had spoken to Sena more than anyone else.

Not that it mattered.

At least, that's what he told himself.

—

When he got home, Haruto was already waiting at the door, bouncing on his heels.

"Reiji-nii! Let's play!"

Reiji sighed but couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, ruffling Haruto's hair. "Give me a minute."

Misaki, lounging on the couch, smirked. "You're late again. Another club meeting?"

Reiji nodded, kicking off his shoes.

Haruto pouted. "You're always busy!"

Reiji knelt down, tapping Haruto's forehead lightly. "And yet, you still ask me to play every day."

Haruto giggled.

Misaki raised an eyebrow. "So? Anything interesting happen?"

Reiji thought back to the club meeting. To Sena's momentary hesitation before leaving.

He shook his head. "Not really."

Misaki shrugged. "Figures."

Reiji stood up. "I'll be in my room."

Haruto huffed. "You better not ditch me later!"

Reiji smirked slightly. "No promises."

—

That night, as he lay in bed, his thoughts drifted once more.

Aoi.

Sena.

He had liked Aoi for a long time. That hadn't changed.

And yet…

Sena was on his mind more than he expected.

He exhaled, closing his eyes.

It didn't matter.

He was just tired.

And tomorrow would be just another day.

—