From The Heart

Confessions of the inexperienced

Monday morning marked the beginning of a new semester at Sasaki High School. The school gates buzzed with students from all over, each donning the mandatory school uniform. The boys marched proudly in black blazers and slacks, complete with white collar tops and striking red ties. Meanwhile, the girls looked equally sharp in white blouses paired with red plaid skirts. Among the bustling crowd, Hiyori stood within the confines of a crowded local bus, lost in her own thoughts.

As the bus rattled along, Hiyori couldn't help but dwell on the thoughts racing through her mind. "Alright. Today is the day," she whispered to herself. "I can't chicken out now! I've had a crush on Saito Kazuki since middle school. This is the last year of high school and my last chance to really express how I feel. Then maybe... Maybe I can go on the rest of the school year without having to hide my feelings anymore. Or maybe I'll just hide because Saito rejected me...!"

When the first bell rang, Hiyori found herself in a classroom filled with attentive students, all focused on the teacher's orientation speech. She couldn't resist scanning the room, secretly hoping to spot Saito Kazuki among her peers.

"I don't see Saito Kazuki in my class," she mused quietly. "I guess that's okay. It would make things so awkward if Saito was here anyway. I wouldn't be able to concentrate in class. He's always been so popular, so this way it won't distract me."

As the day progressed, the class eventually came to an end, and Hiyori hurriedly gathered her belongings, eager to start her quest for the elusive Saito Kazuki. However, her eagerness led to a hasty exit from the classroom, and she collided with a male student just outside the door.

"Ah!" Hiyori exclaimed, rubbing her forehead in discomfort.

"That was hard--" she began to think but paused when she looked up and found herself face to face with none other than Saito Kazuki, who was glaring back at her.

"Ah! Saito!" Hiyori greeted him with an excited smile. "Good morning! I was wondering if you have some time to talk--"

Before Hiyori could finish her sentence, Saito Kazuki turned on his heels and walked away, leaving her standing there, bewildered and uncertain about what had just happened.

"He... walked away?" Hiyori muttered to herself, her heart sinking with disappointment.

Later, in the bustling cafeteria, Hiyori sat at a small table with her two friends, Alice and Layla, trays of food in front of them. The morning's events were still fresh in Hiyori's mind, and she couldn't shake off her disappointment. Alice decided to address the situation.

"He just... walked away?" Alice asked incredulously, her eyes fixed on Hiyori.

Layla chimed in, "He didn't say anything?"

Hiyori sighed and replied, "Yeah... I mean maybe he was still waking up, it is the first day--"

But Alice interrupted, not buying Hiyori's excuses. "No. You have to stop that."

Layla nodded in agreement. "Yeah," she added.

Confused, Hiyori stammered, "W-what do you mean...?"

Alice continued, "Stop defending him. 'Maybe he'll talk to me today.' or 'Maybe he'll notice all the study notes I prepared for him.'"

Hiyori felt a wave of dejection wash over her. She had shared her hopes and dreams about Saito with her friends for so long, and now they were questioning her optimism.

"Almost every day since you first met him in middle school, we've heard stories about him from you," Alice scolded. "With all the help you gave him back then and for him to be treating you like this? That's not right."