From The Heart

Walk it off

Days had passed since Hiyori's unusual encounter with Shinji on the library balcony. She hadn't had the chance to see him again to return his forgotten tie. In fact, she wanted to thank him for inadvertently providing a platform to express her feelings for Saito. As she contemplated this, she found herself looking forward to gym class, the only class she shared with her friends, Alice and Layla.

Inside the locker room, the atmosphere was a mix of anticipation and reluctance. Alice had already changed into the school's one-piece swimsuit, efficiently tying up her hair while examining herself in the mirror over the sink. Her actions radiated confidence and preparation.

On the other hand, Layla seemed far less enthusiastic about the impending swim class. She sat on the locker bench, a towel draped over her shoulders, emitting muffled groans of protest. Her facial expressions conveyed her displeasure.

Amidst the contrasting reactions, Hiyori couldn't help but stifle a soft giggle.

Hiyori thought, "Layla doesn't appear to be too thrilled about swim class today. Haha..."

Layla, sitting on the locker bench with a towel draped over her shoulders, couldn't contain her dismay. She groaned softly, her face contorted into a slight pout.

"I spent 3 whole years without having to attend swim class for gym..." Layla lamented, her voice carrying a hint of frustration. "Wah! Why now when I'm feeling my chubbiest?"

Her comment broke the initial tension in the locker room, and Hiyori couldn't help but giggle softly in response.

As Alice continued to tie up her hair, she turned her attention toward Hiyori, who was clearly taken aback by the teasing. With a mischievous grin, Alice remarked, "Relax... No one is looking at you. If anything, the boys might be looking at Hiyori."

Hiyori's eyes widened in surprise at Alice's unexpected comment. "W-What? Why me?" she stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Alice playfully turned around to face her friends and leaned closer to Hiyori. "You're the one who 'matured' the most out of all of us, haven't you?" She emphasized the word 'matured,' leaving no doubt about what she meant.

Layla joined in with a hearty agreement, exclaiming, "AH! Yeah!" She playfully pointed at Hiyori's chest as Hiyori attempted to hide herself with a towel, feeling self-conscious and flustered.

Hiyori's voice rang out in protest, her cheeks turning even redder. "NO! Don't say that!" The locker room filled with laughter as Alice and Layla continued to tease their friend in good spirits.

As Layla laughed and Alice continued her playful teasing of Hiyori in the background, Hiyori couldn't help but get lost in her thoughts.

"I may have matured physically," she reflected, "but my heart still holds on to that moment when I was just 12 years old when I first got Saito's attention."

In her memories, she recalled a scene from middle school when Saito had approached her during class, asking for her help with something.

[Past]

Saito's cheerful voice filled the classroom, breaking the silence. "Haha, Nakatsu! I really need your help. Can I have your notes?"

At that time, Hiyori was still learning how to make friends, but she was more than eager to help Saito, the boy who always had a smile on his face.

"O-Okay," she had stammered nervously.

Slowly, Hiyori handed him some notes she had diligently written on a piece of notebook paper. Her face had started to turn red as she became flustered in the presence of her first crush. She didn't know much, but one thing was clear: she didn't want to stop staring at Saito and wanted to keep that smile on his face.