Generic Love Story

Generic Love Story!! 8!

Their tutoring sessions continued from there, sometimes in silence, sometimes with random conversations, but Ryota found himself looking forward to them more and more. They'd become a strange constant in his life, something he knew would be there every few days and had grown almost comfortable with. As comfortable as anyone could be with his top ranked classmate, but still.

He found himself wondering what she did the days when they weren't working on homework. What kinds of books she read that were so captivating she got lost in them for hours. What her favorite kind of food was.

But as he wandered through the festival, hands stuffed in his pockets, his eyes kept scanning the crowd. Not that he was looking for anyone in particular. Definitely not. It was just... the festival was big, and he was bored. That's all.

After a few minutes, Ryota spotted her.

Rei Tsuki, standing near the front of a stage where a group of third-years were setting up for a performance. She looked as polished as always, her posture straight and her expression neutral, but there was a faint hint of curiosity in her eyes as she watched the preparations. Her class had apparently set up a booth for traditional tea ceremonies, but now that the rush had died down, she seemed to have time to actually enjoy the festival.

For some reason, Ryota found himself heading toward her, his feet moving before his brain could catch up. He wasn't even sure why. Maybe he was still hung up on that faint almost-smile from their last tutoring session. Or maybe it was the fact that, for once, Rei didn't look like she was buried in a textbook or judging him for existing.

He came up beside her, leaning casually against the railing. —"Boring, huh?"

Rei turned her head slightly, her gaze landing on him with mild surprise. —"I didn't expect to see you here."

—"Yeah, well, I didn't expect to be here either," Ryota admitted with a smir, "but someone's gotta watch the disaster unfold." He nodded toward the stage, where the third-years seemed to be struggling with their sound equipment.

Rei gave a small nod, her eyes drifting back to the stage. —"It's not boring. It's interesting to see what everyone put together."

—"Huh. You're really into this stuff, huh?"

Rei didn't respond right away, but there was a thoughtful pause before she spoke. —"I think it's nice seeing people do something they care about. It's different from normal school days."

Ryota blinked. That wasn't the answer he expected. He glanced at her again, noticing the way she stood a little more relaxed than usual, her usually stern gaze softened. It was weird seeing her like this

—"Well, don't get too excited," he teased, crossing his arms, "you might actually have fun."

Rei gave him a sidelong glance, and for a split second, he thought he saw the corner of her lips twitch. Maybe it was his imagination, but the idea of getting even a tiny reaction out of her felt like a win.

Before he could say anything else, a loud cheer erupted from the crowd as the performance started. Ryota groaned as the upbeat music blared through the speakers, the performers dancing with bright smiles and over-the-top enthusiasm.

—"They're trying way too hard," he muttered.

Rei didn't respond, but she didn't move either. They both stood there, watching the performance in silence, and for the first time, it wasn't an awkward kind of silence. It was...

How weird. For the first time, being around her didn't feel like a challenge or a test. He didn't feel the need to put up a front or say something stupid to get a reaction.