My name is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, and I'm currently trying to live out my new life as a high school student as normally as possible.
You can guess how that's going---spoiler: it's not going well.
Like a row of dominoes, one after another, people keep...
—about ten minutes from school, tucked away in an alley barely wide enough for two people—let alone a car—was a small donut shop. It was the kind of place you'd pass without a second thought unless you knew what to look for.
The shop had a surprisingly neat exterior, and inside, it had that warm, inviting feel—all matched by the smell of fresh donuts that practically floated into the alley. Nothing like this showed up on Google Maps. Cursed you, Google—I thought you knew everything.
Yanami, who had dragged me here, paid no mind to my inner problems and started complaining.
"Do you know how hard it is to act casual when she's clinging to his arm right in front of me?!" Yanami said. "It's like every time I try to make conversation, there she is, flashing that smile like she owns the place. And Sousuke just goes along with it! No idea how fake she is. He doesn't even see how she's practically ignoring me...!"
I nodded along, stealing glances around the shop as she paused for a breath. But that was only the calm before another round of complaints. What a hassle—
"And get this, the other day, he asked her about some movie," she added with an indignant huff, "when I'm the one who recommended it to him ages ago. But oh, no, Karen-chan says it's great, so suddenly it's the best thing since sliced bread!"
"Uh-huh."
Yanami seethed. "It's like she's out to erase everything I've done, everything we had before she even showed up. And I can't really confront her, or I'll look like the clingy ex who never even dated him!"
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Her voice was starting to blend into the background as I quietly ordered a donut and took a bite out of it when they give me one soon enough.
It was surprisingly good. Fluffy and sweet with a hint of cinnamon—worth the ten minutes, at the very least.
Unfortunately, reality called. Yanami's voice broke through my thoughts again.
"I mean, sure, she's pretty and has those... assets," she muttered bitterly. "But does she have to rub it in my face every chance she gets?!"
I sighed.
Yanami's obsession with this situation had already become as stale as the day-old donuts that shops tossed at closing. Her brooding over Hakamada and Himemiya was a cycle with no end, like an episode of a low-budget romance drama. Not that I was watching—obviously.
"...So, there I am, right? Standing by the lockers, and he actually just walks past me like I'm invisible because Karen-chan's in his line of sight. I've known him for years, and here comes Miss New Girl with her oversized personality, and suddenly I don't exist."
"Maybe you actually are invisible."
Yanami glared at me but continued anyway. "I know I should be happy if he's happy. But honestly, what does she have that I don't?"
"Besides the obvious?"
Yanami gasped in horror. "What's that supposed to mean, Ayanokouji-kun?!"
"Just saying."
She sighed dramatically, her gaze drifting to her donut as if it held the secrets to life. "Maybe if I just... I don't know, got a makeover or something, he'd finally notice me."
"Sounds like a lot of work just to get rejected again."
"You don't get it, Ayanokouji-kun. One day, you'll fall in love, and you'll understand."
"I think I'd rather not."
I took another bite, savoring the peace before Yanami inevitably launched her next inquisition.
"Ayanokouji-kun," she said, leaning forward as if trying to close the distance between us across the table. "I've noticed you talking to Basori-san a lot lately."
"We sit next to each other. Our proximity is inevitable." I shrugged. "Besides, I'm fairly certain I had that much of a conversation with Basori only this morning."
"No, you don't care about people."
"Harsh."
"Then what's going on between you two?! And what about Shikiya-san? The three of you seem awfully cozy, don't you think?!"
I brushed the crumbs from my fingers. "There's nothing going on."
"Uh-huh." She folded her arms. "You're saying neither of them has even crossed your mind?"
"They're people I see at school, not rivals in some romantic battlefield," I replied matter-of-factly.
I learned a new thing. Yanami had a unique ability to transform the mundane conversation into conspiracy theories.
She squinted. "You mean to tell me you don't have even a little crush on either of them? No twinge of interest?"
"No," I said flatly. "Frankly, I'm more interested in this donut."
Yanami slumped in her seat, her shoulders sagging. "You're hopeless, you know that?"
She nudged her barely-touched donut around her plate, sighing. "I just don't get it. For you, it's like emotions don't even exist—like that's how everyone in class thought about you. You could have someone incredible standing right there, and you'd probably never notice."
I didn't argue with that one.
Yanami turned her gaze toward the door, her expression becoming wistful. "Must be nice not to care. No wondering if someone likes you back, no endless overthinking... just you and your donuts."
I took another bite of the delicious donut. Yanami's tone made it sound like emotional neutrality was something criminal, but her lament felt more like a personal complaint than anything else.
Her gaze suddenly sharpened, a flicker of dramatic lighting up her eyes.
What is it now?
"One day, Ayanokouji-kun, mark my words," she said. "You're going to fall for someone, and it's going to hit you like a truck. Then, you'll finally understand how it feels to be... well, like me."
"I think I'd survive."
"You think," she corrected me. "But it won't be that easy. Love is sneaky. It finds you when you least expect it."
"Like a donut shop down an alley?"
She glared, but then smirked.
"Exactly. Only, it's a million times complicated."
With that, she took a big bite of her donut, finishing it in one go. I had to clap her for that, but of course, I won't.
For a few moments, we sat in a silence, the warmth of the shop and the hum of the street outside filling the quiet between us.
