Polaroid | Suna Rintarou

08: A Moment

Summer's fleeting embrace slipped through my fingers, stolen away by the relentless pestering of the three fools who made it their solemn duty to disrupt any semblance of peace. Yet, after that peculiar breakfast with my family, she vanished from my life as abruptly as she entered it.

The days passed by with surprising tranquility. No more incessant messages, no more impromptu plans. It was as if she had never existed in my world.

"Oi, Suna, wait up!" Osamu's breathless voice shattered the silence, and I turned to see him struggling to catch his breath. What on earth was happening now? Frankly, I didn't want to know.

"I swear to God, that girl will be the death of me," he gasped, finally catching up. Ah, yes, that girl. She and Osamu were the talk of the school, after all. So, yes, Osamu, I believe she just might be the death of you. Best of luck with that.

"Welcome to the club," I muttered, earning a frown from him.

"[Reader] is not crazy like her! That woman is beyond crazy!" Osamu's frustration was evident, with dark circles under his eyes and his unkempt appearance. What had she done to him?

"Hang in there," I offered, patting his shoulder, but he only sighed wearily.

A familiar scent wafted past me, and I knew instantly who it was. I glanced back to see her laughing with her friend. Did she not notice us? Strange. She usually came running whenever I was in sight, ready to pester me.

"Did you two have a fight?" I snapped my attention back to Osamu.

"What?" I asked, puzzled. Why would we have fought?

"She smiled at me, but she acted like you were thin air or something. It's weird," he explained. I furrowed my brow. Did she ignore me intentionally?

Did I do something wrong? Wait—I shook my head, dismissing the thought. So what if she ignored me? I'd been waiting for this, hadn't I? For her to leave me alone?

I found myself smiling, but Osamu only stared at me with confusion in his eyes. I shrugged it off and continued walking, ignoring his muttered words.

The next morning, I awoke expecting a flood of messages from her, but there were none.

Oh, right.

She wasn't speaking to me.

Well, good for me.

I breathed a sigh of relief and stretched, feeling a sense of freedom. No more [Reader] bossing me around, dragging me places, or tailing me.

The three of us sat in the cafeteria—me and the twins—when Osamu suddenly stopped us, waving at someone.

"What the hell?" I hissed, trying to balance my tray.

I followed his gaze to see her smiling and waving back at them. But when our eyes met, her cheeks flushed, and she quickly looked away.

What was her deal? Acting like she didn't know me now? Fine.

The days that followed were filled with her avoiding me, running away, or pretending I didn't exist. I should have been relieved, but instead, I felt irritated.

Why did it bother me? Why did I want her to see me, to acknowledge me? Perhaps I had grown accustomed to her presence, and now its absence felt wrong.

I found myself checking my phone incessantly, hoping for a message from her that never came. I even stooped to stalking her social media, desperate for any glimpse into her life.

What was wrong with me?

My back straightened as I saw her tweet about a place just three stations away. Huh.

—

The next day, I watched as she emerged from the girl's restroom, purposefully avoiding my gaze as she made her way back to her room. That was it. I was done with her game of cat and mouse.

"[Reader]," I called out, but she remained unresponsive.

Undeterred, I made another attempt to capture her attention, yet she continued to sidestep me, moving with a swiftness that suggested she could outrun me with her tiny legs. Determined, I caught up to her and grasped her arms firmly, halting her hurried steps.

She stopped, but she didn't turn to face me. Stubborn woman.

Dragging her to the side, I pinned her against the wall where we wouldn't be seen. Holding her shoulders, I urged her to look at me, but her face was flushed, and she kept her gaze averted.

"What's going on?" she murmured, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

"What's going on is that you're acting as if I don't exist!" I retorted, my frustration bubbling to the surface.

She looked away, and I attempted to calm my racing thoughts. Reaching out, I gently lifted her chin, forcing her to meet my eyes. It was then that I noticed those soft lips of hers. I couldn't deny the stirring of something unspoken between us since that day—a shared moment that defied explanation, yet left my cheeks burning with a warmth I couldn't shake. And judging by her expression, she felt it too.

"Ah... haha. I need to get back to class. See you, Rin-kun," she said, attempting to walk away, but I couldn't let her slip away so easily.

Clearing my throat, I broached the question that had been weighing on my mind. "Are you free this weekend?"

"This weekend? Why?" she responded, visibly confused.

"I need you to come with me," I replied, feeling a sense of urgency that surprised even me. It wasn't like me to ask her to hang out, but something had shifted.

"Just meet me at the station on Saturday at 3," I instructed, before walking away, leaving her bewildered.