5: A Ripple Beneath Still Water

Chapter 5: A Ripple Beneath Still Water

The school returned to its normal rhythm after the cultural festival.

The laughter in the hallways, the hum of pencil tips across paper, the shuffle of shoes in the corridor—it all felt the same.

But for Kaoruko, everything had changed.

Now, when she entered the classroom, people smiled at her. They greeted her. Some asked questions—about tea, about her old school, even about her favorite novels.

She didn’t mind the attention—not anymore.

But still, her eyes always drifted toward the one who sat near the window, always watching the world pass by.

Tsumugi.

To others, he still seemed indifferent. But Kaoruko had learned to see the subtle things—the slight way his head tilted when someone approached her, the way his fingers tapped against his desk when she laughed with someone else.

Like the ripple beneath still water, he was never as calm as he looked.

---

One day during lunch, Kaoruko sat with a small group of girls who had begun inviting her more often. She smiled politely, answering their questions, trying to enjoy the warm breeze and the bits of rice in her bento.

“You and Tsumugi are close, right?” one girl asked, casually popping a grape into her mouth.

Kaoruko blinked. “We… speak often.”

Another girl leaned forward. “He’s cool. Quiet, but kind of mysterious. Do you think he’s dating someone?”

“I doubt it,” a third said. “He barely talks to anyone besides Kaoruko.”

All eyes turned to her.

Kaoruko smiled gently. “We’re just friends.”

But even as she said it, the words tasted thin.

Because when she looked over her shoulder, she saw Tsumugi leaning against the far wall, alone, hands in his pockets, his eyes hidden beneath the shadow of his fringe—but directed squarely at her.

Watching.

Waiting.

---

That evening, Kaoruko walked to the shoe lockers and found him standing there as usual.

She slipped into her shoes and asked lightly, “Did you wait long?”

“No.”

They began walking together, their footsteps syncing with instinctive rhythm.

After a while, she asked, “Were you listening earlier?”

Tsumugi didn’t answer at first.

“…To what?”

“To the conversation. At lunch.”

“…Maybe.”

Kaoruko sighed. “I told them we were friends.”

“Are we?” he asked quietly.

She stopped walking.

The breeze stirred her hair, and for a moment, everything else faded.

“…Aren’t we?”

Tsumugi looked at her, really looked, and Kaoruko saw the flicker of something—uncertainty, maybe even hesitation.

“You mean more to me than most people ever have,” he said simply. “But I don’t know what to call it.”

Kaoruko felt her heart skip.

Not a declaration. Not a confession.

But truth.

And it was enough—for now.

She smiled, stepping beside him again. “Let’s not call it anything. Let’s just be.”

---

The next day brought a shift.

A new transfer student joined Class 2-B.

His name was Takumi Shinonome.

Tall, cheerful, charismatic. He introduced himself with a wide grin and a deep bow. “I hope we can all be good friends!”

Within minutes, he had charmed half the class.

By lunch, he was already sitting with Kaoruko.

Tsumugi watched from across the room, a toothpick between his lips, face expressionless—but his fingers tapped faster than usual on his notebook.

Takumi laughed loudly, leaning closer to Kaoruko. “You’re even more elegant than I expected. You helped run that tea ceremony, right?”

Kaoruko nodded politely. “Yes. It was a class effort.”

“Modest, too. That’s rare.”

Kaoruko chuckled softly, and the sound made something flicker in Tsumugi’s chest.

Jealousy?

No.

Something colder. Sharper.

Possessiveness.

---

After school, as Kaoruko walked alone toward the gate, she was surprised to see Tsumugi already waiting.

He didn’t speak.

Just walked beside her.

She didn’t say anything either—until the silence grew heavy.

“…You’re unusually quiet.”

“You laughed with him,” he said flatly.

Kaoruko paused.

“Are you angry?”

“No.”

She tilted her head. “Then why do you look like you want to push him down the stairs?”

Tsumugi stopped.

Then gave a small, dry laugh. “I didn’t know I looked like that.”

Kaoruko stepped in front of him.

Her voice softened. “You don’t have to be angry. He’s just friendly.”

“I’m not worried about him.”

“Then what are you worried about?”

He looked at her, eyes darker than she’d ever seen.

“…That someone will see you for what you are—and take you away.”

Kaoruko’s breath caught.

“Is that… jealousy?”

“I don’t know.”

He stepped closer.

“But I do know this—” his voice dropped— “I don’t want to be just a friend.”

Her heart hammered in her chest.

The evening wind wrapped around them like a secret.

And in the space between breaths, Kaoruko whispered, “Then what do you want to be?”

Tsumugi didn’t answer.

But he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering for a moment too long.

She didn’t move.

Didn’t speak.

But her eyes said everything.

---

That night, her diary pages were covered in ink.

“He touched my hair.”

“He said he doesn’t want to be just a friend.”

“I think… I don’t either.”

---

End of Chapter 5

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