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Four-thirty-three. The school had reached its solitude; the final bell of the day had sounded an hour beforehand. Yet, there were stragglers, those who didn’t want to return home, those who had a reason for staying. And, occasionally, they would meet in the middle. Occasionally they wouldn’t avoid each other’s gazes, they wouldn’t shuffle by faster. There would be a lick of conversation. There would be a confession.
It happened in the stairwell, its tall windows lighting the situation. Saga stands in stupor before the nameless brunette, her rosy cheeks and messily-braided hair. The girl had asked him to meet her here in History, yet she seemed to be the one least prepared. She greets him in a hushed voice, trembling down to her toes.
Saga didn’t mean to be inconsiderate, he was just far too familiar with this situation. She would say some cheesy things, run off, and would never speak to him again. It was routine for him, the idea of turning someone down wasn’t anything new. Yet, the girls continued to flock to him. There is a reflection in the bright window. He didn’t even find himself all that attractive.
It was obvious that the brunette was one of the many fawners. She didn’t take to long to get to the point, a strong statement: “I love you!”
Saga’s face twitches. ‘How can you love me when we’ve never spoken?’ Did this girl even know anything about him? “Um…” He looks away. These situations, no matter how frequent, were always the worst.
She continues with, the fear beginning to show, “You don’t have to give me an answer right now! Please just think about it!” Her eyes flash up. They are on the verge of tears, full of emotion. Even if it is just for a moment, her feelings are clear.
“Yoshida-san!” A familiar voice calls from up the staircase. There stood Ritsu, smiling and waving. He… was the reason why the answer was always no. His smile is fake. Had he overheard?
She spins around, flustered from the previous conversation.
“Can we work on our project while you’re here?”
She looks back at Saga’s inscrutable expression. She raises her voice as she stammers, trying to gather herself. “I- um, y-yeah, okay… I’m sorry, Saga-san.”
With that, the rejected runs off to meet the boyfriend. He hadn’t even nodded at him in recognition. His eyes didn’t grow wide. Was he mad?
Saga walks down the staircase, heading for the entrance. Why did he even care? Ritsu was just the stalker, the confessor. The one he was in love with. He exhales shakily. It would be that way, then.
A new missing poster has appeared on the bulletin board, Saga notices it as he walks past. It was unsettling, there had been quite a lot of missing girls lately. The whole school was on edge. Takenaka Rina, it read in big black font. A picture of the girl smiling takes the center. He pauses for a moment squints. A chill goes down his spine. The girl… confessed to him a week ago, and now, she was gone. Just like that. And everyone seemed to be ignoring it.
He sighs. Saga should have told ‘Yoshida-san’ to get home safe.