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The day Hana asked Hirose out, she thought she might actually die on the spot. Her nerves hidden under a smile and hope shimmered in her eyes. A toned back squeal escaped her lips after hearing his answer.
Because Hirose had said yes.
"R-Really?" she had blurted out.
"Yeah."
Hirose looked almost out of place—his ears were red, eyes darted away, fingers fidgeted nervously with the strap of his school bag.
Hana's heart practically exploded.
How cute!!
He was just shy.
So looking back when he hesitated for a few seconds before accepting, she didn’t think anything was odd with it and told herself it was because he was nervous.
Hana was happy, really happy.
Hirose was kind, gentle, and walked her home whenever their schedules matched. He was a good boyfriend.
Which was why the mention of Nakamura didn't bother her.
At first.
—
The first time happened during lunch.
Hana had noticed a bit of sauce near the corner of Hirose's mouth. Without thinking, she pulled out her handkerchief.
"You've got something there."
Hirose froze, letting her wipe it away. As she pulled back, his eyes widened before a soft laugh escaped him.
Hana immediately felt her face heat up.
Was he embarrassed?
Was he happy she did that?
But then Hirose smiled to himself. "Sorry, it’s just—seeing the handkerchief reminded me of something."
Hana blinked. "Oh?"
"Nakamura stepped on my handkerchief once."
"...What?"
"He didn't mean to, I think." Hirose laughed again. "He was really embarrassed about it."
Hana stared. "...That's what you're thinking about?"
"Yeah."
"He stepped on your handkerchief."
"Mhmm."
"And that's funny?"
Hirose nodded. "It was kind of funny."
The conversation moved on, but Hana found herself wondering.
Who was Nakamura?
—
The second time happened because of a cockroach.
Hana hated cockroaches with an intense passion, so when she spotted one near a vending machine she immediately shrieked.
"Hirose!!!"
He rushed over.
"What happened??"
`
"THERE!"
The cockroach scurried across the ground. Hirose’s gaze followed it before he picked up a cup, slowly approached, and calmly trapped the cockroach under it.
Relief flooded Hana. "Thank goodness."
Hirose slid a paper under the cup and walked away to let it free far from Hana. As he went further away, Hana looked down and blushed at how unbothered and fearless he was, saving her from that hideous cockroach.
Hana heard footsteps and lifted her gaze, a cheerful thank you already on her tongue—although it caught in her throat when she saw him. Hirose’s eyes crinkled with amusement, and he practically had a pep in his step as he walked toward her.
"Something happened?" she asked, confusion evident in her voice.
A surprised yelp escaped his mouth, like he just realized she was in front of him, before he scratched his cheek.
"Nothing! Just—thought of Nakamura."
Hana squinted her eyes.
"A cockroach got into his uniform once."
Hana tilted her head.
"So I put my hands under his shirt."
Hana stared.
Hirose stared back.
Then realization slowly dawned on him.
"N-Not like that!"
Hana wasn't sure whether to laugh or be concerned.
Somehow the story got even stranger as Hirose explained the entire incident. As he talked, he became increasingly animated, smiling until his eyes sparkled with excitement.
And Hana found herself watching him instead of listening. Because she wasn't sure she'd ever seen him look that happy talking about anything.
—
The third time happened at an amusement park.
The two of them agreed to go on a date. Hana had spent an hour deciding what to wear, thirty minutes choosing her hairstyle, another twenty hyping herself up.
The date was going well, until they passed the haunted house attraction.
"Look! look!" Hana pointed excitedly at the eerie structure, her eyes wide with anticipation. "We should go in."
Hirose stopped walking. He looked up at the spooky entrance, his brows furrowing slightly. "Hm? The haunted house?"
Hana hummed in confirmation.
Hirose stared at the peeling paint and the looming ghost figures, tilting his head in thought. A small, almost indiscernible smile touched the corner of his lips as he quietly muttered to himself, "Huh. That'd be fun with Naka—"
Hana blinked, catching only the tail end of his sentence. "What?"
Hirose immediately jumped, a sudden flush rising to his cheeks. "What?”
“You said something."
"I was just talking to myself. Nothing important, really," Hirose said, waving a hand dismissively.
Hana stared at him, her curiosity thoroughly piqued by the name she thought she heard. But before she could press further, Hirose quickly shook his head, his gaze darting away. "Anyway, I don't really like horror."
"Oh," Hana said, the excitement draining from her face. With a sigh, they turned away from the attraction and moved on.
The date continued.
Yet Hana couldn't stop thinking about the unfinished sentence.
Fun with Naka—
Was he going to say…Nakamura?
—
The fourth time happened at a café.
It was another one of their dates, currently standing in line while they talked. When they finally arrived at the front of the counter, Hana ordered her usual: an iced strawberry matcha latte.
Hirose, however, studied the menu far longer than she expected, his gaze shifting thoughtfully between the espresso shots and the specials. Eventually he settled on black coffee combined with hot cocoa.
When their drinks were ready, Hana set her drink on the table, tilted her head, and asked, "Is that something you usually get?"
Hirose reached out to pick up his mug, his hands freezing halfway. "Um," he mumbled, staring down at it. He shrugged, offering an honest, "Not really."
Hana raised a brow. "Then why order it?"
He continued to stare at the steaming cup for a long, lingering second before he broke into a soft smile. "Nakamura likes it."
Hana nearly choked on her drink. "What?"
He shrugged again, entirely oblivious to the sinking feeling in her gut. "Yeah. It was during a study session. I saw him drinking it and wanted to see why he liked it so much, I guess."
He took a slow sip, pausing as if he was deeply contemplating the flavor. "Huh."
"Is it good?" Hana asked slowly.
"It's not bad," Hirose replied, taking another sip. He let out a thoughtful hum, followed by a quiet laugh. "I still don't understand how Nakamura drinks his coffee completely black though."
Hana stared at him, watching his expression soften.
"Haha..." Hana forced a bright smile of her own as she blindly stirred her drink.
And quietly wondered why she suddenly felt so sad.
—
The fifth time happened during a study session.
That was the moment Hana finally accepted the truth that had been dangling right in front of her.
They were supposed to be studying after class, or at least attempting to. Hirose had already spent a solid ten minutes blindly rummaging through his bag in search of a pen, muttering to himself before finally letting out a defeated sigh.
"I lost my other pens...how does that even happen?" he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "Well, no choice. Guess I’ll just have to use this."
From his bag, he pulled out an octopus pen.
It was undeniably cute, the color of soft pastel pink with an honestly adorable little face.
Hana blinked, a sudden warmth bubbling up in her chest.
I didn’t know he had this kind of stuff.
A bright smile slipped onto her face. "That's really cute."
Hirose, who had already pressed the tip of the pen to his notebook to start his assignment, paused. "What is?"
"The pen," Hana said, leaning in slightly.
Hirose stopped writing entirely. He turned his gaze down to the pink octopus, his posture stiffening just a fraction. "Oh. Uhm."
Amused by his sudden bashfulness, Hana’s smile widened. "Do you like octopuses? Or is it octopi? I can never remember how the plural goes."
Instead of answering, Hirose absentmindedly brushed his thumb against the smooth plastic of the octopus. He let out a low, noncommittal hum. It was a strange reaction—loaded with a tranquil significance that Hana couldn't quite understand.
It felt like there was a whole story hidden behind that cheap plastic pen. She opened her mouth, almost prodding him for more details, but stopped when she caught the expression on his face. His features had completely softened, carrying a gentle, fond look that she couldn't quite put a name to.
So, she let the subject drop and turned back to her own notes.
Once their study session wrapped up, Hirose excused himself, mentioning he had a quick errand to run. "Let's meet up outside," he told her, offering a quick wave before disappearing down the hallway.
Hana took her time packing up, chatting idly with a few friends before finally slinging her bag over her shoulder and heading outside. Realizing she was running a little late, she hurried down the corridor, her mind completely elsewhere.
In her haste, Hana accidentally collided with someone. She gasped as something clattered loudly onto the floor. She looked down and spotted a pen ear her shoe. It was a blue octopus pen.
Hana blinked, a sense of deja vu washing over her.
“Sorry.” She bent down, picked it up, and stared at it in quiet disbelief.
It…it looks exactly the same as Hirose’s.
Curiosity piqued, she looked up to face the person she had bumped into. Standing before her was a black-haired student she didn't recognize. Hana held out the stationery and offered a friendly smile. "This is really cute."
He looked flustered as he took it from her. "T-thanks."
“Hey.”
Hana turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. "Aiki-kun!" she called out.
Then she continued to walk outside, where Hirose was waiting. “Were you waiting long?”
“Nah.” he responded, then his gaze quickly shifted past his shoulder, landing directly on the black-haired boy. A soft smile touched Hirose's lips. "Later, Nakamura."
Hana’s eyes slightly widened as the pieces of the puzzle snapped together in her mind.
…Nakamura? That was Nakamura?
Hana fell into step beside Hirose as they finally began walking toward the school's front exit.
“Is that your friend?” she asked, keeping her tone casual despite the sudden gears turning in her head.
“Yeah,” Hirose replied easily.
"You have an octopus pen, too."
Hirose turned his head toward her. "Yeah. My friend gave it to me."
There it was again—that unguarded smile, that gentle look in his eyes, and the undeniable warmth in his voice whenever he spoke about his…friend?
And suddenly—
Everything made sense.
—
The next day, Hana asked Hirose to meet her after school.
Her stomach churned and her chest throbbed with an anxious ache—the cost of liking Hirose.
The boy arrived exactly on time. "Sorry for making you wait."
Hana replied, forcing a smile. "It’s okay."
She had rehearsed this conversation and had repeated it in her head dozens of times. Yet now that he was actually standing in front of her, the words trapped themselves in her throat.
Then, a sudden movement caught her eye.
Nakamura.
He was carrying trash bags toward the school dumpster. The interruption lasted only a few seconds—Nakamura tossed the bag, turned on his heel, and immediately started speed-walking away.
Then, Hana’s gaze caught it. She saw the exact moment Hirose’s eyes tracked Nakamura's silhouette, his attention entirely drifting away from her. Most importantly, she saw the way his expression instantly softened. In a single, quiet moment, the chaotic noise in Hana’s mind suddenly settled into total acceptance.
Okay, yeah. I need to break up with him. My boyfriend is undoubtedly gay.
Hana looked straight into Hirose’s eyes and grinned. "You know—"
"Yeah?"
"—you’re a lot more boring than I expected."
Hirose recoiled slightly, completely taken aback. "What?"
She shrugged dramatically, leaning into the act. "I just thought dating you would be a lot more exciting."
"Hana..."
"So, let’s break up."
Silence stretched between them. Then, a quiet, simple, "Oh."
There was no flash of anger, no counter-argument. There was only immediate understanding.
Hirose offered a small, appreciative nod. "Okay."
A few minutes later, they parted ways. When Hana walked back into her classroom, her friends instantly swarmed her desk.
"What happened?"
"Are you okay?"
"Wait, you actually dumped him?!"
Hana laughed, even as fresh tears finally welled up in her eyes. Because despite the sting of the heartbreak, she felt that everything would be okay.
—
By pure coincidence, she saw them again the very next day.
It was a sunny afternoon, and the two were relaxing under a park gazebo. Hana spotted Hirose first, and then Nakamura.
Nakamura sat listening intently as Hirose held out a small octopus keychain. Even from a distance, Hana could clearly see Nakamura’s excitement and sheer gratitude. In turn, Hirose immediately flustered, a subtle tint of red on his cheeks and resting an awkward hand on his neck.
Hana nearly laughed out loud.
Hirose abruptly turned and speed-walked away. Nakamura followed him, looking confused but entirely determined. For reasons Hana still couldn't quite explain, she followed too—not close enough to be noticed, but just enough to watch.
The boys eventually stopped at an observation deck overlooking the park. As Nakamura looked away for a moment, Hirose stared at him with all the emotion Hana could finally put a name to: affection, longing, comfort, and perhaps even...
It was so obvious that she wondered how it had taken her so long to notice.
A smile tugged at her lips. Honestly, she was sure the oblivious idiot still hadn't figured himself out yet. Either way, Hana found herself quietly rooting for them both.
She looked toward the two boys one last time, turned to leave, and let a small smile linger on her face.
"Go for it, Hirose-kun."