Yukinoshita-san is definitely secretly in love with me.

Yukinoshita had a strange feeling lately Miura had been looking at her with an oddly tender gaze.

It was the kind of gaze you'd expect from a doting mother watching over her unlucky, clueless daughter.

Yukinoshita: …Excuse me?

Onozawa Kaori grabbed Miura's shoulders and shook her, half-laughing, half-scolding.

"Yumiko, seriously, dial it down a notch! Yukinoshita's about to blush from all the staring!"

Yukinoshita?!

Where?

Miura glanced around the classroom, finally realizing something.

"Oh yeah where is Yukinoshita?"

"Hiratsuka-sensei called her out. Probably had her go grab some files or something," Kamizawa Junko replied casually. Then, she turned to Miura with a teasing smile. "Yumiko, you've been so out of it lately. At this rate, Yukinoshita's gonna beat you in grades too tsk tsk."

Kaori chimed in with a grin, "She's already miles ahead in sports. If she overtakes you in academics, then Yukinoshita might not even look your way anymore… right, Yui?"

Yuigahama smiled and nodded. "It's true, Yumiko. You've been slacking off lately."

Aaaaaargh!

Miura furiously raked her fingers through her perfectly maintained golden curls.

"Fine, I'll study, okay?! I'll study!"

The mere possibility of Yukinoshita not even sparing her a glance unacceptable.

Most students would be nervous if called into the faculty office, but Yukinoshita's expression was as composed as ever as she stepped into Hiratsuka-sensei's room.

"Sensei, I'm here."

"Oh, good. Have a seat."

The office was empty except for Hiratsuka, whose desk was cluttered with a laptop and stacks of books.

"Are you keeping up with your studies? The mock exam next week how's your prep coming along?"

As expected, those were the two questions.

Yukinoshita nodded. "I still have a lot of ground to cover, especially topics I missed before. But thanks to the Service Club president, Hikigaya-kun, I've recently found a tutor who's both capable and reliable."

"As for the mock exam, well I won't make any bold claims, but I can safely say I won't be repeating the kind of scores I got last time."

Hiratsuka reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a candy. She unwrapped it slowly, popped it into her mouth, and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I'd hope not. Bottom ten in the class and bottom twenty in the whole school that would be hard to top."

Still, she casually pushed another piece of candy across the desk with her index finger, stopping just within Yukinoshita's reach.

"But, since you've been behaving lately, here's a little reward."

Yukinoshita looked like she was about to fall apart.

Seriously? Who gives out candy as a reward?

"At least give me ten if you're going to call it a reward, Sensei…"

"That's premium anti-smoking candy, thank you very much. It's what keeps me functional. One less, and I'll be cranky all day." Hiratsuka said gruffly as she unwrapped another candy and pushed it straight into Yukinoshita's mouth.

Her fingers were faintly cool, with a lingering scent of cigarettes. As they brushed against Yukinoshita's lips, she flinched.

Completely unfazed, Hiratsuka grinned. "Well? How's the taste?"

Yukinoshita sighed. She finally gave up any hope of coaxing a new quest from her teacher.

"Sensei... have you ever disliked me?"

"What kind of nonsense is that?" Hiratsuka chuckled and stood up, slinging her lesson plan under one arm. She gave Yukinoshita a light, affectionate tap on the head with it. "No teacher truly hates their students."

"Anyway, let's go. This next class is mine."

There would be no quests from this person.

But for the first time since she was thrust into this chaotic timeline, Yukinoshita felt as though a shaft of light had pierced through the darkness and reached her.

Hiratsuka-sensei… is a fool.

That evening, after dinner, while the bath was still filling with hot water, Yuigahama's phone buzzed a few times in quick succession.

It was Yumiko.

Yui, are you there?

I need to talk to you about something!

Yuigahama tugged loose the small hair bun tied atop her peach-toned hair so light it was more pink than brown and typed back a reply.

I'm here~ What's up, Yumiko?

This time, Yumiko paused for a long while. It wasn't until Yuigahama had stepped out of her clothes and into the bath that a flurry of messages finally arrived.

There've been so many rumors going around at school about you and Yukinoshita being bitter enemies.

But I've never really felt like you hated her...

Did something happen between you two in the past?

Yuigahama's damp fingers hesitated on the screen, a sheen of condensation blurring the glass.

Miura Yumiko was the golden-haired queen bee elegant, smart, athletic, and incredibly popular. A natural leader.

Kaori was petite and doll-like, clever and competitive, though sometimes a little airheaded she played the role of forward.

Kamizawa, with her soft curls and rimless glasses, always wore a gentle smile that belied her sharp wit. The strategist of the group.

They were a lively, noisy trio.

Yuigahama's role was to be the buffer the peacemaker, the gentle glue that held them together when things got tense.

It had always felt... perfect.

Yuigahama had always thought to herself: This is enough. This is good.

She hadn't expected Yumiko strong-willed, prideful Yumiko to pick up on the unease Yuigahama thought she'd hidden so well.

Yumiko, you're overthinking it. I'm just not very good at getting along with Yukinoshita, that's all.

Yumiko's reply came fast, message after message flying in.

Really? I don't know… You always sound kind of weird whenever you talk about her.

I swear it's true. I've told you and the others a bunch of times already the rumors about me, Yukinoshita, and Hikigaya-kun aren't true. I don't dislike Yukinoshita at all.

I see... In that case, if you don't hate Yukinoshita that much, maybe you two could try getting along a little better?

Just a thought. That's all.

Yuigahama let out a long breath. Her body, which had been resting against the side of the tub, slowly slipped down into the water.

She opened her eyes underwater. The lights overhead fractured into dazzling, disorienting patterns through the ripples.

Her peach-pink hair floated around her like a withering bloom at the end of its season.

She blew out a small bubble. It's no use.

No matter how close she gets to Yukinoshita, no matter how well they get along… in the end, Yukinoshita will always cast her aside.

Because there's only one thing Yukinoshita truly wants.

Everything else is expendable.

That time, the blonde girl had turned back in tears, her makeup running down her face.

And through broken sobs, she said something that still stabbed deep into Yuigahama's heart.

"Yuigahama... I'm really, really sorry."

"But I just want to go home..."