It was the first day back at school after summer break.
“…Morning, Arisa.”
Having arrived, Yuzuru called out to a girl in his class.
Flaxen hair, jade-green eyes, and a figure with soft, feminine curves—
A truly beautiful girl.
Yukishiro Arisa.
His fiancée—and his girlfriend.
“Ah, Yuzuru-san… good morning.”
She reacted with slight surprise.
The tension in Yuzuru’s stiff expression eased a little—
But then Arisa suddenly seemed to realise something.
Her brows knit—
“…That didn’t count.”
And she turned her face away.
“Um, Arisa…”
“…I don’t care.”
“Come on, don’t say that…”
“…No. Don’t talk to me.”
Even as she said that, she kept glancing at him.
As if waiting for something.
That’s how it looked.
And Yuzuru—
“…Ah, I see. Fine then.”
He turned on his heel.
Arisa’s eyes widened, and a faint sadness crossed her face.
Her lips parted, as if to call out to him—
“…I don’t care.”
But instead, she turned away again.
They sat at their desks, elbows resting, faces turned in opposite directions.
Occasionally sneaking glances at each other—
Only to quickly look away when their eyes met.
Watching this awkward exchange, their friends—Satake Soichiro and Tachibana Ayaka—looked at each other.
“…Don’t tell me—”
“They’re fighting?”
Yes—
Yuzuru and Arisa were, without a doubt, in the middle of a fight.
Lunch break.
(…Bread from the shop again.)
Yuzuru sighed inwardly as he bit into his lunch.
The reason—
His fiancée, Arisa, still hadn’t forgiven him.
Usually, she’d come over—on holidays, even on weekdays—
They’d spend time together, she’d cook for him.
On school days, she’d even come pick him up.
She made him lunch, too.
“Hey, Yu—”
“What?”
Yuzuru snapped back irritably.
The one who spoke to him was his friend, Soichiro—
“Well, someone’s in a mood.”
—and Hijiri Ryozenji.
Seeing their wry smiles, Yuzuru grimaced.
He regretted letting his irritation show.
“Come eat with us.”
“Just the guys.”
“…Not in the mood.”
He replied coldly.
But the two ignored him, dragged over chairs, and started setting up their lunches at his desk anyway.
Yuzuru frowned, but he wasn’t about to knock their food onto the floor—
So he stayed silent.
“So, why’d you fight with Arisa?”
Soichiro asked bluntly.
Yuzuru’s eyes widened.
“…How did you know?”
“It’d be weirder not to.”
Hijiri chuckled.
The two who were always so lovey-dovey—
Not walking to school together.
Barely speaking.
And Yuzuru eating convenience bread instead of a homemade lunch.
You didn’t need to be a detective.
“…I’m not in the wrong.”
Yuzuru said defensively.
She was the one overreacting.
He hadn’t said anything wrong.
He wasn’t at fault.
Even if he was, just a little—
She was more at fault.
…So he had no intention of apologising first.
“Yeah, figures.”
“I get it… girls can be unreasonable.”
Soichiro and Hijiri nodded in agreement.
They didn’t know what had happened.
Couldn’t even guess.
But they trusted Yuzuru.
If there was a problem—
Surely Arisa was the one at fault.
…After all, they’d known Yuzuru longer.
“But you can’t keep this up forever.”
“Even if you think you’re not wrong, sometimes a guy’s gotta apologise. Right?”
At their words, Yuzuru’s expression faltered.
He knew.
If he didn’t apologise first, it wouldn’t end.
They’d stay like this.
And if it dragged on—
Their relationship might fade.
…That, he absolutely didn’t want.
“But… I was thinking about what’s best for her—”
“Alright, then tell us.”
“Yeah, lay it out. We’ll judge.”
They grinned.
And somehow, Yuzuru felt a little lighter.
—Friendship and love aren’t bound by money.
That’s why they matter, and why you can rely on them when it counts.
He felt like he could hear his father’s words.
“Actually…”
