Chapter 4

  The stars twinkled faintly above as Haruki lay on the soft grass, his arms tucked behind his head. Beside him, Mei hugged her teddy bear tightly, her eyes half-closed. The warmth of the day had faded into a cool, pleasant breeze, and the world felt unusually quiet.

  For the first time since the loop began, Haruki felt at peace.

  Then, the clock struck midnight.

  Haruki blinked, the faint hum of cicadas filling the air as his vision went dark for a brief moment. When he opened his eyes, the familiar sound of his alarm clock blaring at 6:47 a.m. greeted him.

  He sat up in his bed, groaning softly as the morning light filtered through his curtains. The faint smell of miso soup and grilled fish drifted up from the kitchen.

  “Back to square one,” Haruki muttered, running a hand through his hair.

  The morning unfolded predictably, every detail as unchanging as ever. His mother’s cheerful call for breakfast, the walk to school past the same cat perched lazily on the same fence, and the delivery truck’s blaring horn as it narrowly avoided the biker at the crosswalk. Haruki barely registered any of it.

  Haruki delivered another thermos of coffee to Mei in the morning which she thanked him for kindly.

  By the time lunch rolled around, Haruki found himself sitting alone at a table near the window, poking half-heartedly at his bento. He’d grown used to eating by himself. It was part of the routine.

  Then, something unexpected happened.

  Mei slid into the seat across from him, her tray clattering onto the table.

  Haruki froze, his chopsticks hovering mid-air. He stared at her, wide-eyed, as if she were a ghost.

  “What?” Mei asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Haruki didn’t answer, still staring.

  “Stop staring,” Mei said flatly, reaching across the table and pinching his cheek.

  “Ow!” Haruki yelped, jerking back.

  Mei smirked, popping a piece of tempura into her mouth. “That’s better.”

  Haruki rubbed his cheek, glaring at her. “What are you doing here?”

  “Eating lunch,” Mei replied, gesturing to her tray.

  “You usually eat with your friends,” Haruki said, his voice laced with confusion.

  Mei shrugged, her expression casual. “So?”

  “So… why aren’t you with them?” Haruki asked, still trying to make sense of the situation.

  Mei leaned forward slightly, resting her chin in her hand. “Do I need a reason to sit here?”

  Haruki blinked. “Well, no, but—”

  “Then stop overthinking it,” Mei interrupted, her tone light. She took another bite of her lunch, acting as though this were the most normal thing in the world.

  Haruki hesitated, glancing around the cafeteria. A few of Mei’s friends were sitting at their usual table, casting curious glances in their direction. Haruki frowned, lowering his voice.

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  “Isn’t this going to affect your… reputation or something?” he asked.

  Mei rolled her eyes, waving off his concern. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “But—”

  “Haruki,” Mei said, cutting him off. Her voice softened slightly, and her usual teasing smile gave way to something more sincere. “It’s fine. Really.”

  Haruki studied her for a moment, unsure what to say. Finally, he nodded, though the uneasy feeling in his chest didn’t entirely fade.

  The rest of lunch passed in an oddly comfortable silence. Mei picked at her food, occasionally making random comments about the cafeteria’s menu or her morning classes. Haruki responded in short, awkward sentences, still trying to process why Mei had chosen to sit with him.

  As the bell rang and students began filing out, Mei stood, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

  “See you later, Haruki,” she said with a small wave, her tone casual.

  Haruki nodded slowly, watching her walk away. He couldn’t help but feel like something had shifted between them, though he couldn’t quite put it into words.

  As he gathered his things and headed back to class, Haruki found himself smiling faintly.

  The midday sun streamed through the classroom windows, casting long streaks of light onto the desks. Mei sat with her friends near the back of the room, idly doodling on the edge of her notebook while her friends whispered and giggled about nothing in particular.

  “Hey, Mei,” one of her friends said, nudging her arm.

  “Hm?” Mei looked up, blinking.

  “What’s the deal with you and Haruki?”

  Mei froze, her pencil hovering above the paper. “What?”

  “You know, Haruki,” another friend chimed in, leaning closer. “We saw you having lunch with him. Are you guys, like, a thing or something?”

  Mei felt her cheeks heat up. “No! Of course not!”

  Her friends exchanged amused glances, their smiles widening.

  “Come on,” the first friend teased. “You don’t just sit with someone like Haruki for no reason. What do you think of him?”

  Mei hesitated, glancing at the desk before shrugging. “He’s… sweet,” she admitted, her voice quieter than usual.

  “Sweet?” one of them echoed, raising an eyebrow. “You think Haruki Tanaka is sweet?”

  “Yeah,” Mei said, her tone firmer now. “He’s nice once you get to know him.”

  Her friends giggled, leaning closer. “So, do you like him?”

  “No!” Mei said quickly, sitting up straighter.

  “Are you sure? You were totally smiling when he gave you that thermos this morning,” one friend said, smirking.

  “Yeah, and he’s kinda cute,” another added, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “But, you know… he’s also kind of a loser.”

  Mei’s head snapped up. “He’s not a loser,” she said sharply.

  Her friends recoiled slightly, their smiles faltering. “Whoa, calm down, Mei,” one of them said.

  “I’m serious,” Mei said, her tone fierce. “Haruki’s not a loser. Just because he doesn’t hang out with a ton of people doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with him.”

  Her friends exchanged surprised glances. “Okay, okay,” one of them said, holding up her hands in mock surrender. “Geez, we were just joking.”

  But their smiles returned almost immediately, playful and teasing. “Still, you’re spending an awful lot of time with him. If he’s not your boyfriend, then what is he?”

  “Yeah, Mei-chan,” another added with a grin. “Isn’t he your boyfriend?”

  Mei groaned, slumping forward onto her desk. “No, he’s not my boyfriend.”

  “Then do you like him?”

  “I said no!” Mei snapped, glaring at them.

  Her friends laughed, unfazed. “You’re awfully defensive for someone who doesn’t like him.”

  Mei sighed, shaking her head. “Look, even if he’s sweet, I’d never date someone like Haruki. He’s a loner and a weirdo and… and—”

  The words caught in her throat as the room suddenly went quiet. Mei’s friends stopped laughing, their eyes darting toward the doorway. Mei turned slowly, her heart sinking.

  Haruki stood there, his hand still on the door handle. His face was blank, but his eyes betrayed the hurt he felt.

  “Haruki,” Mei said softly, standing up from her desk. “I—”

  Before she could finish, Haruki turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing down the hall.

  “Wait!” Mei called, running after him.

  “Haruki!” Mei’s voice rang out as she chased him through the corridor, her shoes clattering against the tiled floor. “Stop!”

  But Haruki didn’t stop. He didn’t even look back.

  Finally, Mei reached out and grabbed his arm, forcing him to halt. He turned to her slowly, his face guarded.

  “Let me explain,” Mei said, her voice desperate.

  Haruki shook his head, pulling his arm free. “Don’t bother,” he said quietly.

  “Haruki, please,” Mei pleaded. “I didn’t mean it. I swear.”

  Haruki stared at her, his expression unreadable. “So, which part didn’t you mean?” he asked, his voice calm but cold. “The part where you said I’m sweet? Or the part where you said I’m a weirdo?”

  Mei flinched, her chest tightening. “I—”

  “That’s what I thought,” Haruki said, turning away again.

  “No, wait!” Mei said, stepping in front of him. “I wasn’t thinking, okay? My friends were teasing me, and I just… I said something stupid. I didn’t mean it.”

  Haruki crossed his arms, his gaze unwavering. “So, you let them say whatever they wanted, but you didn’t mean it? That’s supposed to make it better?”

  Mei’s eyes welled up with tears, her frustration bubbling over. “Haruki, I’m sorry! I don’t think you’re a loser, okay? I was trying to defend you!”

  Haruki’s shoulders relaxed slightly, but his expression remained distant. “It didn’t sound like it,” he said softly.

  Mei swallowed hard, unsure what to say. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

  For a moment, neither of them spoke. The hall was eerily quiet, the muffled chatter of classrooms seeming far away.

  “Just… leave me alone for now,” Haruki said finally, his tone tired.

  Mei opened her mouth to protest, but the look in his eyes stopped her. She nodded reluctantly, stepping aside as Haruki walked past her.

  As his figure disappeared around the corner, Mei felt an unfamiliar ache settle in her chest.