It was Friday afternoon at last.
The hallway outside the classroom buzzed with students preparing for the weekend.
You could feel everyone’s anticipation for the final bell, like a dog awaiting their food bowl.
I leaned against the classroom door, stretching after another long day.
“Finally. Last five minutes felt like an hour,” I said excitedly as the final bell rung.
Tadashi slung his bag over one shoulder.
“You say that every Friday, Kaito..”
“Because every Friday deserves it.”
“Amen to that brother.”
The two of us stepped into the hallway.
Almost immediately…
“Ah~!”
A familiar voice graced our ears.
Akane hurried toward us, balancing a stack of folders nearly as tall as her torso.
“Kaito~! Tadashi~!”
“There you are,” I said.
“Thought you’d already left, Akane.”
“I was just delivering these to the Cultural Festival Committee~”
She lifted the folders slightly.
“And then I have to stop by the library~”
Tadashi blinked.
“Why the library?” He asked with a puzzled look on his face.
“I promised I’d help organize the reading corner~”
“And after that?”
“The basketball team needs me to finish inventory~”
“And after that?”
“I need to meet with a first year who’s having trouble with algebra~”
Tadashi stared.
“Do you ever go home?” He said jokingly.
Akane laughed.
“Eventually~”
There was that same bright smile.
The same warm laugh.
The same Akane.
Except…
I frowned.
“You’ve got bags under your eyes,” I stated in a worried tone.
Akane instinctively touched her face.
“I do~?”
“A little,” I admitted.
Didn’t want to sound rude, I was just concerned since she looked so tired.
“And…” I hesitated.
“…I don’t think I’ve seen you eat lunch with us all week.”
“Oh~”
She blinked.
“You’re right~”
“Yup. Missed you.”
“I guess I have been busy~”
She scratched her cheek with a sheepish smile.
“But it’s only for the festival~”
I wasn’t convinced.
“You’ve been saying that every day when we’ve talked in class.”
“Have I~?”
“Yup. Literally every single day this week.”
She tilted her head.
“Really~?”
Akane let out a tiny, embarrassed laugh.
“I didn’t realize~”
Tadashi folded his arms.
“That’s because you’re physically incapable of saying no to people.”
“I can say no~”
Both of us guys looked at her.
Our expressions were clearly calling bs on that statement.
Akane’s confidence faltered.
“Probably…”
Tadashi pointed dramatically.
“See?” He said in a haughty voice.
She puffed out her cheeks.
“That doesn’t count~”
“It absolutely counts.”
“It was a hypothetical~!”
“It was evidence.”
Akane laughed again.
“I’ll be fine~”
I didn’t smile this time.
“Akane…”
She looked at me.
I stared directly into her blue eyes.
“If you’re taking on too much…” My voice softened.
“…you don’t have to do everything yourself. I just want what’s best for you.”
For just a second, her smile became smaller.
More genuine.
“I… I know~” Then it returned to its usual brightness.
“But everyone is counting on me!”
I sighed.
“They’ll survive without your help once in a while. And you can always ask for help too.”
She hugged the folders a little tighter.
“Maybe~”
Before I could say anything else…
“Oh~!” She glanced toward the clock.
“I’m going to be late~!”
She gave us both a quick wave.
“See you Monday~!”
Then she hurried down the hallway.
“Fujihara!” A teacher called from farther down the corridor.
“Thank you again for helping move those desks yesterday!”
“You’re welcome~” Akane replied courteously.
Akane paused for a moment.
“Oh! I can help if you still need anything~!”
The teacher smiled apologetically.
“I’d appreciate it.”
“Of course~!”
Without a second thought, she turned and followed him.
I watched her disappear into the classroom.
“There she goes,” I said to Tadashi.
Tadashi shook his head.
“Called it.”
“What?”
“The second somebody asks, she’s already halfway there.”
I didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, I kept looking down the hallway.
“She really has been busy lately,” I said after a long pause.
Tadashi nodded.
“Yeah.”
“I’ve barely talked to her this week.”
Tadashi shrugged.
“It’s the Cultural Festival, bro. The weeks leading up to it are always hectic.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
But something about it bothered me.
Not enough to suspect anything.
Just enough to feel… wrong.
She had looked utterly exhausted.
I wanted her to take care of herself better.
She is one of my closest friends after all.
I just hoped I was worrying over nothing.
Tadashi was probably right.
We were all busy right now.
But the thought kept nagging at me.
Things should go back to normal once all this festival craziness is behind us, right?
Right?
From the second-floor balcony overlooking the courtyard, Yurika quietly lowered her teacup.
She looked like a queen surveying her domain, making sure that the realm was being run to her exact specifications.
Rin stood beside her.
“They noticed, Madam President.”
Yurika nodded once. Get faster updates on g.com.
“As expected.”
“Mister Sakamori expressed concern.”
“Naturally. It’s in his nature.”
Rin made a note.
Subject Akane continues prioritizing others over herself.
Even to her detriment both physically and emotionally.
She looked up.
“I recommend continuing the current operational tempo,” Rin said with cold eyes.
Yurika watched Akane crossing the courtyard, now carrying another box of supplies while chatting cheerfully with a pair of first years.
“…No.” Yurika shook her head as she replied to Rin.
Rin paused.
“No?”
“Reduce new assignments by at least ten percent.”
“Your reason, Madam President?” Rin rarely questioned Yurika.
But she was puzzled by this latest development.
Yurika’s eyes never left Akane.
“If she collapses…”
A small smile crossed her lips.
“…this will have all been for naught.”
Rin was silent for a moment.
Then she nodded.
“Understood.”
She amended the note.
Maintain pressure.
Avoid burnout.
Yurika took one final sip of her tea.
“The objective…”
She set the cup gently onto its saucer.
“…is not to break Akane Fujihara.”
Her smile remained calm.
“It is simply to ensure…”
She watched Akane disappear into another school building.
“…that someone as kind as she is…”
A brief pause.
“…has very little left to give. Especially to Kaito.”
The sun hung low over the school grounds.
Most of the students had already gone home.
Akane let out a long sigh as she finally stepped out of the library.
Her blue eyes shimmered as they were bathed in the orange glow of twilight.
“Finished…”
She stretched both arms above her head.
“My shoulders are sore…”
The librarian smiled at Akane as she began walking out of the library.
“Thank you again for staying late,” the librarian said with genuine gratitude in her voice.
“It wasn’t any trouble~” Akane smiled as she replied, though the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“You’ve been helping us all week.”
Akane laughed.
“I was happy to~”
She waved goodbye before heading down the hallway.
The school had become dead silent.
Her footsteps echoed softly.
She glanced toward the clock on the wall.
“I can’t believe it’s already this late…”
A small smile crossed her face.
“I wonder if Kaito’s still here~”
Thoughts began racing in Akane’s head.
Maybe basketball practice had run long.
Or maybe he was shooting around in the gym.
If she hurried… maybe they could walk home together.
Just like they typically did.
The thought alone made her smile brighten.
“He’ll probably tease me for working too much~”
She giggled quietly to herself.
“Then again… I guess he’d be right~”
She changed directions.
Instead of heading toward the school gate, she made her way to the gym.
The doors were unlocked.
She peeked inside.
“Hello~?”
Silence.
The basketballs had already been put away.
The lights above the court had been switched off.
Only the late afternoon sunlight spilled across the polished floor.
Akane blinked and let out a small sigh.
“I guess they already finished…”
A familiar voice answered from behind her.
“Oh, Fujihara.”
She turned.
The boys’ basketball coach was locking the equipment room.
“Looking for Sakamori?” He said with a laugh.
Akane smiled sheepishly.
“Was it that obvious~?”
The coach chuckled.
“He left about twenty minutes ago.”
“Oh…”
“He said he figured you were still busy.”
“I was~”
“He told me to tell you not to overwork yourself if I saw you.”
Akane stared for a second.
Then smiled.
“That sounds like Kaito!”
The coach nodded.
“He seemed worried about you.”
“I… I see~”
She thanked him before quietly leaving the gym.
Outside the campus had grown peaceful.
A slight breeze carried the first hints of evening.
It felt nice against her face even as her shoulder length hair fluttered about.
Akane walked slowly toward the school gate.
She thought back over the week as she finally left campus.
Monday.
Festival committee.
Tuesday.
Tutoring.
Wednesday.
Basketball inventory.
Thursday.
Library.
Friday.
Everything else.
She laughed softly.
“I really have been busy~”
Her smile lingered.
Then…
Almost without thinking…
She whispered,
“I’ll see him tomorrow~”
She took another step.
Stopped.
“Tomorrow’s Saturday~”
She laughed at herself.
“Right…”
A few more steps.
“Then Monday~”
The words left her mouth automatically.
She blinked.
“Monday…”
For some reason, that didn’t feel right.
How many times this week had she told herself that this week?
Tomorrow.
Later.
Next time.
She couldn’t remember.
Again.
And again.
And again.
A pall took over her face.
Akane looked back toward the school building.
The setting sun reflected off the classroom windows.
A tiny wrinkle formed between her eyebrows.
“That’s… kind of strange~”
She stood there for another moment.
Then smiled.
“I’m probably just overthinking it~”
She shook her head.
“I really am tired~”
With that, she turned toward home.
From the second-floor Student Council room, Yurika quietly watched the courtyard below like a hawk.
The gleam of twilight reflected against her blonde hair causing her hair to shimmer.
Rin stood beside her as they both surveyed the campus.
“The subject has departed, Madam President.”
“I know.”
“She attempted to locate Mister Sakamori.”
Yurika nodded once.
“Expected.”
Rin wrote a short note.
Subject sought interaction with Sakamori after completing obligations.
She looked up.
“I recommend expanding our current strategy.”
Yurika remained silent for several moments.
Then she finally responded to Rin’s statement.
“…No.”
Rin blinked.
“No?” Rin had a puzzled look on her face.
“The operation has reached equilibrium.”
“Meaning?”
Yurika’s eyes remained fixed on the now empty courtyard.
“We no longer need additional pressure, Rin. Let’s just observe how things play out.”
Rin slowly nodded.
“I understand.”
She amended the report.
Operation Blue Rose
Current Status: Maintain.
Observe.
Yurika smiled faintly.
“Now…” She turned away from the window.
“…we wait.”
It was Monday morning once again.
The familiar walk to school.
Students filled the sidewalks with sleepy conversations and laughter.
Akane smiled as she made her way through the crowd.
Several underclassmen waved at her.
“Good morning, Fujihara!”
“Morning~!” She cheerfully replied back.
A teacher nodded at her as he passed.
“Thank you again for your help on Friday.”
“It was my pleasure~”
Two girls from the basketball team caught up beside her.
“Manager! Thanks for ordering the new practice towels!”
Akane laughed at how excited they were.
“I’m glad they arrived on time~”
As always, everyone seemed happy to see her.
And she was happy to see everyone else.
By the time she reached the school gate, her smile faltered.
Just slightly.
She looked around.
Almost instinctively.
“Where’s Kaito~?”
Normally, they ended up meeting somewhere on the walk to school.
Whether planned or unplanned.
Or at the shoe lockers.
Or outside the classroom.
Or before first period.
She looked around once more.
No sign of him.
“Maybe he came to school early today~?”
She smiled to herself.
“Or maybe I’m the early one~?”
The thought seemed reasonable enough.
Akane paused outside the classroom.
She tilted her head.
“That’s funny…”
One of her classmates looked over.
“What?” She asked Akane.
“I’ve hardly talked to Kaito lately~”
The classmate smiled.
“I guess everyone’s been busy with the festival.”
Akane nodded.
“…Yeah. He’s probably been really busy too~”
That had to be it.
What else could it be?
“It’s only been a week. We’ll have plenty of chances after the festival.” Akane thought to herself, trying to lift up her spirits.
She smiled warmly.
“I’ll make time after school~”
She gave out a sigh.
“Or… I’ll make time tomorrow~”
Then the morning bell rang.
She still had seen no sign of him.
“Oh~!”
Yurika watched the classroom door slide shut.
A quiet breeze drifted through the open window of the Student Council office.
She took in a deep breath as she consumed the beautiful Autumn weather.
Then she sat down at her usual chair at the head of the table, her morning tea already in front of her.
Its intoxicating fragrance wafted around the room.
She lifted her teacup as she spoke.
“Blue roses…”
She gave the contents of her teacup an insightful gaze.
“…are beautiful.”
Then Yurika took one slow sip.
“Because people believe they are impossible.”
The cup settled softly onto its saucer.
“Reality…”
A faint clink echoed through the room.
“…is often far less romantic.”
Akane got home later than she meant to.
After changing into more comfortable clothes, she trudged upstairs, stepped into her room, and collapsed face first onto her bed.
She’d wanted to talk to Kaito before class, but he didn’t arrive until just before class began.
Then lunch had disappeared in what felt like the blink of an eye.
After school… Well, that hadn’t worked out either.
Even though they shared the same homeroom, they had sparsely managed to talk to each other throughout the day.
As she lay on her bed wondering when she’d get to spend some real time with Kaito again… her phone buzzed.
She grabbed her phone almost instantly.
Kaito:
Don’t stay up too late.
You looked tired today.
She smiled.
A genuine smile.
He’d noticed.
Of course he did.
While she would prefer to talk to him in person, this was the next best thing.
She quickly replied.
I’ll be okay 🙂
Akane stared at the screen for another moment before setting it on the nightstand.
She lay down on her stomach and began kicking her legs against the mattress.
Then she rolled onto her side and hugged her pillow to her chest.
A warm smile spread across her face.
“…Tomorrow~”