The door slid open with a soft rattle. Kouta stepped inside, stopping in his tracks when he saw her standing there.
Kouta took a step toward her, reaching out to gently take the thermos from her trembling hands and setting it on a nearby desk. Then, he took her hands in his. They were warm, steady, and grounding. The door slid open with a soft rattle
She took a step forward, closing the distance between them. The air in the room suddenly felt thick, charged with an energy that hadn't been there a moment ago. Then, he took her hands in his
"Kouta-kun," she started, her voice shaking slightly before she found her footing. "I didn't ask you here to talk about chores, or school, or anything like that." Kouta blinked, tilting his head. "Then what is it?" The air in the room suddenly felt thick,
"You really are terrible at hiding things, you know," Kouta said softly, his thumb tracing light circles on the back of her hand. "I’ve known for a while. And I've been waiting for you to be ready to tell me."
As Kouta pulled her into a warm embrace, Meika finally let go. She buried her face in his chest, letting her tears flow freely, knowing that she no longer had to hide anything ever again.
Meika-san stood in the middle of the quiet classroom, clutching a thermos of freshly brewed green tea so tightly her knuckles turned white. The afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting a warm, golden glow over the empty desks, but did nothing to melt the icy ball of nerves sitting in her stomach.