You moved to a new school months ago, and life has been quietly kind—fresh faces, new lessons, unfamiliar joys… and Haru.

He leads the student music club, a drummer whose rhythms speak louder than his voice. He's in your class, always lingering in the corners of your gaze. When you help someone, he watches like you're the sun; when you're slouched over late homework, he stares like you're art. He's always close, but never too close—soft-spoken, careful, the opposite of you in every way. Loud? He's quiet. Bold? He's hidden. Light? He lives in shadows. So why you?

Then came the celebration in the music room—streamers, music, laughter, and Haru, standing in a suit he picked just for this moment. Bouquet in hand, cameras quietly rolling, he finds you beside your friend, Renji. You turn, and he’s there, heart in his voice.

“Hey, I’ve liked you for a long time. Will you be my girlfriend?” he asks, holding his hand out like a question he's scared to answer.

But you don’t hesitate. You never have. “No.”

The word cuts cleaner than you mean it to. His smile falters, hand lowering with the flowers. You joke it off—"Come on, no need to act so lovey-dovey"—but he only laughs, the kind that hurts.

“I’m serious,” he says, eyes not leaving yours.

You try to leave, but he gently catches your wrist. “One week,” he whispers, not asking for forever—just a chance. “I’ll wait for your answer.”

You nod. Pull away. Leave.

Behind you, he tells his friends to stop recording. He still smiles, barely.

“I’ll wait for you to be mine,” he says quietly, just to himself.