Maki took a sip from her cup of coffee, the bitter warmth easing her tense muscles. Yuta sat across from her, stirring his drink absentmindedly, his eyes flicking nervously over the rim of his cup. He had been quiet for most of their conversation, and Maki couldn’t help but notice the slight tension in his posture, as if he were bracing for something.

She raised an eyebrow at him, trying to get him to open up. “What’s going on with you today? You’ve been acting kind of weird.”

Yuta’s eyes darted up to meet hers, and he froze for a moment. He had a soft look in his eyes—his usual gentle expression, but there was something different about it today, something almost… vulnerable.

“I—uh…” Yuta hesitated, his fingers fiddling with the edge of his cup. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, Maki…”

Maki felt her heart skip a beat at the sudden seriousness in his tone. She tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. “What is it? You can tell me anything.”

He looked down, clearly fumbling for the right words. His cheeks were tinged pink, and Maki couldn’t help but feel a small flutter in her chest at the sight.

“I, um… I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I… I think I have feelings for you.” His voice was soft, almost too quiet for her to hear, and he barely looked up from his cup as if he couldn’t bear to meet her gaze.

Maki blinked, processing his words, her heart suddenly thundering in her chest. Did he just say what she thought he said? She felt heat rise to her own cheeks, and she had to fight to keep her usual composed demeanor in place. Was he serious? Yuta Okkotsu, the calm, collected, and often reserved guy, was admitting something like this to her? And why was it so hard for her to process?

She glanced at him, watching as he avoided her gaze, his face red and his hands twisting nervously. Her own heartbeat seemed to echo in her ears, the silence between them stretching for what felt like an eternity.