Reiji sat at his desk later that evening, absently tapping his fingers against the wooden surface. The events of the day played on repeat in his head.
"You need to stop being so fixated on Aoi and open your damn eyes."
Sena's words refused to leave his mind.
He had agreed to her so-called 'lessons' without fully thinking it through. It wasn't like he believed her advice would actually help—what did she even know about setting someone up with another girl? But the moment she looked at him with that smug confidence, as if she had everything figured out, something in him wanted to prove her wrong.
Or maybe he just wanted an excuse to keep talking to her.
He exhaled sharply, leaning back in his chair.
"What the hell am I even thinking?"
Before he could spiral any further into his thoughts, a small knock at his door snapped him out of it.
"Rei-nii!"
The door creaked open, revealing his younger brother, Haru, in his little pajamas. His sleepy eyes blinked up at him.
Reiji softened. "What's up?"
Haru rubbed his eyes. "I had a dream that you turned into a scary monster."
Reiji sighed. "And you decided to check if I actually did?"
Haru nodded.
Reiji chuckled and ruffled his brother's messy hair. "You watch too many cartoons."
Haru pouted. "You don't know that."
Another voice called from down the hall. "Haru, are you bothering Reiji again?"
Misaki, their older sister, appeared by the door, arms crossed. She was still in her casual clothes, probably having come home from work not too long ago.
"He said he turned into a monster," Haru whined.
Misaki sighed. "And what did I tell you about barging into people's rooms late at night?"
Haru quickly hugged Reiji's waist. "That I should only do it to you?"
Misaki pinched the bridge of her nose while Reiji chuckled.
"Come on, Haru," Misaki said, grabbing his arm gently. "Let Rei-nii be. He has school tomorrow."
Haru groaned but let himself be dragged away, muttering about how unfair everything was.
Reiji smiled as he watched them leave. His family wasn't particularly dramatic, nor did they have any tragic backstory. Just a normal household with normal problems.
But even then, he found himself grateful for it.
—
The next morning, Reiji arrived at school feeling… not exactly refreshed, but at least well-rested.
He met up with Kaito as usual, the two walking together toward their classroom.
"So," Kaito said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "You gonna tell me what's up with you?"
Reiji frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kaito shot him a knowing look. "You've been acting a little different lately."
Reiji sighed. "You say that like I'm going through some kind of transformation arc."
"Are you?"
"No."
Kaito smirked. "You sure? Because I have a theory."
Reiji groaned. "Here we go."
Kaito turned to him with a grin. "It's about Sena, isn't it?"
Reiji stopped walking for a second before scoffing. "Don't be stupid."
"I'm never stupid."
"That's debatable."
Kaito laughed. "Okay, fine, but hear me out—"
Reiji raised a hand. "I'd really rather not."
Kaito ignored him. "—You two have been talking a lot more lately."
"So?"
"So, it's weird."
Reiji rolled his eyes. "We're not talking because we want to. She's trying to get me to stop liking Aoi."
Kaito blinked. "...And you agreed to that?"
Reiji paused before muttering, "Something like that."
Kaito stared at him like he had grown a second head.
"Wow."
"What?"
"You really must like Aoi if you're willing to let Sena of all people 'help' you."
Reiji rubbed his temples. "I don't need a lecture from you, too."
Kaito grinned. "Oh, this isn't a lecture. This is pure entertainment."
Reiji sighed, already regretting everything.
—
Later that afternoon, Reiji was back in the clubroom, and, as expected, so was Sena.
She stood by the window, staring outside with her arms folded. She looked deep in thought, though the moment she noticed Reiji enter, her usual glare returned.
"You're late," she muttered.
Reiji glanced at the clock. "I got here before the meeting started."
She clicked her tongue. "Still late."
Reiji sighed, dropping his bag on the chair. "You always have to get the last word, don't you?"
Sena smirked. "Of course."
Reiji shook his head, taking a seat. "So, are we actually going to start these so-called 'lessons' today?"
Sena tilted her head. "Depends. Are you even taking this seriously?"
"No."
She shot him a glare.
He exhaled. "Fine. Yes."
She smirked. "Good."
Reiji leaned back. "So, what's lesson one?"
Sena tapped her fingers against her arm. "Understanding attraction."
Reiji blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," she said. "Before we even think about getting you with someone, we need to figure out what kind of girl you actually like."
Reiji gave her a flat look. "I literally told you I like Aoi."
Sena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. But *why*?"
Reiji frowned. "What do you mean, why?"
She sighed dramatically. "I swear, you're impossible. Fine, let's make it simple. What do you like about Aoi?"
Reiji hesitated, his mind scrambling for an answer.
Aoi was beautiful, yes. But that wasn't the only reason.
"She's… kind," he said after a moment. "Gentle. She has this way of making you feel at ease, even without trying."
Sena didn't respond right away.
Then, slowly, she muttered, "I see."
Reiji raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Sena shook her head. "Nothing."
He frowned, feeling like there was more to it, but she quickly changed the subject.
"Alright," she said, crossing her arms. "Now that we know what you're into, let's see if we can find someone similar."
Reiji gave her a doubtful look. "I have a bad feeling about this."
Sena smirked.
—
The meeting eventually ended, and as Reiji walked home, he found himself lost in thought.
He had expected this whole 'get a girlfriend' thing to be annoying, but he never expected it to feel so… strange.
Because for the first time, when he thought about the conversations he had today, Aoi wasn't the only girl on his mind.
Sena was there, too.
And no matter how much he tried, he coauldn't shake that fact away.