Yuto entered the cafeteria, still lost in thought.
Kaido's words from earlier echoed in his mind:
"You need to stay away from Reina."
But how?
She had already set her sights on him.
Shaking the thought away, Yuto grabbed his lunch and sat at an empty table.
The cafeteria was loud, filled with students chatting, laughing, and enjoying their meals.
Yuto unwrapped his onigiri, relieved to finally have a peaceful moment—
Until someone sat down next to him.
He turned his head slightly and felt his body tense.
Reina.
She was sitting casually, as if they had always eaten together.
Yuto gulped, unsure of what to do.
His mind screamed at him to be careful, but his body was frozen.
Reina leaned on the table, resting her chin on her palm.
"Yo."
Yuto stiffened.
Why was she here?
She glanced at his food.
"Rice balls? You eat like a little kid."
Yuto hesitated before nodding.
"…I like them."
Reina smirked.
"I figured."
She reached out, plucked a rice grain from his onigiri, and inspected it as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
The silence between them was thick.
Yuto's hands clenched around his lunch.
Should he say something?
Finally, without thinking too hard about it, he picked up another rice ball and held it out toward her.
"…Do you want one?"
Reina blinked.
For a split second, she looked surprised—as if this wasn't something she had expected.
Then, her lips curled into a slow smile.
Not her usual mocking grin.
Not her calculated smirk.
Something softer.
She took the rice ball from his hand and, without hesitation, took a bite.
Yuto let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.
Reina chewed thoughtfully before tilting her head slightly.
"Not bad."
Then, she leaned in just a little closer.
Her voice was soft, almost teasing.
"Will you be my friend, Yuto?"
Yuto's body froze.
His mind screamed at him to think—to hesitate—to not fall into her game.
But his heart?
His heart was already racing, caught in her rhythm.