The morning of their next lecture, Riku’s phone buzzed softly.
He glanced at the screen.
The name that appeared made his breath catch.
Haru.
His fingers trembled slightly as he opened the message.
“Could you save me the seat next to you?”
It was only a short text.
Just one sentence.
And yet warmth spread through his chest almost instantly.
I get to sit next to him again.
A smile tugged at the corners of his lips before he could stop it.
“Of course. I’ll save it for you.”
This time, pressing send felt much easier.
When he arrived at the lecture hall, Riku took the same seat as before and left the one beside him empty.
A little while later, Haru appeared.
The moment he spotted Riku, he smiled.
A genuine, happy smile.
“Thanks. You saved me.”
“It’s no problem.”
As soon as Haru settled into the seat beside him, a familiar sense of calm washed over Riku.
It was strange.
Just having Haru there made the crowded lecture hall feel a little less overwhelming.
They talked more than before.
About the lecture.
About university life.
About random things that didn’t really matter.
The conversation flowed so naturally that Riku barely noticed the time passing.
“You know,” Haru said suddenly, turning toward him, “you’re actually pretty talkative.”
Riku blinked.
“Am I?”
“Yeah.”
Haru laughed softly.
“Honestly, I was a little worried.”
“Worried?”
“I kept wondering if I was bothering you.”
Riku stared at him in surprise.
Then Haru smiled again.
“So I’m glad. It makes me happy that you like talking to me.”
For a moment, Riku forgot how to breathe.
Something warm and light fluttered inside his chest.
And before he knew it, he was smiling too.
