A few days into summer break, Riku stood in front of a café near the station, nervously clutching his phone.
He couldn’t stop fidgeting.
I’m meeting Haru… outside of university.
Just thinking about it made his heart race.
“Sorry. Have you been waiting long?”
At the sound of that familiar, gentle voice, Riku quickly looked up.
“N-No. I just got here.”
Haru smiled, the same warm smile as always, and opened the café door.
“Then let’s go in.”
The café had a calm, cozy atmosphere.
A sweet aroma lingered in the air.
Once they were seated, Haru picked up the menu and smiled.
“The cheesecake here is supposed to be really famous.”
“It looks good.”
After a while, their desserts arrived.
The moment Riku took his first bite, his expression softened.
“…It’s really good.”
“Glad you like it.”
Seeing Haru smile so happily made warmth spread through Riku’s chest.
For a while, they chatted about random things.
Small, easy conversations.
The kind that made time pass faster than expected.
Then suddenly, Haru lowered his gaze to his coffee.
“Summer break started, but things are kind of rough for me right now.”
Riku blinked.
“Huh?”
“My graduation thesis.”
Haru gave a helpless smile.
“It’s honestly getting pretty bad.”
“Ah… are you really busy?”
“Yeah.”
He laughed quietly.
“I’m definitely feeling the pressure.”
Something about the troubled smile on Haru’s face made Riku’s chest tighten.
But then Haru looked up again.
“Still…”
His voice softened.
“I want to make time to see you.”
Riku forgot how to breathe.
The words were spoken so casually.
As if they meant nothing.
And yet they hit him with overwhelming force.
Heat rushed to his cheeks.
Trying to hide it, he quickly reached for his fork.
Haru watched him for a moment, amusement flickering in his eyes.
Then he smiled.
“Oh, right.”
His tone turned casual again.
“Do you have anyone you’re dating?”
Riku froze.
“W-What?”
The sudden question made his heart jump.
“I-I don’t.”
Even as he answered, tension ran through him.
Why did that question make him so nervous?
“I see.”
Haru smiled.
And somehow, he looked relieved.
That expression caught Riku’s attention.
Carefully, almost hesitantly, he asked,
“…What about you, Haru?”
“Me?”
Haru looked away for a moment.
As if he was considering how to answer.
