HOME | DD

Description
As you wait for the bell to ring, you rest your chin on the palm of your hand and gaze out the window. You turn your head, catching your boyfriend Tachibana Makoto looking at you, and give a small wave, causing him to blush and hide his embarrassment by scratching his nose.

You then glance at your 'Career Path Questionnaire', tracing your fingers around the edges with a look of annoyance on your face.

After Sensei Amakata handed you the paper, she requested, "[Name], please see me after class," causing you to chew on the inside of your cheek and sigh in frustration.

As the bell rings, you push your chair back, stand up with your classmates, and grab your bento box to head to lunch. You feel someone at your side and look up to see your boyfriend smiling at you.

"Ready?" he asks.

Stuttering slightly, you reply to your boyfriend, "U-uh yeah, just need to talk to Senpai for a second. I can meet you there if you want?"

Makoto nods his head with a tilt and responds, "Okay," squeezing your hand as he strides out of the room with Haruka, exchanging smiles with you as he leaves.

After waiting for the class to empty, you walk up to the front and patiently wait for Sensei Amakata-san.

"Sensei, you wanted to see me?" you inquire.

With a smile, Sensei Amakata nods and invites you to take a seat. Feeling nervous, you grab a chair and place it in front of her desk.

"I wanted to discuss your Career Path Questionnaire," she says, causing you to gulp and nervously tug at the edge of your skirt.

"Yes," you reply.

"There's no need to be nervous," Sensei Amakata reassures you, "I just wanted to know why you circled 'C' on your paper and wrote 'Iwatobi'."

You let out a sigh and slump down in your seat, struggling to recall what the letter 'C' represented.

"I'm not really sure what I want to do," you confess in a hushed tone, glancing up at Amakata for guidance.

As you nervously wait in Amakata's office, she looks up and catches your eye.

"You have a multitude of opportunities available to you, [Name]," she begins, her voice carrying a sense of assurance.

"With your excellent grades, you can easily apply to any Ivy League university or even pursue a career in the sports industry."

Though her words are encouraging, you can feel a knot forming in your stomach as you grimace, replying, "I know, but I'm just not sure what I want to do right now."

"Alright, I understand. I'll mark 'A' as well if that's fine with you and we'll let this slide for the time being," she nods, offering a small smile.

Feeling relieved and grateful, you thank her and take your leave. As you exit the classroom, you accidentally bump into Makoto.

You gasp and rub your nose, exclaiming "Mako!" apologetically.

"I thought I'd wait for you,” Makoto remarks.

He smiles warmly, putting you at ease. "No worries," he reassures you.

Feeling a flush rising in your cheeks, you smile gratefully and say, "You didn't have to come, though."

His kind green gaze softens as he looks at you.

"I wanted to," he admits.

He then threads his fingers with yours as you both head towards the rooftop to have lunch with your friends.

---
Next-Day After School

Adjusting the swim cap, you ensure it sits snugly on your head. Securing the goggles with a firm tug on the strap, you shift your weight on the board, poised for the race to begin.

Kou's voice sounds out, "Ready-"

With your body crouched down, you grip onto the board tightly, peering through your goggles at the water below.

"Go!"

Without hesitation, you launch yourself into the water, propelling forward halfway down the lane before emerging for air. Swiftly reaching the end of the lane, you flip off the wall, commencing your return towards the starting point. You tilt your head, grinning in satisfaction when you notice Nagisa trailing behind.

Upon arriving at the wall, you flip once more, pushing off with a powerful force, gliding down the lane as you swim freestyle. Suddenly, a flash of blue catches your attention, and you narrow your eyes, spotting Haru taking the lead.

You grumble in frustration as you push your weary body to complete the final lap, your lips curling up slightly as you muster up the last of your strength to propel off the wall.

Despite the burning sensation in your muscles, you refuse to give up and stretch your limbs out as much as possible. Finally, you slap the wall victoriously and gasp for air, ripping off your goggles to see Haruka doing the same beside you.

As Kou announces Haruka's victory, a scowl forms on your face and you sink down into the water, blowing bubbles in annoyance. However, Nagisa is quick to congratulate you and proudly expresses his admiration for your impressive performance.

"Wow, [Name]-chan, that's incredible!" he exclaims, darting under the lane line to join you.

“Hey Gou-chan-”

“Kou-”

Nagisa leans on the pool lane line, eagerly asking about his performance. However, Gou soon delivers the news that he was ten seconds behind, causing Nagisa to protest in disbelief.

"But I was right on [Name]-chan's tail!" he whines, accusing Kou of making a mistake in her timing.

You can't help but chuckle as you playfully nudge Nagisa's hand, winking at him.

"Don't worry, Kou probably just messed up," you reassure him with a grin.

"In fact, I think it was more like two seconds behind Haru," you embellish, relishing in the amused expression on Nagisa's face and the annoyance on Kou’s.

Kou quickly defends herself, denying any error in her calculations.

"[Name]-senpai! I did not!" she huffs, clearly not amused by the lighthearted teasing.

"Hey, hey it's okay," Makoto calls out in a calm voice to diffuse the argument.

You glance over, smiling at Haruka.

"Good race," you nod, lifting your hand. "Yeah, yeah. You 'only swim free," he flushes at you, having said it at the same time.

Turning his head, Haruka glances up and sees a hand shoved into his sight, "Good job Haru-chan."

"Don't call me that," he mutters.

Chuckling, you and Nagisa start a water fight, splashing each other in the lanes. Rei joins in eventually, even though he was not interested initially.

An hour later, you are seen waving bye to the others as you stand by the school gates with Makoto.

"Are you ready?" he asks, nodding as you both begin making your way towards your house.

"Do you want to come over and work on homework, Mako?" you inquire, skipping ahead of him and walking backward to face him.

"Yes," he replies with a smile, warning you to be careful. With a grin, you spin back around and return to his side. "You worry too much," you tease him lightly, causing Makoto to flush and rub the back of his head.

"I care about you. Someone has to worry if you won't," he says kindly, making you blush and bite your lip, glancing away.

Makoto chuckles, taking hold of your hand and threading his fingers through yours. He rubs a soothing thumb over your palm as you both arrive at your house and begin working on your AP Chemistry homework.

Halfway through, you groan in frustration, dropping your head onto your book.

"This sucks," you mutter.

As you work on your homework, Makoto reaches out to rub your head. "I'll go make tea if you want?" he offers kindly.

You jump up, stretching and declining his offer.

"Nope, I got it! Need to stand anyways. Green tea?" you call out, making your way to the kitchen.

"Yes," he answers.

Smiling softly to himself, Makoto glances at the pile of books on the table, shaking his head.

"How does she do it? I don't know," he murmurs, noticing your questionnaire on the table.

"Hey [Name], can I look at your questionnaire?" he calls out, but you don't respond. Curiosity getting the better of him, Makoto slides the paper towards him. He smiles slightly as he sees an 'A' circled for college, but frowns when he sees a 'C' listed for Iwatobi.

"I thought she wanted to go to college? Wait, why is A circled in red? Was it not originally her first choice?" Makoto quickly slides the paper back into place, not wanting to invade your privacy.

You set the tray of snacks and green tea down, taking a seat near Makoto. "Here you go," you offer him a cup of tea.

"Thanks," Makoto takes his cup and blows on it. You pause halfway through eating a cookie, noticing his nervous demeanor.

"Mako, are you okay?" you tilt your head in concern.

He exhales, "Sorry... while you were in the kitchen, I looked at your questionnaire. I called out to ask if it was okay, but you didn't answer, and curiosity got the better of me," he admits, flushing with embarrassment.

Shrugging, you reply, "It's okay, not like there is anything to hide."

Makoto sets his tea down and quietly questions, "[Name], I thought you knew what you wanted to do?"

Feeling uncertain, you sigh and set down your drink and snack.

"Well, I'm not sure. I thought I wanted to go to college, but I left that blank. I circled 'C' and wrote Iwatobi just to satisfy Sensei. Apparently, that didn't work," you grumble in frustration.

Makoto tilts his head and asks, "What did you mean by Iwatobi?"

You feel embarrassed and poke your fingers together.
"Uh, my friends, family, and... you?" you trail off, unsure of how he'll react.

"M-me?" Makoto repeats, surprised.

"Y-yes, I put down what was important to me," you mumble, feeling confused that Makoto wasn't at least a little touched that you thought of him in your future plans.

"Don't get me wrong," Makoto lifts his hand, "I'm flattered, but that's not really an answer to that question," he gently explains. "You know?"

Resting your chin in your hand, you reply softly, "I know."

Makoto smiles reassuringly, and picks up his pencil. "Let's not worry about it," he suggests, but you can't help biting your cheek nervously as a sinking feeling sets in your chest.

"Are you ready for history?" he asks, snapping you out of your small trance.

"Y-yes, you?" you reply, picking up your pencil and returning to your AP Chemistry homework.

"Somewhat," Makoto chuckles, but you paste on a smile and nod encouragingly. "You can do it!"

Makoto rubs the back of his head, "Yeah," before returning his focus to his homework. You sit back, shooting worried glances at your boyfriend.

Oh, how wrong you were about Makoto's behavior.

The next week, he started acting really weird around you, distancing himself and making you feel confused and uncertain.

Whenever you asked him about it, Makoto would dismiss your concerns, saying "It's all in your head," before hesitantly ruffling your hair.

As the weekend approached, you were hoping to spend some time with Makoto and hopefully figure out what was going on between you two.

The next time you saw him, you wanted to give him a special gift - a jade beaded bracelet that caught your eye at a store while walking home with groceries.

The bracelet was close to the color of his eyes, and you thought it would be the perfect surprise for him.

The elderly voice of the store owner breaks your train of thought, chuckling softly.

"Ah, I see this caught your eye?" she says, smiling gently at you.

You glance up, meeting her kind gaze and responding with a simple "Yes."

"Would you like to see it?" she offers, taking the jade beaded bracelet out of the case and handing it to you.

"It's beautiful," you murmur, turning it over in your hands.

Nodding in agreement, the store owner begins to share the significance of jade.

"Yes, Jade is the stone. Known as the 'Dream Stone,' it is said to bless whatever it touches. It's an amulet of good luck and friendship - Jade signifies wisdom gathered in tranquility, dispelling negativity and encouraging one to see oneself as they really are," she explains, watching as you take it all in.

"The band it's on is stretchy and fits any size wrist, male or female," the store owner comments, noticing as a flush appears on your face.

"Ah, so it's for a significant other, hmm?" she pries, chuckling.

You murmur affirmatively, running your finger over the price tag, your lips pursed with worry.

"Whoa, that's expensive," your mind whistles.

Leaning on the counter, the store owner rests her chin on her palm.

"I'll cut the price in half," she offers.

Your eyes widen, and you gasp in surprise. "Really?"

She nods and smiles, saying, "It warms my heart to see young love."

With a fist clenched in excitement, you pull out your wallet and exclaim, "Then I'll take it!"

Your heart skips a beat as you spot the object of your affection leaning against your locker.

"Oh, Mako! You scared me," you say, placing a hand on your chest to calm your racing heart.

"Sorry, [Name]. Can I come over to your place after school?" Mako asks.

Surprised, you agree thinking, ‘Yes, that's strange. It's his turn to host our study session.’

As you and Makoto walk towards your house, your heart feels uplifted. Five minutes into the walk, you find yourself smiling softly to yourself and fiddling with the bracelet in your bag, trying to decide when to give it to him. Suddenly, you grab Makoto's hand, and he flinches before slowly grasping yours.

"Hey, Makoto," you say, stopping and turning towards him.

"I, uh, got you this." You shove your clenched fist towards him and open it to reveal the bracelet. "It reminded me of-"

"I think we need a break," Makoto blurts out, causing your heart to clench. You furrow your brows and look up at him, confused.

"I think it would be best if we were just friends," he continues, gauging your reaction.

You are shocked and reel back as if you have been slapped. You lift a hand to your chest and stammer, "W-what? I thought we were okay. Did I do something wrong? Please tell me; I can fix it..."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Makoto replies quietly.
"It's just that it would be best if we focused on our studies," he trails off.

Confused, you mutter, "But I'm top of our class, and you're second! Are you failing a class? I can help!"

You blurt out, hoping to change his mind and cursing the thought that caused him to suggest a break-up. Your heart hammers in your chest, and you start to sweat, feeling your eyes prickling with tears.

Makoto shifts his weight and bites his cheek. "[Name], I think it's best we-" he starts to say.

"Don't say it!" you shout out loudly, surprising him with your voice.

You have never raised your voice since you started dating him at the end of freshmen year. Makoto's green eyes widen as you burst into tears, and he blanches, stretching out his hand before dropping it halfway. You lift your hand to your face, surprised that your tears have started to flow.

You scowl and clench your fist, determination on your face. You straighten your spine, lift your head, and jut your chin out.

"Makoto, I want a better explanation than that half-assed excuse for breaking up with me, especially if I did nothing wrong," you manage to blurt out.

Shifting his weight on his feet, Makoto lifts his fingers to rub the spot above his nose - a telltale sign that something is bothering him. You bite your lip to keep from whimpering, recognizing this trait of his. A piece of your heart breaks off slowly as you notice him struggling.

After a moment of silence, Makoto sighs, and his hand drops to his side.

"I can't see myself being in a relationship with you anymore," he states. You are shocked at the blatant comment, and your knees knock, causing you to stumble slightly.

"W-what?" you stutter, trying to understand what is happening.

"I have to focus on my studies. School is important to me right now. I've been thinking about the future, and I just can't continue this relationship," Makoto mutters, shifting his weight awkwardly.

You can barely listen to him anymore, feeling tears streaming down your face.

"J-just stop. I-I don't want to hear it," you mutter, your voice shaky and barely audible.

Feeling helpless and hurt, you grip the beads tightly in your hand. Before you know it, you are hurling them at his chest as hard as you can. You race past Makoto down the road, not looking back.

"Wait, [Name]!" Makoto yells out, but you don't stop. You just keep running until you're out of breath and out of sight.

—-

It had been five months since the breakup, and you had decided to switch to an all-girls academy that was thirty minutes away from Samezuka Academy, where Rin attended. Tamana Gakuen was well-known for its academic program and swim team, and only the elite could get in. You had to maintain a 4.0 GPA and join at least one club.

It was obvious which club you had joined. It was a last-minute decision that you had made during the summer before starting your junior year. You thought long and hard, discussing it with your parents, who agreed with your choice for your future. You were lucky that they had accepted your application at such short notice. You quickly received a phone call congratulating you on your acceptance and an email listing all the supplies you would need for your classes and dormitory.

Grimacing, you remember your friend's expressions when you broke the news of your transfer to them.

Description
As you wait for the bell to ring, you rest your chin on the palm of your hand and gaze out the window. You turn your head, catching your boyfriend Tachibana Makoto looking at you, and give a small wave, causing him to blush and hide his embarrassment by scratching his nose.

You then glance at your 'Career Path Questionnaire', tracing your fingers around the edges with a look of annoyance on your face.

After Sensei Amakata handed you the paper, she requested, "[Name], please see me after class," causing you to chew on the inside of your cheek and sigh in frustration.

As the bell rings, you push your chair back, stand up with your classmates, and grab your bento box to head to lunch. You feel someone at your side and look up to see your boyfriend smiling at you.

"Ready?" he asks.

Stuttering slightly, you reply to your boyfriend, "U-uh yeah, just need to talk to Senpai for a second. I can meet you there if you want?"

Makoto nods his head with a tilt and responds, "Okay," squeezing your hand as he strides out of the room with Haruka, exchanging smiles with you as he leaves.

After waiting for the class to empty, you walk up to the front and patiently wait for Sensei Amakata-san.

"Sensei, you wanted to see me?" you inquire.

With a smile, Sensei Amakata nods and invites you to take a seat. Feeling nervous, you grab a chair and place it in front of her desk.

"I wanted to discuss your Career Path Questionnaire," she says, causing you to gulp and nervously tug at the edge of your skirt.

"Yes," you reply.

"There's no need to be nervous," Sensei Amakata reassures you, "I just wanted to know why you circled 'C' on your paper and wrote 'Iwatobi'."

You let out a sigh and slump down in your seat, struggling to recall what the letter 'C' represented.

"I'm not really sure what I want to do," you confess in a hushed tone, glancing up at Amakata for guidance.

As you nervously wait in Amakata's office, she looks up and catches your eye.

"You have a multitude of opportunities available to you, [Name]," she begins, her voice carrying a sense of assurance.

"With your excellent grades, you can easily apply to any Ivy League university or even pursue a career in the sports industry."

Though her words are encouraging, you can feel a knot forming in your stomach as you grimace, replying, "I know, but I'm just not sure what I want to do right now."

"Alright, I understand. I'll mark 'A' as well if that's fine with you and we'll let this slide for the time being," she nods, offering a small smile.

Feeling relieved and grateful, you thank her and take your leave. As you exit the classroom, you accidentally bump into Makoto.

You gasp and rub your nose, exclaiming "Mako!" apologetically.

"I thought I'd wait for you,” Makoto remarks.

He smiles warmly, putting you at ease. "No worries," he reassures you.

Feeling a flush rising in your cheeks, you smile gratefully and say, "You didn't have to come, though."

His kind green gaze softens as he looks at you.

"I wanted to," he admits.

He then threads his fingers with yours as you both head towards the rooftop to have lunch with your friends.

---
Next-Day After School

Adjusting the swim cap, you ensure it sits snugly on your head. Securing the goggles with a firm tug on the strap, you shift your weight on the board, poised for the race to begin.

Kou's voice sounds out, "Ready-"

With your body crouched down, you grip onto the board tightly, peering through your goggles at the water below.

"Go!"

Without hesitation, you launch yourself into the water, propelling forward halfway down the lane before emerging for air. Swiftly reaching the end of the lane, you flip off the wall, commencing your return towards the starting point. You tilt your head, grinning in satisfaction when you notice Nagisa trailing behind.

Upon arriving at the wall, you flip once more, pushing off with a powerful force, gliding down the lane as you swim freestyle. Suddenly, a flash of blue catches your attention, and you narrow your eyes, spotting Haru taking the lead.

You grumble in frustration as you push your weary body to complete the final lap, your lips curling up slightly as you muster up the last of your strength to propel off the wall.

Despite the burning sensation in your muscles, you refuse to give up and stretch your limbs out as much as possible. Finally, you slap the wall victoriously and gasp for air, ripping off your goggles to see Haruka doing the same beside you.

As Kou announces Haruka's victory, a scowl forms on your face and you sink down into the water, blowing bubbles in annoyance. However, Nagisa is quick to congratulate you and proudly expresses his admiration for your impressive performance.

"Wow, [Name]-chan, that's incredible!" he exclaims, darting under the lane line to join you.

“Hey Gou-chan-”

“Kou-”

Nagisa leans on the pool lane line, eagerly asking about his performance. However, Gou soon delivers the news that he was ten seconds behind, causing Nagisa to protest in disbelief.

"But I was right on [Name]-chan's tail!" he whines, accusing Kou of making a mistake in her timing.

You can't help but chuckle as you playfully nudge Nagisa's hand, winking at him.

"Don't worry, Kou probably just messed up," you reassure him with a grin.

"In fact, I think it was more like two seconds behind Haru," you embellish, relishing in the amused expression on Nagisa's face and the annoyance on Kou’s.

Kou quickly defends herself, denying any error in her calculations.

"[Name]-senpai! I did not!" she huffs, clearly not amused by the lighthearted teasing.

"Hey, hey it's okay," Makoto calls out in a calm voice to diffuse the argument.

You glance over, smiling at Haruka.

"Good race," you nod, lifting your hand. "Yeah, yeah. You 'only swim free," he flushes at you, having said it at the same time.

Turning his head, Haruka glances up and sees a hand shoved into his sight, "Good job Haru-chan."

"Don't call me that," he mutters.

Chuckling, you and Nagisa start a water fight, splashing each other in the lanes. Rei joins in eventually, even though he was not interested initially.

An hour later, you are seen waving bye to the others as you stand by the school gates with Makoto.

"Are you ready?" he asks, nodding as you both begin making your way towards your house.

"Do you want to come over and work on homework, Mako?" you inquire, skipping ahead of him and walking backward to face him.

"Yes," he replies with a smile, warning you to be careful. With a grin, you spin back around and return to his side. "You worry too much," you tease him lightly, causing Makoto to flush and rub the back of his head.

"I care about you. Someone has to worry if you won't," he says kindly, making you blush and bite your lip, glancing away.

Makoto chuckles, taking hold of your hand and threading his fingers through yours. He rubs a soothing thumb over your palm as you both arrive at your house and begin working on your AP Chemistry homework.

Halfway through, you groan in frustration, dropping your head onto your book.

"This sucks," you mutter.

As you work on your homework, Makoto reaches out to rub your head. "I'll go make tea if you want?" he offers kindly.

You jump up, stretching and declining his offer.

"Nope, I got it! Need to stand anyways. Green tea?" you call out, making your way to the kitchen.

"Yes," he answers.

Smiling softly to himself, Makoto glances at the pile of books on the table, shaking his head.

"How does she do it? I don't know," he murmurs, noticing your questionnaire on the table.

"Hey [Name], can I look at your questionnaire?" he calls out, but you don't respond. Curiosity getting the better of him, Makoto slides the paper towards him. He smiles slightly as he sees an 'A' circled for college, but frowns when he sees a 'C' listed for Iwatobi.

"I thought she wanted to go to college? Wait, why is A circled in red? Was it not originally her first choice?" Makoto quickly slides the paper back into place, not wanting to invade your privacy.

You set the tray of snacks and green tea down, taking a seat near Makoto. "Here you go," you offer him a cup of tea.

"Thanks," Makoto takes his cup and blows on it. You pause halfway through eating a cookie, noticing his nervous demeanor.

"Mako, are you okay?" you tilt your head in concern.

He exhales, "Sorry... while you were in the kitchen, I looked at your questionnaire. I called out to ask if it was okay, but you didn't answer, and curiosity got the better of me," he admits, flushing with embarrassment.

Shrugging, you reply, "It's okay, not like there is anything to hide."

Makoto sets his tea down and quietly questions, "[Name], I thought you knew what you wanted to do?"

Feeling uncertain, you sigh and set down your drink and snack.

"Well, I'm not sure. I thought I wanted to go to college, but I left that blank. I circled 'C' and wrote Iwatobi just to satisfy Sensei. Apparently, that didn't work," you grumble in frustration.

Makoto tilts his head and asks, "What did you mean by Iwatobi?"

You feel embarrassed and poke your fingers together.
"Uh, my friends, family, and... you?" you trail off, unsure of how he'll react.

"M-me?" Makoto repeats, surprised.

"Y-yes, I put down what was important to me," you mumble, feeling confused that Makoto wasn't at least a little touched that you thought of him in your future plans.

"Don't get me wrong," Makoto lifts his hand, "I'm flattered, but that's not really an answer to that question," he gently explains. "You know?"

Resting your chin in your hand, you reply softly, "I know."

Makoto smiles reassuringly, and picks up his pencil. "Let's not worry about it," he suggests, but you can't help biting your cheek nervously as a sinking feeling sets in your chest.

"Are you ready for history?" he asks, snapping you out of your small trance.

"Y-yes, you?" you reply, picking up your pencil and returning to your AP Chemistry homework.

"Somewhat," Makoto chuckles, but you paste on a smile and nod encouragingly. "You can do it!"

Makoto rubs the back of his head, "Yeah," before returning his focus to his homework. You sit back, shooting worried glances at your boyfriend.

Oh, how wrong you were about Makoto's behavior.

The next week, he started acting really weird around you, distancing himself and making you feel confused and uncertain.

Whenever you asked him about it, Makoto would dismiss your concerns, saying "It's all in your head," before hesitantly ruffling your hair.

As the weekend approached, you were hoping to spend some time with Makoto and hopefully figure out what was going on between you two.

The next time you saw him, you wanted to give him a special gift - a jade beaded bracelet that caught your eye at a store while walking home with groceries.

The bracelet was close to the color of his eyes, and you thought it would be the perfect surprise for him.

The elderly voice of the store owner breaks your train of thought, chuckling softly.

"Ah, I see this caught your eye?" she says, smiling gently at you.

You glance up, meeting her kind gaze and responding with a simple "Yes."

"Would you like to see it?" she offers, taking the jade beaded bracelet out of the case and handing it to you.

"It's beautiful," you murmur, turning it over in your hands.

Nodding in agreement, the store owner begins to share the significance of jade.

"Yes, Jade is the stone. Known as the 'Dream Stone,' it is said to bless whatever it touches. It's an amulet of good luck and friendship - Jade signifies wisdom gathered in tranquility, dispelling negativity and encouraging one to see oneself as they really are," she explains, watching as you take it all in.

"The band it's on is stretchy and fits any size wrist, male or female," the store owner comments, noticing as a flush appears on your face.

"Ah, so it's for a significant other, hmm?" she pries, chuckling.

You murmur affirmatively, running your finger over the price tag, your lips pursed with worry.

"Whoa, that's expensive," your mind whistles.

Leaning on the counter, the store owner rests her chin on her palm.

"I'll cut the price in half," she offers.

Your eyes widen, and you gasp in surprise. "Really?"

She nods and smiles, saying, "It warms my heart to see young love."

With a fist clenched in excitement, you pull out your wallet and exclaim, "Then I'll take it!"

Your heart skips a beat as you spot the object of your affection leaning against your locker.

"Oh, Mako! You scared me," you say, placing a hand on your chest to calm your racing heart.

"Sorry, [Name]. Can I come over to your place after school?" Mako asks.

Surprised, you agree thinking, ‘Yes, that's strange. It's his turn to host our study session.’

As you and Makoto walk towards your house, your heart feels uplifted. Five minutes into the walk, you find yourself smiling softly to yourself and fiddling with the bracelet in your bag, trying to decide when to give it to him. Suddenly, you grab Makoto's hand, and he flinches before slowly grasping yours.

"Hey, Makoto," you say, stopping and turning towards him.

"I, uh, got you this." You shove your clenched fist towards him and open it to reveal the bracelet. "It reminded me of-"

"I think we need a break," Makoto blurts out, causing your heart to clench. You furrow your brows and look up at him, confused.

"I think it would be best if we were just friends," he continues, gauging your reaction.

You are shocked and reel back as if you have been slapped. You lift a hand to your chest and stammer, "W-what? I thought we were okay. Did I do something wrong? Please tell me; I can fix it..."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Makoto replies quietly.
"It's just that it would be best if we focused on our studies," he trails off.

Confused, you mutter, "But I'm top of our class, and you're second! Are you failing a class? I can help!"

You blurt out, hoping to change his mind and cursing the thought that caused him to suggest a break-up. Your heart hammers in your chest, and you start to sweat, feeling your eyes prickling with tears.

Makoto shifts his weight and bites his cheek. "[Name], I think it's best we-" he starts to say.

"Don't say it!" you shout out loudly, surprising him with your voice.

You have never raised your voice since you started dating him at the end of freshmen year. Makoto's green eyes widen as you burst into tears, and he blanches, stretching out his hand before dropping it halfway. You lift your hand to your face, surprised that your tears have started to flow.

You scowl and clench your fist, determination on your face. You straighten your spine, lift your head, and jut your chin out.

"Makoto, I want a better explanation than that half-assed excuse for breaking up with me, especially if I did nothing wrong," you manage to blurt out.

Shifting his weight on his feet, Makoto lifts his fingers to rub the spot above his nose - a telltale sign that something is bothering him. You bite your lip to keep from whimpering, recognizing this trait of his. A piece of your heart breaks off slowly as you notice him struggling.

After a moment of silence, Makoto sighs, and his hand drops to his side.

"I can't see myself being in a relationship with you anymore," he states. You are shocked at the blatant comment, and your knees knock, causing you to stumble slightly.

"W-what?" you stutter, trying to understand what is happening.

"I have to focus on my studies. School is important to me right now. I've been thinking about the future, and I just can't continue this relationship," Makoto mutters, shifting his weight awkwardly.

You can barely listen to him anymore, feeling tears streaming down your face.

"J-just stop. I-I don't want to hear it," you mutter, your voice shaky and barely audible.

Feeling helpless and hurt, you grip the beads tightly in your hand. Before you know it, you are hurling them at his chest as hard as you can. You race past Makoto down the road, not looking back.

"Wait, [Name]!" Makoto yells out, but you don't stop. You just keep running until you're out of breath and out of sight.

—-

It had been five months since the breakup, and you had decided to switch to an all-girls academy that was thirty minutes away from Samezuka Academy, where Rin attended. Tamana Gakuen was well-known for its academic program and swim team, and only the elite could get in. You had to maintain a 4.0 GPA and join at least one club.

It was obvious which club you had joined. It was a last-minute decision that you had made during the summer before starting your junior year. You thought long and hard, discussing it with your parents, who agreed with your choice for your future. You were lucky that they had accepted your application at such short notice. You quickly received a phone call congratulating you on your acceptance and an email listing all the supplies you would need for your classes and dormitory.

Grimacing, you remember your friend's expressions when you broke the news of your transfer to them.