Chapter 8 Part 2: Seat Change

School life with Yuki beside me and Akina in front of me was a lot better than I thought it’d be.

Yuki’s serious demeanor in class enchanted me. She sometimes flipped through the pages of her textbook, seldom brushing her silvery-white hair. I’d often forget to transcribe the content on the blackboard just to admire her poise, and she’d always notice and respond with a warm smile.

Akina, sitting in front of me, once asked me if I forgot my textbooks and if I was okay with my assignments. I was taken aback when she took out a brand-new textbook after I told her I forgot mine… She told me she was prepared for anything, and I honestly couldn’t replicate that.

Whenever I didn’t understand something a teacher explained, Yuki and Akina were always ready to rescue me. They are both kind enough to talk to and teach me.

With all of this in mind, I could finally understand why the others were so excited about ‘the best seat’, and I realized that the switch was something very important to all of us.

And it was while enjoying this privilege at school that I’ve noticed something.

One of my previous seatmates seemed to be sending messages to Yuki through her phone, and she left her seat. I also saw them exchanging messages several times during recess.

After noticing that, I look down at my phone and glance at my own contact list.

Well, she and I live under the same roof, we go to school together and even eat lunch side by side on the rooftop. Now we even sit next to each other… However, despite all that, I still haven’t exchanged contact information with Yuki at all.

I didn’t actually need to use my phone to contact her since we’re always together, and if I happen to need her, I could just ask her personally without a need for a phone. She didn’t try to ask for my contact info either, and she didn’t seem too interested in it as well.

It felt wrong that I didn’t know her contact info, even though we were so close to each other. Now I really want her contact…

In reality, many students wished to get her number ever since we started at school, and I just usually observed that from a distance. It was a waste that I, Yuki’s closest friend, didn’t have her number.

So I tried my best to ask for her number. I wanted to say ‘Hey Yuki, we haven’t exchanged numbers yet, have we? Could you tell me yours?’, but the words got stuck in my throat, and they wouldn’t leave my mouth.

I wonder if she’d ask me for my number now that we were so close… Rather, our closeness was a big hurdle for me. After all, it was already after class when we were eating lunch together, and I couldn’t bring it up no matter how much I tried.

After school, Yuki and I walked home together, shoulder to shoulder. Treading along the orange-coated streets, her gentle smile was draped by the dawning skies’ embrace.

“Hey, hey, Haru-kun~ I’m really glad we switched seats today and ended up as seatmates!”

“Oh, for sure! I was aiming for the last row by the window too, so I was surprised. Never even dreamed I’d be sitting next to you, and, well… I’m sorry for carrying me in class. You saved me during English class by giving me the translations in secret, too.”

“Mhm, it’s a great opportunity to sit next to each other. If you have any questions, please ask me during break. I’ll teach you whatever I can.”

“I’m glad, thanks! Erm, sorry for taking care of me both at home and at school…”

“Aw, that’s not bad at all! Haru-kun, please rely on me more and more~”

As she smiled kindly, I couldn’t help but think.

Yuki does everything at the apartment, not even mentioning housework. She also helps me at school constantly, and even while taking so much care of me, she still keeps excellent grades without any dip in her performance. I wonder if she studies in her room after the chores are done…

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I wonder how hard she works.

Her private life is on the other side of my wall, and I wonder what on earth does she spend her time doing? I’ve never visited her room due to shyness. That room was like a sanctuary, and I was hesitant to step into it.

And if I can reach out to her personally without hesitation, I need to muster up the courage to do the same on the phone. That’s the bare minimum I can do.

“… Hey, Yuki. I’d like to talk to you about something.”

“Is something the matter?”

“Well, you see, in the apartment… Well, so far I haven’t been to your room once. We either talk inside mine or the living room.”

“You’re right, sometimes I go to your room. So you can come and visit me, right?”

“No, that’s… Um, what I want to talk about, ugh how do I say this… I still feel like going into a girl’s room is special, and that holds me back sometimes.”

“Is that so? Please don’t worry about it, and don’t hesitate to do anything you’d like. If you have something to talk about, you can always come to me.”

“No, it’d be bad if I disturbed you while you were busy. I just have one favor to ask you.”

I pulled out my phone.

“W—Well, I think it’d be useful to be able to send messages to each other when that happens, don’t you think? We haven’t exchanged numbers or anything until now, so, if you’re fine with it… I mean…”

I just really wanted her number, but I was the type of person who couldn’t easily ask for it. But, if I try hard enough and have a reason like mine, I could scrape by somehow… This has been eating me away all day, and I was finally able to say it out loud.

“O—Oh, really? Is it okay? Even if you give me your number, Haru-kun…”

“Is it okay? I mean, it’s totally fine… Hm, what’s wrong?”

Yuki’s eyes sparkled as she stared at my phone.

“U—Um, I’ve actually been wanting to get your number for a while, but… Well, you didn’t seem very interested, so I couldn’t really ask you. That’s why I’m so glad you asked!”

“Eh?”

Did she have the same thoughts as me? It’s not that she wasn’t interested in getting my number, it’s just that she couldn’t bring herself to say it despite wanting it.

Flustered, she pulled out her white phone from her bag and opened the messaging app. After exchanging our contacts, she flashed me a radiant smile.

“Thank you, Haru-kun. Now we can talk whenever! Oh, um… Please contact me if there’s anything you wanna tell me, no matter what it is. I look forward to the messages!”

She kept glancing at her contact list. The whole way home I couldn’t help but gawk at her cuteness. Yuki held her phone as a child held its most precious blanket.

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