Shin Hitori's words stayed with Minato Itsuki for the rest of the day.
No matter how loud the classroom became, no matter how many conversations surrounded him, those calm words continued to echo quietly in his mind.
They are paying attention to me because of my looks… They have no interest in me.
The sentence repeated itself again and again.
By the time the final bell rang, the sun had already begun to sink toward the horizon. Students quickly packed their bags, filling the classroom with movement and chatter.
Minato slowly gathered his things when a few of his friends approached his desk.
"Hey, Itsuki! Let's go home together."
"Yeah, coming," he replied with a small smile.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked with them toward the classroom door, chatting casually as they made their way out.
But just as he reached the doorway, his steps slowed.
Then he stopped.
Minato turned around and looked back into the classroom.
The seat behind him was empty.
Shin Hitori wasn't there.
For a moment, Minato simply stared at the quiet desk before assuming he had already left.
Seeing him suddenly stop, one of his friends looked back.
"What's wrong, Itsuki?"
Hearing his name, Minato blinked, as if returning from his thoughts.
"No… nothing," he replied quickly. "Just…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
For a brief moment, disappointment flickered across his face.
He had wanted to talk to him again.
But after a second, he shook his head lightly.
It's fine, he thought.
I'll talk to him tomorrow.
—
The next day passed just as quickly.
Between classes and club activities, Minato never found the chance to speak with him.
But the following morning, while changing his shoes in the school locker room, Minato noticed a familiar figure standing near the row of lockers.
Black hair. Calm posture.
It was Shin Hitori.
Minato's eyes lit up slightly. Without hesitation, he walked over.
"Good morning, Hitori," he said with an eager smile.
Shin turned his head slightly and looked at him.
"Good morning," he replied calmly.
Encouraged, Minato opened his mouth, ready to continue the conversation—
"Itsuki!"
A loud voice suddenly called out from the hallway.
Minato turned to see his friends waving at him impatiently.
"What are you doing there? Hurry up or we'll leave you behind!"
Minato laughed awkwardly.
"Yeah, yeah! Wait a second, I'll be right there!"
He turned back toward Shin, thinking of inviting him to walk together.
But Shin had already left.
The locker room felt strangely quiet again.
Minato scratched his cheek lightly and sighed.
"Ah… well," he murmured to himself.
"See you later."
With that thought, he hurried to catch up with his friends.
—
Days passed in a similar way.
Sometimes Minato planned to talk to Shin during break, but a teacher would suddenly call him.
Other times he saw him across the school grounds, but something always interrupted the moment.
It almost felt as if the timing was never right.
But Minato didn't give up.
Little by little, day after day, he kept trying.
Eventually, after nearly two months, their conversations began to come more naturally.
At first it was just greetings.
Then short exchanges.
And slowly, those small moments grew longer.
Before long, Minato realized something surprising.
Talking with Shin Hitori had become the most interesting part of his day.
The quiet conversations they shared felt different from the loud laughter he had with his friends.
Without even realizing it, Minato began spending more and more time with him.
Soon, it wasn't unusual to see the two of them together after school.
And gradually, Minato found himself doing something he never expected.
He began spending more time with Shin Hitori than with anyone else.From the very beginning, Shin Hitori had always been the same.
Quiet. Calm. Unchanging.
No matter what happened around him, his expression rarely shifted, and his voice always carried the same steady tone. Even when people spoke to him, praised him, or whispered about him, Shin reacted with the same distant composure.
And that never changed.
Even after Minato Itsuki began talking to him more often… even after they started walking home in the same direction… Shin remained exactly the same as he had been on the first day.
Minato was the one who filled the silence. He asked questions, shared small stories, and tried to keep the conversations alive.
Shin mostly listened.
Sometimes he replied with a few words.
Sometimes he said nothing at all.
Yet Minato never stopped trying.
—
One afternoon, after school ended, the two of them walked along the quiet road leading away from the campus. The golden light of the setting sun stretched across the street, and the air was calm.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Their footsteps echoed softly along the pavement.
Then suddenly—
"Hey."
Shin's voice broke the silence.
Minato looked at him, slightly surprised. Shin rarely spoke first.
"Yes?" he replied.
Shin stopped walking.
Minato walked a few steps ahead before noticing and turning around.
Shin stood there calmly, his dark eyes fixed on him.
"Why don't you stop?" Shin said.
Minato frowned slightly, confused.
"Stop… what?"