The classroom was calm.
Not silent—
But calm enough for thoughts to wander.
Kentarou sat at his usual place—
The window side.
Back.
Last corner to the left.
A place where no one really disturbed him.
His eyes were fixed outside.
The sky stretched endlessly.
Blue.
Open.
Quiet.
"…Another one…"
The thought came slowly.
A second novel.
His fingers rested lightly on his desk.
"…What should I write this time…"
He wasn't rushing.
Just thinking.
Letting ideas come naturally.
Clouds drifted by.
Shapes forming.
Breaking.
Reforming.
"…Maybe something different…"
His gaze softened.
Lost in imagination.
—
"Kentarou!"
A voice broke through.
"…!"
He blinked.
Turned slightly.
Someone stood behind him.
A boy.
Wearing glasses.
Simple appearance.
Calm expression.
Not someone who stood out loudly—
But someone you would notice quietly.
Park Minwoo.
He adjusted his glasses slightly, his movements careful and reserved.
"…Are you the one who writes romantic novels?" he asked.
His voice was soft.
Almost hesitant.
But clear.
Kentarou looked at him for a moment.
Then nodded.
"…Yeah."
A short answer.
As always.
"…Why?"
Minwoo hesitated.
Just a little.
As if choosing his words carefully.
"…I read it," he said.
Kentarou's eyes shifted slightly.
"…You did?"
Minwoo nodded.
"…It was… good."
A simple compliment.
But sincere.
There was no exaggeration.
No excitement.
Just honesty.
Kentarou didn't respond immediately.
"…I see."
Minwoo looked down for a second.
Then back at him.
"…Can I ask you something?"
"…What is it?"
A small pause.
Then—
"…Why do you write romance?"
The question was quiet.
But meaningful.
Kentarou didn't answer instantly.
Because—
Even he didn't have a clear answer.
Not one he could explain easily.
"…It just happened," he said.
Minwoo listened.
Carefully.
Like he always did.
No interruptions.
No judgment.
Just listening.
"…I see," he said softly.
A small silence followed.
Comfortable.
Not awkward.
Then—
"…I wanted to talk to you," Minwoo added.
Kentarou looked at him again.
"…About what?"
Minwoo adjusted his glasses slightly.
Minwoo adjusted his glasses slightly.
He hesitated for a moment—
Then spoke.
"…There's someone I like."
Kentarou blinked once.
"…Oh."
"…Her name is Seo Yuna," Minwoo continued. "But I can't even talk to her properly."
A short pause.
Kentarou looked at him—
Calm on the outside.
But inside—
…The same problem as mine.
Minwoo lowered his gaze slightly.
"…So I asked my friend, Gun Woo, for advice."
Kentarou listened.
"…He told me to go to Lyoid Akimiya."
"…Lyoid?" Kentarou repeated.
Minwoo nodded.
"I went to him…"
A brief pause.
"…But he didn't really say anything."
Kentarou could almost imagine that.
"Instead," Minwoo continued, "someone else was there… talking a lot."
Kentarou already had a bad feeling.
"…Who?"
"…Senku Hayashi."
Kentarou closed his eyes for a second.
Of course it's him…
"And then," Minwoo said, looking straight at him now, "he told me to take advice from you… Ken."
Silence.
A very long silence.
"…Huh?"
Kentarou stared at him.
His brain—
Not processing.
Me?
Advice?
Love?
Inside his head—
Complete chaos.
I can't even talk properly with Violet…
And I'm supposed to give advice to someone else?!
He looked at Minwoo.
Then looked away.
Then looked back again.
"…Why me?"
Minwoo answered honestly.
"…He said you write romantic novels."
Another pause.
Kentarou's expression didn't change.
But inside—
Senku… I'll deal with you later.
Minwoo stepped a little closer.
"…So I thought… maybe you could help me."
Kentarou went silent again.
Thinking.
Hard.
Very hard.
How do I help him…?
I don't even know what I'm doing…
A small sigh escaped him.
"…This is bad…"
"Hmm?" Minwoo tilted his head slightly.
"…Nothing."
Kentarou looked at him again.
Still calm.
Still composed.
As if he knew exactly what he was doing—
Even though he absolutely didn't.
Alright… think…
You're a writer, right?
At least pretend like one.
He crossed his arms slightly.
"…So," he said.
"…You can't talk to her?"
Minwoo nodded.
"…Not properly."
Kentarou paused.
Then said—
"…Same."
"…Huh?"
"…Nothing."
Minwoo blinked.
Kentarou looked away again.
Why did I say that out loud…
A small awkward silence formed.
Then—
Kentarou straightened slightly.
"…Tell me everything," he said.
Minwoo's eyes widened a little.
"…Okay."
And just like that—
Kentarou—
Who couldn't even handle his own feelings—
Was now about to give love advice.
…This is going to be a disaster.
____________________________
The class had started.
The board was filled with notes.
The teacher's voice echoed steadily across the room.
But—
Kentarou wasn't listening.
Not really.
His eyes were on the sky again.
Same seat.
Back.
Last corner.
Left side.
Clouds drifting slowly.
"…How do I help him…"
Minwoo's words replayed in his mind.
'I can't even talk to her properly…'
Kentarou leaned slightly on his hand.
"…I can't even help myself…"
His thoughts kept looping.
Ideas coming—
And disappearing just as quickly.
"…This is harder than writing a novel…"
"Kentarou."
"…Hmm?"
"Kentarou."
"…Huh?"
His eyes snapped back to reality.
The entire class was looking at him.
The teacher stood at the front.
"…Answer the question."
A pause.
Kentarou looked at the board.
Then at the notebook.
Then back at the teacher.
"…The answer is… 42."
Silence.
Then—
"…Correct."
The teacher nodded.
"Pay attention."
"…Yes."
Kentarou sat back down.
Calm.
Like nothing happened.
—
But beside him—
"…How did you do that?"
A voice.
Kentarou turned slightly.
Yui Takamura.
Sitting right next to him.
At the back.
She looked at him with curiosity.
"I literally saw you staring at the sky the whole time," she said. "You weren't even listening."
Kentarou didn't answer.
"…Lucky guess?" she added.
Still no response.
He simply looked away.
Back to the window.
"…Weird," she muttered quietly.
But her eyes lingered on him for a second longer.
—
Later that day—
Kentarou's room.
Quiet.
Familiar.
His phone in his hand.
"…Let's just write…"
Maybe writing would help him think.
Maybe—
It would give him an answer.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Words began to appear.
A new story.
Different from before.
But still—
Connected to his thoughts.
His feelings.
His confusion.
Time passed.
Slowly.
Then faster.
He didn't stop.
Didn't think too much.
Just wrote.
Until—
He paused.
Looked at the screen.
"…Done."
Chapter 1.
Completed.
A small breath escaped him.
"…Good enough."
He leaned back slightly.
Staring at the ceiling again.
"…Now what…"
The question remained.
About Minwoo.
About himself.
___________________________
The next day—
The classroom was louder than usual.
Students moved around.
Voices overlapped.
Chairs scraped against the floor.
But at the back—
Near the window—
Three boys stood together.
Kentarou.
Senku.
And Minwoo.
"…So?" Senku leaned forward slightly. "What happened?"
Minwoo adjusted his glasses.
Calm as always.
But there was something different today.
"…I think," he said slowly, "Yuna likes me."
Silence.
A very brief silence.
Then—
"HOW?"
Both Kentarou and Senku spoke at the exact same time.
Same tone.
Same confusion.
Same disbelief.
They even looked at each other right after.
"…You said it too?" Senku frowned.
"…You said it first," Kentarou replied.
"…No, I didn't."
"…You did."
Minwoo just stood there.
Watching them.
Quietly.
"…Can I continue?" he asked.
Both turned back instantly.
"…Yeah, yeah—go on," Senku said.
"…Explain," Kentarou added.
Minwoo nodded.
"…She sits next to me."
Another pause.
Senku blinked.
"…That's it?"
"…Let me finish."
"…Okay."
Minwoo adjusted his glasses again. "…I sit at the back. Right corner. Near the door."
Kentarou and Senku nodded.
"…And Seo Yuna sits next to me. On my left."
Another pause.
Senku leaned in.
"…And?"
"…Yesterday," Minwoo continued, "she asked me what the time was."
Silence.
A deep silence.
Kentarou stared.
Senku stared.
"…That's your evidence?" Senku asked.
"…Yes."
"…There's literally a clock in the classroom."
"…I know."
"…Then why would she ask you?!"
Minwoo looked serious.
"…That's what I thought too."
Kentarou crossed his arms.
"…Go on."
Minwoo nodded slightly.
"…Before I could answer…"
He paused.
"…Gun Woo heard it."
Kentarou and Senku leaned in slightly.
"…And?"
"…He told her that there's a clock in the classroom."
A beat.
A pause.
A moment of processing.
Then—
Kentarou slowly turned his head.
Senku did the same.
They looked at each other.
Silently.
For one second.
Two seconds.
And then—
"PFFFT—!"
"HAHAHAHA—!"
Both burst out laughing.
Loudly.
Uncontrollably.
"…That's it?!" Senku held his stomach. "That's your 'she likes me' moment?!"
Kentarou tried to hold it in—
But failed.
"…You didn't even get to answer!"
Minwoo stood there.
Calm.
Unbothered.
"…But she asked me."
"That's not how it works!" Senku laughed.
"That's just a question!" Kentarou added.
"…But she could have looked at the clock."
"…Everyone asks random things sometimes!" Senku said.
Minwoo thought for a second.
"…Still…"
Kentarou wiped a small tear from his eye.
"…You're serious, aren't you?"
"…Yes."
Another pause.
Kentarou looked at Senku again.
Senku looked back.
Both of them trying not to laugh again.
"…Alright," Kentarou said, finally calming down a bit.
He straightened slightly.
"…Tell me more about her."
Minwoo nodded.
"…Okay."
His expression didn't change much.
But there was a quiet sincerity in his voice.
And this time—
Kentarou didn't laugh.
Because even if it sounded funny—
Minwoo was serious.
And that meant—
This wasn't just a joke anymore.
It was something real.
And somehow—
Kentarou had become part of it.
—
The conversation continued.
Slowly.
Quietly.
But something had clearly begun.
Not just for Minwoo—
But for Kentarou too.
Because while helping someone else—
He might finally find answers—
For himself.