Unexpected Reconnection With My Distant Childhood Friend—What Could Go Wrong? - 2 -A Reunion in the Fluorescent Lights

The fluorescent lights of the police station buzzed faintly above us. The officers had asked their questions, taken our statements, and now we were just sitting there, waiting for the paperwork to be wrapped up. It was quiet—too quiet.

I snuck a glance at Kisaki. She was sitting next to me on the hard plastic bench, hands resting on her lap, staring down at the floor like it had done something to offend her. It had been years since we last talked, and now, our first real conversation happened to be inside a police station. What kind of ridiculous twist of fate was this?

“…You okay?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

She didn’t respond right away. Her blonde hair, slightly disheveled from the earlier chaos, swayed a little as she turned her head toward me. Her eyes held a strange mix of emotions—relief, exhaustion, and maybe something else I couldn’t quite place.

“I’m fine.” she finally muttered.

She didn’t sound fine, but I decided not to push it. We weren’t close enough for that anymore.

The officer handling our case finally approached us. “Everything’s in order. You two are free to go.”

Kisaki immediately stood up, giving a polite nod. I followed suit, stretching my arms after sitting still for so long. The officer gave us a few more words of caution before we stepped outside.

The night air was crisp, carrying a faint breeze that helped clear my head. The streets weren’t too crowded at this hour, but occasional cars passed by, their headlights briefly illuminating the sidewalk.

“So… guess this is where we part ways.” I said, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly.

Kisaki hesitated, shifting slightly on her feet. “Do you… have time to talk?”

“Uh, sure, I guess.”

“Let’s go somewhere quieter.”

Without waiting for my reply, she started walking ahead. I had no choice but to follow.

We ended up at a small park a few blocks away. There were benches, streetlights, and the faint sound of cicadas in the distance. Kisaki sat down first, and I joined her, leaving a comfortable gap between us.

“…Thanks for earlier,” she said after a long pause.

“Don’t mention it.” I leaned back, looking up at the night sky. “Anyone in my position would’ve done the same.”

“No, they wouldn’t. If they do, they could’ve done it before you came.”

Her response was immediate, almost forceful. I turned to look at her, but she wasn’t looking at me. Instead, she was staring down at her hands, fingers lightly gripping the edge of her skirt.

I wasn’t sure what to say to that, so I try to stay

“…Why did you help me?” she asked suddenly.

“Huh?”

“Back there. You stepped in without a second thought. Why?”

I scratched my cheek, feeling a little awkward. “Well, I just happened to see you as I bought my game. And it’s not like I could just sit back and let that happen. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth, you know what I’m saying?”

“Haaaahhh. You really haven’t changed.”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

She let out a small chuckle, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“You always jumped into things without thinking. Back in middle school, you were the kind of guy who helped others without expecting anything in return.”

I frowned, trying to recall if that was really true. Maybe? But wasn’t that just normal? If someone was in trouble, you helped them. That’s just how things should be… right?

Kisaki went quiet again, her fingers tracing small circles on the bench. For a moment, I wondered if I should say something, like ask her what she’s been up to, why we drifted apart, if she was okay. But before I could decide, she spoke first.

“It’s been a while… but I guess you still don’t know anything, do you?”

I felt a small chill run down my spine. “…What do you mean by that?”

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she pulled out her phone, glanced at the screen for a second, then stood up.

“I should get going.”

“Wait, what—”

“Thanks again, really.” She gave me a small smile, one that looked almost… sad. “Good night, Haru.”

And with that, she walked away, leaving me sitting there with more questions than answers.

.

.

.

.

The next day.

It was Friday, and everything was completely normal.

Or at least, that’s what it looked like.

I barely got any sleep last night. No matter how many times I turned over in bed, my mind kept replaying yesterday’s events—the intervention, the police station, and, of course, Kisaki.

I groaned softly, rubbing my face.

“I hope she’s alright.” I whispered to myself.

Just as I muttered those words, the classroom door slid open.

Kisaki walked in, looking… perfectly normal, like nothing had happened at all.

“Good morning, Kisaki-san!”

“You’re early today!”

“I saw your new post yesterday! You look amazing!”

The moment she stepped inside, everyone naturally gravitated toward her, showering her with greetings and conversation.

I leaned my cheek against my palm, watching the scene unfold. It wasn’t that surprising. Kisaki had always been the star of our class ever since we reach high school.

Academically, she effortlessly ranks first in every test. A natural athlete who ran as if it was second nature to her. A social butterfly who could talk to anyone and make them feel comfortable.

It was no wonder that guys in our school, especially the popular ones, constantly confessed to her. But every single one of them got flatly rejected.

“Not that it has anything to do with me.” I muttered under my breath, sighing.

Just then, the classroom door slid open again, and our English teacher walked in. The room quickly settled down as everyone returned to their seats.

“Alright, let’s begin today’s lesson.”

I stifled a yawn.

“Man… I just want this day to be over as quickly as possible.”

As the teacher started explaining the lesson, I found my gaze drifting toward Kisaki.

She sat beside the window with perfect posture, her eyes glued to the front. It looked like she was completely focused on the lecture—until, for some reason, she turned her head slightly and looked beside me.

And then… she smiled.

A warm, gentle smile.

For a second, my brain short-circuited.

Huh? Was that… for me?

Before I could even process it, I heard a gasp from the desks in front of me. The boys sitting there were completely frozen, gripping their desks like their entire world had just been shattered.

“Wait… was that smile meant for me?!”

“No, idiot! It was for me! I swear she was looking this way!”

“Shut up, you morons! It was clearly meant for me!”

One of them whispered in shock, another hissed. It was like seeing cat and dog fighting each other. They were in absolute shambles.

Meanwhile, I just sat there, blinking, trying to figure out what exactly just happened.

What was that about…?

***
A/N: Thanks for reading!