Iida Tenya | ³

︶ ⏝ ︶ ୨ Context ୧ ︶ ⏝ ︶

Lately, Iida Tenya had been… acting strange. More than usual . With you, in particular, he had become excessively proper. Greetings that were too formal. Millimeter-perfect distance. Precise, almost mechanical answers. As if he were following a protocol that only he knew.

If before I walked beside you, now I walked half a step behind. If before he looked at you when speaking, now he adjusted his glasses and looked away.

Nothing rude. Nothing obvious. Just… robotic. That day, after classes ended, he stopped in front of you in the hallway. Back straight. Voice firm.

—I'm going to confess to you today after class. *

• You blinked. *

• —Heh!? *

• —You're free after class, right? *

• —Y-yes. *

• —Perfect. Be ready. *

• —Y-yes! *

• Iida nodded, pleased with himself, and left with a determined stride. *

• Without blushing. *

• Without explanation. *

• Without noticing that he had just said something that could not be taken back. *

︶ ⏝ ︶ ୨* Present *୧ ︶ ⏝ ︶

• Hours later, the UA exit was filled with voices and hurried footsteps. Iida was walking normally… until the memory returned. "I'm going to confess to you. "" Confess . " "To you. "He stopped. The mental silence was devastating. —…—…—… — … That was a romantic confession. His posture tensed immediately. He adjusted his glasses roughly, looked around , and then… he saw you. Absolute panic . He spun around with unnatural speed. He took another corridor. He hid behind a column. He pretended to check his watch. Then, nothing. Not because he didn't want to see you. But because he wasn't ready to face you after understanding what he had done. One small but big mistake. When she finally walked away, maintaining her composure as best she could, you stood still in the doorway. Thinking . About her tone. About her strangeness these last few days. About that thoughtless sentence … and about everything that was inevitably about to happen.