I Can't Call Your Name

The next day at lunch, Kaito and Touma sat in the cafeteria, eating toast. Touma tried to persuade him, but Kaito kept refusing.

"Come on, just do me this one favor today!"

"I can't, man. You know I work after school, and besides, I'm scared of dogs."

"Our Shiba's really well-behaved, like a cat. There's nothing to worry about. You just take him for a quick walk in the park, and that's it."

Kaito, clearly frustrated, took a bite of his toast and, with his mouth full, grumbled, "You'll have to find someone else."

"There's a tournament qualifier today, and I have to be there. It's a big day for my esports career, but my mom insists I walk the dog. I really need your help—don't you get it?" Touma pleaded.

Kaito shot back, "Just leave the dog at home for one day. What's the big deal?"

"He's in mating season and a bit on edge. He won't stay still at home; he needs to go outside."

Kaito's eyes widened in disbelief. With a tense expression, he asked, "What? You're handing me a nervous, grumpy dog?"

Touma lowered his head, a deep sense of guilt washing over him. "I have no choice, can't you understand?"

Just then, a handsome blonde boy with blue eyes walked over and sat down next to them.

He was none other than Sota Hayashi, 16, the student council president.

After settling in, he asked, "Uh, I hope it's okay that I sit here?"

Both exchanged a brief glance before nodding in acknowledgment. Sota quickly got to the point.

"You're the class president of C, right?" he asked Kaito.

"Yeah," Kaito replied.

"I'm Sota Hayashi, the council president. You must be Kobayashi-san, right?"

Kaito nodded, eager for him to get to the point. Sota leaned in a bit, lowering his voice.

"I'm curious about that stunning girl everyone's been talking about. She's in your class, isn't she?"

Kaito thought for a moment and then replied, "Izumi-san? Yes."

"Izumi? No, no. I mean the new transfer student, Misaki... I think?"

"Yes," Kaito said, a bit tense.

"Can you do me a favor? Tell her that I'll be waiting for her on the rooftop after the last class?"

Kaito and Touma exchanged uneasy glances, and after a brief pause, Kaito asked, his voice a bit louder than he meant, "Are you going to ask her out?"

"Shh, keep it down," Sota replied, shrugging slightly. "Something like that."

"No, I can't do it," Kaito said firmly, his tone making it clear he wasn't interested.

He didn't want to make things worse with Misaki by approaching her with such a nonsense, especially when their relationship was already on shaky ground.

"Come on, man, we guys should help each other out," Sota pressed.

Seeing that he wasn't going to back down, Kaito tried to steer the conversation away with a sly response.

"You know Izumi-san, right? The sweet girl with short yellow hair?"

"Who? Ah, yeah, I remember her."

"Well, she's close with her. You should ask her instead."

Sota eagerly stood up and reached out a hand. "Thanks!" he said.

Kaito ignored the hand, looking away and acting like he didn't see it. He stood still, his face cold and his body tense, waiting for the him to leave.

Once Sota was gone, Touma leaned forward, whispering, and there was clear jealousy in his voice.

"That bastard is so handsome and fit. He must be an athlete. I doubt Okada-san will turn him down..."

Hearing this made Kaito even more tense. A knot twisted in his stomach, and the thought of Misaki turning to someone like Sota irritated him deeply.

After saying goodbye to Touma at the end of the day, Kaito suddenly stopped, turned around, and rushed up the stairs.

"Damn it, I'm really curious about her answer," he muttered. As he climbed the stairs, a troubling thought began to gnaw at him.

"What if they become a couple? Then, she wouldn't want to stay in the same apartment with me. One of us would have to leave... And, it's me."

After he reached the rooftop and scanned the area, relieved to find it empty. "No one's here yet," he muttered, stepping behind a wall to hide and wait.

It wasn't long before Misaki calmly but nervously made her way up the stairs. She paused a bit further ahead, taking in the distant view.

"So she came... she must accept, otherwise, she wouldn't have shown up," Kaito thought, feeling his spirits drop even further.

He stood there, watching her from a distance when he suddenly felt a tap on his back. He spun around, silently hoping it wasn't the same boy from this morning.

There was no good reason for him to be hiding, but when he turned, he saw Izumi. He let out a small sigh of relief.

Izumi looked at him with a mix of confusion and mild reproach. "What are you doing here?" she whispered.

Kaito silently fumbled for an explanation when, just then, Sota appeared. With effortless confidence, he walked right up to Misaki and greeted her.

Kaito strained to listen, his nerves tightening. Izumi stood behind him, just as tense, both of them trying to catch every word. A brief struggle broke out, and Kaito's voice rose in frustration.

"Just... move back a little!"

Misaki glanced toward there, but her attention was firmly on Sota. Without wasting any time, he dove straight into the conversation. His tone was smooth and inviting.

"Hi, uh, Okada-san, right? From the moment I saw you, I couldn't help but be captivated by your charm. I'd really like the chance to get to know you better. Do you—"

Misaki, clearly impatient for him to finish, cut him off with a single breath. "No!" Her brows were furrowed, and irritation was clear on her face.

Sota, taken completely by surprise, stared at her in shock as she scolded him.

"Izumi told me this was important and said you were the council president. I came, but it seems you just wasted my time with something completely ridiculous!" Misaki snapped.

Sota, caught off guard by her sharp words, felt frustration bubble up. He muttered, "All you had to say was no!" before storming off with an annoyed huff.

Kaito couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. A silly grin spread across his face, and he couldn't shake the strange pride he felt, as if he had somehow won, watching him walk away in a tense expression.

Without wasting any time, Misaki turned and started heading toward the stairs. Just as she was about to leave, she heard a whisper that made her freeze.

"Did they leave?" Izumi asked nervously.

"Shh," Kaito whispered back, his heart racing and sweat trickling down his face. "Damn it, she noticed us!"

Izumi, equally panicked, didn't know how to react. As Misaki reached the side of the wall, she suddenly stopped and turned around, clearly trying to catch them in act.

Her shock and anger were immediate as she stared at them. Kaito, feeling embarrassed, could only glance at her from the corner of his eye, unable to do anything else.

Misaki couldn't believe her eyes. Her face turned red with a mix of anger and embarrassment as she saw Izumi pressing Kaito against the wall, kissing him with passion.

However, Izumi, who was hidden from Misaki's view, was actually kissing her own finger. She closed her eyes and played along, acting as convincingly as she could.

Misaki didn't say a word and quickly ran down the stairs. Kaito, pushing Izumi off of him, looked around to make sure Misaki was really gone.

Once he was sure she had left, he shouted angrily, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Izumi, casually wiping his hand with a wet wipe, rolled his eyes and replied, "Would you rather she found out we were eavesdropping on them?"

"Yes, that would have been better!" Kaito snapped, his anger clearly written on his face.

"I'll go tell her the truth…" Kaito stormed towards the stairs.

Izumi grabbed his arm and shouted, "No! You're not doing that!"

Kaito turned to face her, his expression a mix of confusion and simmering anger, his eyes burning with frustration.

"I'd rather she see me as your girlfriend than some gossiping, nosy troublemaker."

"So, are we going to act like lovers from now on?" Kaito asked in a mocking and angry tone.

"Of course... at least for a while," Izumi said sharply. Then, she added, "But let me make this clear for you—if you tell her the truth, I'll make sure everyone hears that you forced a kiss on me!"

Kaito stared at her in disbelief, his eyes filled with a mix of helplessness and hatred.

With a heavy sigh, he snapped, "What the...?!" and quickly walked down the stairs.

All he wanted was a fresh start—a chance to make things better with Misaki. But now, it felt like another day he messed up.