CHAP 5-8

**Chapter 5: Breaking the Ice**

The morning air was crisp as Misaki rolled into the classroom, her expression as neutral as ever. She was used to her quiet routine—come in, sit down, avoid unnecessary conversations, and wait for the day to end.

Unfortunately for her, Kyoya existed.

"Good morning, *best friend*!" Kyoya greeted, plopping down next to her desk with a bright grin.

Misaki didn’t even spare him a glance. "I’m not your best friend."

"Yet," he corrected. "But I have faith. One day, you’ll look at me and say, ‘Wow, Kyoya, you’re my favorite person in the world.’"

Misaki stared blankly ahead. "That’s never happening."

"Hey, weirder things have happened!" Kyoya wiggled his eyebrows. "Like, uh… Oh! Did you know an octopus has three hearts?"

Misaki sighed. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Kyoya leaned back dramatically. "I don’t know. I just panicked and said the first thing that came to mind."

Before Misaki could tell him how ridiculous he was, their teacher entered the room, clapping his hands for attention.

"Alright, class! Today, we’re doing a partnered activity. You’ll be working in pairs to research and present on different cultural myths."

Misaki already had a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Since you’re all sitting next to each other, those will be your partners," the teacher continued.

Kyoya turned to Misaki with the biggest, smuggest grin she had ever seen. "Looks like it’s destiny."

Misaki groaned. "More like misfortune."

Ignoring her, Kyoya immediately pulled out his notebook and clicked his pen like a journalist about to cover an exciting news story. "Okay, what do you wanna do? Greek mythology? Norse legends? Ooh! Alien conspiracy theories?"

Misaki blinked. "That’s not even a culture."

"Fine," Kyoya pouted. "Then let’s do something *you* know a lot about. What’s a cool myth from your mom’s culture?"

Misaki sighed, but she figured it was easier to just answer than argue. "There’s one about a creature called a *tikbalang*—a half-horse, half-human that tricks travelers."

Kyoya gasped. "Like a reverse centaur?"

"…What?"

"You know, centaurs are human on top, horse on the bottom. But this guy’s the opposite!"

Misaki gave him a blank stare. "I guess?"

Kyoya scribbled something down. "Noted: *Cursed reverse centaur.*"

Misaki exhaled through her nose. This was going to be a long class.

As they worked, Kyoya kept getting distracted. At one point, he found a piece of paper and started folding it.

"Hey, look!" He proudly held up what he claimed was a paper crane, but it looked more like a crushed napkin.

Misaki tilted her head. "Is that… supposed to be a bird?"

"Yes," Kyoya said defensively. "I call it ‘abstract art.’"

"It looks like roadkill."

Kyoya gasped, clutching his chest. "Wow. Ruthless."

For a moment, he was quiet, actually focusing on their research. But then—

"Wait, wait, wait—so you’re telling me there’s a creature in Filipino folklore that *steals rice*?" Kyoya asked, pointing at his notes. "Who is this criminal mastermind?"

Misaki glanced at what he wrote: *Rice thief demon??*

She sighed. "It’s called a *Manggagaway*, and it doesn’t *steal* rice. It spreads misfortune."

"Still sounds like a rice thief to me," Kyoya muttered. "Imagine working hard all season just for some spooky ghost to come in and be like, ‘Nah, I’m taking that.’"

Misaki rolled her eyes but found herself fighting the urge to smile.

Then came the biggest distraction of all.

Kyoya reached into his bag and pulled out a snack—a small bag of chips. He tried to open it with a dramatic flourish… only for the bag to *explode* in his hands, sending chips flying everywhere.

A long silence stretched between them as the classroom stared.

Kyoya slowly lowered his hands, now covered in chip dust. "…Well, that was *not* the grand opening I was going for."

Misaki stared at the mess. Then, without thinking, she let out a small—barely noticeable—huff of amusement.

Kyoya’s eyes widened. "Wait. Was that—did you just laugh?!"

Misaki’s expression immediately hardened. "No."

"You totally did!" Kyoya pointed at her. "That was a *grin*! You *grinned*!"

"I did not."

"You did." Kyoya smirked. "I knew it. I *knew* you had a sense of humor in there somewhere!"

Misaki groaned. "Just clean up your mess."

As Kyoya bent down to pick up the chips, he whispered dramatically, "This is my greatest achievement yet."

Despite herself, Misaki found that—for once—she didn’t mind Kyoya’s presence as much as she thought she would.

—

**End of chapter 5***

**Chapter 6**

Hiro never considered himself particularly bold. He was the type to observe from a distance, listen rather than speak, and hesitate before acting. And for the longest time, that’s exactly how it had been with Misaki.

They had been classmates since their first year of high school. Back then, she was already in a wheelchair, always keeping to herself. Hiro, shy but curious, had tried to talk to her once. It hadn’t gone well.

He still remembered that day clearly—how he had worked up the courage to say, "Uh, hey, do you need help with that?" when she had been struggling to reach a book on a high shelf in the library. Misaki had barely glanced at him before coolly responding, "No need." Then, without another word, she had maneuvered her wheelchair and used the edge of a nearby table to push the book down herself.

It wasn’t mean, but it was distant. Like she had already decided she didn’t need anyone.

Hiro had taken the hint and never tried again.

But now… now he wasn’t so sure.

Because, over the past few days, he had seen something different. Misaki, who never spoke to anyone, was actually responding to Kyoya. She didn’t talk much, but she didn’t shut him out either. And yesterday, Hiro could have sworn he saw her… smile.

A small one, barely there, but still.

Hiro wasn’t sure what to make of it. His first thought had been that maybe Misaki only liked talking to good-looking guys, but he had immediately dismissed that idea. Misaki wasn’t that kind of person. She was cold, yes, but not shallow.

And besides, she had helped him once.

It had been during an exam back in their first year. Hiro had forgotten his mechanical pencil, and his only regular pencil had a broken tip. He had panicked, looking around desperately for a sharpener.

That was when Misaki, seated nearby, had silently handed him a perfectly sharpened pencil.

She hadn’t looked at him, hadn’t said anything, just quietly continued her own work as if nothing had happened.

That moment had stuck with him.

So now, seeing her interact with Kyoya, Hiro felt something shift in him. If Kyoya could break through Misaki’s shell, then maybe… maybe he could, too.

But first, he needed to talk to Kyoya.

---

The opportunity came in the morning before class. Kyoya was standing near the window, chatting animatedly with a group of classmates. Hiro hesitated. Kyoya was a lot—he was tall, loud, ridiculously friendly, and somehow seemed to shine even when he was just standing still.

Hiro took a deep breath and walked up to him.

"Uh, hey… Kyoya, right?"

Kyoya turned, his eyes lighting up. "Oh? Yeah, that’s me! And you’re Hiro! What’s up, dude?"

Hiro hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic response. "I, uh… I wanted to talk to you about Misaki."

At this, Kyoya’s grin widened. "Ohhh, so you’re curious about her too? Man, you’re like the third person to ask me that—wait, no, I’m lying, you’re the first. But it sounded cooler that way."

Hiro blinked. "…Right."

He was already regretting this.

Kyoya leaned in. "So, what’s your deal? You like her or something?"

Hiro almost choked. "W-What?! No! I mean—I just—"

Kyoya burst out laughing. "Relax, dude, I’m messing with you! But, hey, no shame if you do. Misaki is cool."

Hiro sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just… I don’t get her. She doesn’t talk to anyone, but she talks to you. How did you do it?"

Kyoya scratched his head. "Hmm. Well, I guess I just keep annoying her until she gives up and acknowledges my existence."

Hiro stared. "…That’s your strategy?"

"Yep! Foolproof, right?" Kyoya grinned.

Hiro sighed. He should have known better than to expect some deep insight.

Before he could say anything else, Kyoya suddenly pointed at Hiro’s phone. "Wait, is that an anime wallpaper?"

Hiro blinked. "Uh, yeah… It’s from *Eternal Legend: Blue Horizon.*"

Kyoya gasped dramatically. "No. Way. You watch that too?! Dude! We have to talk about this!"

Before Hiro could even process what was happening, Kyoya had launched into a rapid-fire discussion about the series—the animation, the character arcs, the latest episode’s plot twist.

To Hiro’s surprise, he found himself getting swept up in the conversation. Kyoya was easy to talk to, and despite his loud personality, he actually knew his stuff when it came to anime.

For the first time, Hiro found himself laughing.

That was when Misaki arrived.

Kyoya immediately turned to her and, without missing a beat, said, "Hey, Misaki! Hiro here was just saying how amazing you are!"

Hiro nearly died on the spot.

Misaki, who had just rolled into the classroom, raised an eyebrow. "…What?"

Hiro waved his hands frantically. "I did NOT say that!"

Kyoya grinned, clearly enjoying his suffering. "Aw, don’t be shy, Hiro! Just admit it!"

Misaki gave Hiro a blank stare. "I have no idea what’s going on, but I feel like you should stop talking to Kyoya."

Hiro groaned, burying his face in his hands. "I am never speaking to you again."

Kyoya laughed. "Aw, come on, we’re just getting started!"

Misaki sighed, wheeling herself to her desk. Hiro was about to retreat to his seat as well when he hesitated.

Now or never.

"Misaki," he said, hesitantly.

She looked up at him, her expression neutral.

"…Can we be friends?"

Misaki blinked.

Kyoya beamed. "Ohh, good one, Hiro! Direct approach! I like it!"

Hiro ignored him, his focus on Misaki. She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she studied him for a long moment before finally saying, "…Why?"

Hiro hesitated. He hadn’t actually thought about that part.

Luckily, Kyoya jumped in for him. "Because he’s a nice guy! And I’m collecting friends like Pokémon, so I need him on my team!"

Misaki gave him a tired look. "…What."

Hiro sighed. "What he means is… I guess I just want to understand you better."

Misaki tilted her head, considering his words. Then, to Hiro’s surprise, she shrugged.

"…Do what you want."

Kyoya gasped. "Wait, was that a yes?!"

Hiro wasn’t sure, but he’d take it.

Kyoya clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Congrats, man! You’re in! Welcome to the Friend Club!"

Misaki rolled her eyes. "There is no Friend Club."

Kyoya winked. "Not yet, anyway."

Hiro sighed, but he was smiling. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

As class started, he found himself thinking back to something Kyoya had said earlier.

"You never know when we’ll die. I just want everyone around me to be happy and to remember me as someone who shined like the sun."

At the time, Hiro had brushed it off as just another one of Kyoya’s weird, dramatic statements.

But now… he wasn’t so sure.

And somehow, that uncertainty made him even more determined to stick around.

**END OF CHAPTER

**Chapter 7**

Hello. I’m Misaki.

Yes, I’m still in a wheelchair. Shocking, right? I know, I know—what a groundbreaking revelation. But anyway, that’s not the point.

The point is, my school life is a mess.

And the biggest reason?

Kyoya.

That annoying, persistent, overly talkative guy who has made it his personal mission to bother me every single day.

He talks in class. He talks in the hallways. He talks in the cafeteria. He talks when no one is listening. He talks when *I* am not listening. I swear, I could sit there with my noise-canceling headphones on, and he’d *still* be talking, fully expecting me to somehow hear and respond.

And recently, to make things worse, he’s acquired a sidekick.

Enter: Hiro.

At first, I thought Hiro was just another quiet, background character in my school life. He was introverted, didn’t talk much, and seemed like a normal, non-bothersome person.

I was wrong.

Because, as it turns out, Hiro is actually *incredibly clumsy*.

I don’t know how one human being can trip so much on *flat surfaces*, but Hiro manages it effortlessly. Every time he stumbles, he tries to act all cool and pretend like nothing happened. But let’s be real—when you dramatically trip over your own feet and nearly faceplant into a lunch tray, there is no way to make that look cool.

And yet, here I am, in the cafeteria, watching *both* of them.

Kyoya, as usual, is talking too much, gesturing wildly as he explains some ridiculous story that I’m not even paying attention to.

Hiro is next to him, listening but also balancing his juice box in a way that makes me 99% sure he’s about to spill it everywhere.

I sigh.

You’d think, after all this time, I’d be used to them.

But no.

Even though Kyoya and Hiro are *nice*… they are *not* my friends.

I mean, yet.

Not that I *want* them to be or anything!

…Ugh. Whatever.

I take a sip of my drink and prepare myself for another chaotic lunch period.

---

**A Typical Day in the Life of Misaki (Now Featuring Two Idiots):**

1. **Morning:**

I roll into the classroom, already dreading whatever nonsense Kyoya is about to unleash.

"Misakiiii! Good morning!"

"Go away."

"Haha, classic! So anyway—"

He does not, in fact, go away.

2. **Class Time:**

*Teacher:* "Who can solve this problem?"

*Kyoya:* (whispering to me) "Psst, what’s the answer?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Because we’re friends!"

"No, we’re not."

"Yet!"

…Ugh.

3. **Cafeteria:**

*Hiro:* (trips over nothing, spills half his rice on Kyoya)

*Kyoya:* "BRO! WHY?!"

*Hiro:* (completely deadpan) "Gravity."

I nearly choke on my drink.

4. **End of the Day:**

"Alright, see you tomorrow, Misaki!" Kyoya grins.

"I’m not excited," I reply flatly.

"She means she *is* excited," Kyoya tells Hiro.

Hiro nods. "Definitely."

I hate them both.

…Okay, maybe not *hate.*

But still.

They’re annoying.

**END OF CHAPTER 7**

**Chapter 8**

"Alright, listen up, class!" The teacher clapped her hands. "We’ll be doing a special group activity today! You’ll be working in teams of three to complete a set of challenges!"

I immediately felt a sense of impending doom.

Kyoya, who had already started grinning before the teacher even finished speaking, turned to me. "Misaki, Hiro—we are *destined* to be in the same team!"

"That’s not how destiny works," I muttered.

"It is now!"

Before I could protest, Kyoya had already declared us a team, and Hiro—being Hiro—just nodded along without questioning anything.

**Challenge 1: The Tower of Doom**

The first challenge was to build a tower using only spaghetti sticks and marshmallows.

"This is easy," Kyoya said confidently, shoving a marshmallow into his mouth.

"Stop eating the materials," I deadpanned.

"I’m just testing their durability!"

"You’re just eating."

"…That too."

Hiro, meanwhile, was trying to delicately place a spaghetti stick upright, only for it to snap in half. He blinked. "That wasn’t supposed to happen."

"Wow, really?" I said.

Five minutes in, our tower was a disaster. Kyoya was still eating, Hiro had somehow knocked everything over *twice*, and I was just watching the chaos unfold.

"Maybe if we—" Hiro started, reaching for another marshmallow.

*Snap.*

Our tower collapsed. Again.

There was silence.

Then Kyoya dramatically placed a hand on my shoulder. "Misaki, I have to say something."

"What?"

"This is *your* fault."

I stared at him. "How?!"

"Your negative energy ruined the structure."

Hiro nodded. "It makes sense."

"I *hate* both of you," I muttered.

We came in dead last.

**Challenge 2: The Trust Fall**

"This is a horrible idea," I said, looking at the instructions.

The challenge? One person had to fall backward while the other two caught them.

"Don’t be a coward, Misaki!" Kyoya grinned.

"I *literally* can’t participate in this," I said, pointing at my wheelchair.

"True. Okay, Hiro, you fall, and I’ll catch you."

Hiro blinked. "I don’t know if I trust you."

"What?! I’m the most trustworthy person here!"

"You ate half our materials in the first challenge," I pointed out.

Kyoya ignored me. "Come on, Hiro, just fall!"

Hiro hesitated, then took a deep breath and fell backward.

Right before Kyoya caught him, Hiro *screamed*.

"AAGHHHH!"

Kyoya caught him perfectly.

There was silence.

Then Kyoya frowned. "Dude, why did you scream?"

"I don’t know," Hiro said blankly. "It just felt right."

I sighed. "This team is a disaster."

**Challenge 3: The Heart-to-Heart**

For the final challenge, we had to answer a personal question honestly.

Kyoya read the card out loud. "What is something you wish you could change about yourself?"

There was a pause.

Hiro was the first to speak. "I… wish I were less awkward."

Kyoya patted his back. "Nah, your awkwardness is top-tier comedy."

Hiro gave a small smile.

Kyoya then looked at me. "What about you, Misaki?"

I hesitated. My first instinct was to say *nothing*, to brush it off like I always did. But… they were looking at me. Actually waiting for my answer.

I sighed. "I wish I could walk."

Neither of them laughed or made a joke.

Kyoya, for once, was quiet. Then he grinned, but softer this time. "Well, if you ever do, I’m making you rac

e me."

Hiro nodded. "And I’ll… cheer you on."

I rolled my eyes. "You guys are idiots."

**END OF CHAPTER 8**

Chapter end