May You Be Happy!

Shimiya Kuki calmly met Ichinose Honami's focused, slightly nervous gaze. In response to her abrupt question, his face showed not a single ripple, as if he were merely answering a math problem.

"I'm sorry." His voice was as steady as stating an established fact. "I have no experience with such a situation. I'm afraid I've disappointed you."

This overly blunt answer clearly caught Ichinose off guard, even carrying a hint of reluctance. Her eyes widened slightly, and she leaned forward a little more, her face full of curiosity and a playful disbelief: "Ehh—? Really? Like when Hoshinomiya-sensei joked before, Kuki-kun is so handsome and has such a unique aura—surely back in junior high, didn't any classmate secretly slip you a love letter or confess to you face-to-face?" She tried to find even the slightest crack in Shimiya's calm and unwavering expression.

Shimiya Kuki didn't take the bait on the appearance comment. His deep eyes met Ichinose's directly, skillfully tossing the question back, his tone flat but with a hint of probing: "Why ask this all of a sudden?" He keenly sensed that Ichinose's question wasn't mere curiosity.

At his question, the faint blush on Ichinose's cheeks seemed to deepen slightly. Her fingers on the table unconsciously curled and then relaxed, as if she had made up her mind. Instead of directly answering Shimiya's question, she lowered her head and carefully took something out of her uniform pocket.

"Actually..." Her voice was light but carried a barely perceptible hint of trouble as she placed the item on the table and pushed it toward Shimiya. "This morning... I received this."

It was a letter. The envelope was a soft pink, with a cute heart-shaped sticker carefully affixed to it, and the seal showed a girl's delicate touch. The whole appearance exuded the sweet aura of a love letter.

Shimiya Kuki's gaze lingered on the cute letter for less than a second before he calmly looked away. His reaction was so flat it bordered on indifference: "For someone as popular as you, with such an open personality, trusted by everyone as class president... running into something like this shouldn't be that unusual, should it?" His tone was neither statement nor question—just pure, objective description.

But Ichinose's gaze didn't waver. She kept staring straight at him with a certain persistence, as if silently urging him to do something.

Shimiya was silent for two seconds before finally reaching out, using his long fingers to pick up the letter. His movements were still steady, without a trace of hesitation or curiosity. He opened the envelope and took out the letter paper inside. The paper also carried a faint, pleasant fragrance, and the handwriting matched the envelope's style—rounded, neat, exuding a girl's elegance and cuteness, every stroke written with care.

He quickly scanned the contents. The letter expressed how the writer had silently cared about Ichinose since enrollment, and had only recently realized the true nature of these feelings. It ended with an invitation, tinged with hope and anxiety, to meet "Friday after school at four, behind the gymnasium."

After reading, Shimiya Kuki refolded the letter paper and placed it back in the envelope, his movements methodical. He looked up at Ichinose, who was still watching him, and stated in a completely flat tone:

"It's a classmate of ours." He paused, as if confirming or asking if she needed to know the answer. "Do you need me to tell you the name?"

"Ehh—?!" This time, Ichinose was genuinely surprised. Her mouth fell slightly open, and she unconsciously sat up straighter. "Kuki-kun... already knows who wrote it?!" Her clear eyes were full of disbelief, since the letter wasn't signed.

"Mm." Shimiya responded faintly, as if this were the simplest thing in the world. "I've seen most of our classmates' handwriting in regular homework, notes, or event sign-ups. So it's easy to identify." His explanation was simple and direct, revealing an almost rigid power of observation and memory.

Ichinose's expression instantly became complicated, tinged with embarrassment and trouble. She shrank her neck slightly, her voice dropping as she spoke with an apologetic plea: "Uh (´-﹏-`;)... Um... could I trouble you... to tell me... who it is?" She seemed to feel that "snooping" into the writer's identity was a bit inappropriate, but her inner turmoil forced her to ask.

Without any hesitation, Shimiya clearly uttered a name: "Shiratori Chihiro."

"Shiratori...-san?" Ichinose was visibly stunned. The image of a girl who always followed Hino Yuki, spoke in a soft voice, loved sweets, and looked like an easily startled little rabbit immediately came to mind. This answer seemed somewhat unexpected, leaving her momentarily at a loss. She furrowed her brows slightly, her eyes showing even more trouble and a hint of worry.

"Kuki-kun..." Ichinose's voice carried unprecedented seriousness and a plea for advice. "What do you think... I should do in this situation?" Her hands unconsciously clasped together, her knuckles whitening slightly. "I... I don't want to hurt Shiratori-san. She's so introverted; it must have taken a lot of courage to write this letter..."

Shimiya Kuki watched the genuine trouble and gentleness on Ichinose's face and was silent for a moment. His gaze remained calm, but when he spoke, his tone carried an almost cold rationality: "I think the best way to handle this situation is to resolve it directly and decisively."

He looked into Ichinose's eyes, his voice steady but carrying an undeniable force: "I believe what Shiratori-san truly hopes for is to receive your honest, heartfelt answer, not a false, gentle lie you weave to 'avoid hurting her.' False comfort will only lead to deeper disappointment and pain in the end." He paused, then added, "So the best approach is to go to the meeting, face her, and communicate openly and clearly. Tell her your true feelings."

Ichinose listened quietly, the trouble in her eyes gradually replaced by resolve. She nodded firmly, her gaze becoming resolute again: "Yeah... you're right, Kuki-kun. Running away or being vague would only make things worse." She took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, but then a hint of pleading and dependence appeared on her face. "Then... Kuki-kun, tomorrow... can you come with me? Just nearby... in case... in case I need a little support..." Her voice grew softer and softer, carrying a rare moment of vulnerability.

Shimiya Kuki didn't answer immediately. He looked at Ichinose's hopeful eyes, and after a few seconds, he spoke calmly: "I can." Just as a smile was about to bloom on Ichinose's face, he added, his tone decisive, "But only to accompany you there. When you two start talking, I won't be present. This is something you need to face directly between yourselves."

Ichinose's smile froze for a moment, then turned into a sigh tinged with resignation and understanding: "...Fine. That... works too. Thank you, Kuki-kun."

The next day—the meeting place—behind the gymnasium

The hustle and bustle after school gradually faded, and the setting sun's afterglow painted the tall gymnasium walls a warm gold. The air carried the scent of grass and the unique atmosphere of early summer. Shimiya Kuki and Ichinose Honami arrived early at the agreed spot, standing in the shadow cast by a lush cherry blossom tree, waiting.

Time ticked by, minute by minute. Finally, a small figure appeared at the end of the path.

Shiratori Chihiro walked with her head down, both hands tightly gripping her school bag straps, her steps hesitant and heavy. Her soft, light brown short hair glowed with a gentle luster in the sunset, a few strands swaying gently in the breeze, clinging to her fair, delicate cheeks. She wore a neat uniform, her skirt swaying slightly with each step. As she approached and looked up to see who was waiting, her clear, round, deer-like eyes widened instantly.

"I-Ichinose-san... a-and Shimiya-kun...?" Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, carrying obvious surprise and a barely perceptible fluster, her cheeks quickly flushing red. She clearly hadn't expected Shimiya Kuki to be there too.

Shimiya Kuki merely gave a slight nod in response, his expression as calm as ever, without any superfluous emotion.

Ichinose Honami immediately stepped forward, a warm and encouraging smile on her face, her voice as gentle as if afraid to startle the other: "Shiratori-san, you came." She glanced at a nearby empty storage closet used for cleaning tools. "It's not convenient to talk here. Could you come to that empty classroom over there? I'd like... to have a proper talk with you." Her tone was sincere, carrying a soothing quality.

Shiratori Chihiro looked at Ichinose, then quickly glanced at the silent Shimiya beside her, and finally nodded slightly, answering in a soft voice: "...Mm."

Ichinose gave Shimiya a "leave it to me" look, then led Shiratori into the empty classroom. The door was gently closed, cutting off the outside light and sound.

Shimiya Kuki leaned against the wall outside the storage closet, making no attempt to listen to the conversation inside. He took out his terminal, the cold light of the screen reflecting off his calm, unruffled face. He seemed to be exchanging messages with someone, his fingers tapping quickly and silently on the screen, his expression focused and detached, as if completely in another world.

Time passed slowly. About fifteen minutes later.

The door to the empty classroom was gently pulled open.

Shiratori Chihiro came out first. She walked quickly with her head down, her usually timid eyes now swollen like two peaches, long lashes still clinging to undried teardrops, and obvious tear streaks on her fair cheeks. Clearly, she had been crying inside.

However, when she looked up and her gaze happened to meet Shimiya Kuki standing in the shadows by the door, she abruptly stopped in her tracks. She wiped her eyes hard with the back of her hand, trying to erase the traces of her disheveled state, and then, facing Shimiya, she strained, strained very hard, to force out a smile. That smile was as fragile as easily shattered glass, carrying a thick nasal tone and lingering sadness, yet it revealed a heartbreaking strength:

"S-sorry, Shimiya-kun... for my selfishness..." Her voice was hoarse from crying, but she still tried to keep it clear. "But... still... only someone as excellent as Shimiya-kun... is worthy of Ichinose-san..." She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength, and uttered the words that caught both Shimiya and Ichinose completely off guard:

"I-I'll cheer for you two! I wish... I wish you happiness!"

With that, as if she could no longer bear the awkward and sorrowful atmosphere, she abruptly lowered her head, turned around, and ran off with quick, small steps, her small figure quickly disappearing into the afterglow of the setting sun.

Following closely out of the classroom was Ichinose Honami. She had clearly heard Shiratori's earth-shattering final blessing, and her face was instantly filled with shock and panic. Without even having time to compose herself, she shouted urgently in the direction Shiratori had disappeared:

"Shiratori-san! Wait! You've misunderstood! It's not like that!" Her voice rose a few notes in her haste.

But Shiratori's figure had already vanished around the corner. Ichinose stamped her foot in frustration, then whirled around to glare at Shimiya Kuki, who was still leaning against the wall, just putting away his terminal. That look was full of accusation, helplessness, and a hint of "this is all your fault for being here" reproach, as if to say: Look at the misunderstanding you've caused!

Shimiya Kuki received the glare, but the expression on his face... still didn't change at all. As if that "I wish you happiness" and the ensuing huge misunderstanding were nothing more than an irrelevant breeze brushing past. He straightened up, not even bothering to look at Ichinose's currently spectacular expression, and calmly began walking away at an unhurried pace in the opposite direction from where Shiratori had gone, leaving Ichinose and the "mess" she needed to clean up behind.

Watching his indifferent, detached retreating figure, Ichinose stamped her foot again in anger, but then, remembering Shiratori's misunderstanding, her face was once again filled with anxiety. She could no longer bother with Shimiya or her own image, and hurriedly chased after Shiratori's direction, shouting as she ran: "Shiratori-san! Wait for me! Listen, I can explain—!"