Too Late. Bye.

"Do you mean what's up there?

That..."

Gojo Satoru hadn't finished speaking when Ibuki Mio cut him off.

"Pervert! That's not what I meant!

And how would you know it's black up there!?"

"Is it black?

I was going to say I hadn't seen it."

Realizing she'd said too much, Ibuki Mio's face grew even redder, and she glared at him as if she wanted to devour him.

"You just wait!

Next time I wear safety shorts, I'm definitely beating you to death!"

She covered her skirt and hurried away, but Gojo Satoru called after her in a cheeky voice.

"I'll remember the black and white! Don't worry!"

Ibuki Mio nearly fell over from his teasing. She turned around, red-faced, and glared at Gojo Satoru.

"If you ever fall into my hands, you're in for a world of pain!"

She didn't wait for his response this time, running off at once in case he could still see her and say something shameless.

Is someone else looking for me?

On the way to the Changing Room, he sensed footsteps following behind him. It was someone he knew.

He waited where he was for a while.

Kamuro Masumi, her eyes slightly red, came to stand in front of Gojo Satoru.

The atmosphere felt a little off.

Before he could even greet her, she fired a question at him.

"Who was that girl called Xiao Mako just now?"

Seeing how serious she looked, Gojo Satoru decided not to tease her. He answered honestly.

"Her? She's my childhood friend, and my girlfriend now."

Has she accepted it?

Hearing him state the truth so bluntly, Kamuro Masumi still found it hard to believe.

Hadn't they not seen each other for ages?

Wasn't she the one he'd wanted most to run into after coming to school?

Was it all because of a promise they'd made as children?

"Why?"

Before he could answer her question, one question after another came tumbling out. Kamuro Masumi cried out, her voice breaking.

"Wasn't I the one who did all those things first?

Hugging you!

Kissing you!

Wasn't I the one who did all that first?!

Just because she's your childhood friend?!

How long has it been since you two last saw each other?!

If you hadn't come looking for me back then, she wouldn't even know you were at this school!

What gives her the right?!"

"But weren't you the one who kept refusing to admit we were together?"

!!!

Hearing that, Kamuro Masumi fell completely silent.

That was true. Hadn't she been the only one resisting all along?

He'd kept looking for her, while she was the one who kept avoiding him. He'd never denied what they had!

She'd been the one caught up in her own feelings, thinking she'd accept him once she'd settled into Class A.

From the very beginning, hadn't she been the one denying their relationship?

Only her...

Seeing her fall silent, Gojo Satoru realized he'd said the wrong thing.

"Shinsuke."

He tried to step forward and comfort her, but she dodged his outstretched hand.

Seeing her take half a step back, he knew things had gotten serious.

"Don't come any closer. You're Amikura's boyfriend now, after all."

"This has nothing to do with that. You don't seem okay."

He tried to approach again, but this time she shouted at him.

"I said don't come any closer!

Don't worry about me!... Don't!

Just stop worrying about me."

Her voice grew quieter on that last sentence.

"Masumi."

He was about to step forward again, but she immediately raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't!"

After saying that, Kamuro Masumi walked right past Gojo Satoru, intending to leave.

"It's not what you think! Just hear me out!"

Knowing things would become irreparable if this continued, Gojo Satoru pulled her into his arms.

But Kamuro Masumi clearly wasn't in the mood to listen anymore.

She struggled with all her might, but couldn't break free. At last, she gave up and spoke in a low voice.

"Don't be so gentle with me.

I'm an idiot, after all.

If you're gentle with me, I'll get the wrong idea."

"Masumi, actually, I..."

"Gojo, I'm Kamuro.

Not Amikura."

Gojo Satoru's body stiffened at her words, and he let go.

Kamuro Masumi stepped out of his embrace and walked a couple of paces forward. Then she turned and gently reminded him.

"It's too late. Bye."

Lying on the bed, she covered her eyes with her hand.

But tears still seeped through.

Fragments of memories kept flashing through her mind.

She'd been too spoiled all along, caught up in her own feelings and assuming he would understand.

So she'd always forgotten to tell him just how much she liked him.

But only when she realized they were about to part did she finally understand, and decide to confess her feelings. Wasn't it all pointless now?

"Someone like me really isn't cut out for a relationship!"

As she kept thinking, her phone vibrated.

She looked at it eagerly, then suddenly remembered that he didn't seem to like keeping in touch by phone.

As expected, it wasn't a message from him, but a transfer.

Received 3,025,500 points

Note: Gojo-kun said to transfer you the ball game prize directly.

What does this mean?

Why would he give her the prize money?

Weren't they already over?

No, they'd never even begun.

"What do you think of Satoru-kun, Yume-chan?"

Sitting across from Kobashi Yume in the Cat Cafe, Amikura Mako asked her idly.

The sudden question caught her off guard.

Thinking it was because of what had happened just now, Kobashi Yume worried it might affect their friendship and hurried to explain.

"I don't like Gojo-kun! I only froze just now because it was my first time being hugged by a boy!"

Seeing her so flustered, Amikura Mako found it a little funny. She hadn't even been worried about that.

"That's not what I meant. I just wanted to hear what you think of Satoru-kun."

"Th-this? How should I put it?"

Seeing her still hesitate, Amikura Mako pressed on.

"It's fine. Just tell me what you think. I want to hear how other people see him."

Knowing her best friend wouldn't let it go if she didn't answer, Kobashi Yume decided to be direct and say what she really thought.

"Gojo-kun is amazing, isn't he?

He doesn't seem to have many friends, but it doesn't look like he's being excluded. It's more like he's the one excluding everyone else.

He's also very handsome, and he has a great body. He seems to be an excellent athlete, too.

He's really smart as well. I heard he got perfect scores in every subject on his tests.

He seems to have no real flaws except for his personality.

But when he's with Mako, he's very gentle. He makes a point of changing the way he acts around you, and always goes along with what you want..."

Kobashi Yume seemed to have hit on something, and went on and on.

Seeing her best friend praise her boyfriend so highly, Amikura Mako found it harder and harder to hide her smile.

But when she realized Yume didn't seem likely to stop, she teased her with a question.

"Then do you like him?"

Kobashi Yume hadn't even processed the question before she answered instinctively.

"I guess I do."

But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized what she'd said and hurried to clarify.

"I-I just have a bit of a crush on him!

I don't like him like that!"

Seeing her get flustered again, Amikura Mako smiled and replied.

"You're so easy to read, Yume-chan!"

Kobashi Yume blushed and lowered her head again, choosing to stay silent.

After all, it was awkward to say she liked her best friend's boyfriend right in front of her.

Amikura Mako didn't say anything else either, but her smile never faded.