From Foes To Soulmates

The morning started off like any other, with students chattering as they filed into the classroom, some still rubbing sleep from their eyes. Akane entered the room, heading straight to her desk, only to freeze mid-step. Sitting neatly on her desk was a small, beautifully wrapped chocolate, tied with a delicate ribbon. She blinked, staring at it in surprise.

Who would leave this here? she thought, glancing around to see if anyone was watching.

She caught Zenkichi's eye as he slouched at his own desk, scrolling through his phone. Her first instinct was that it must have been him—he was the only one who teased her enough to pull something like this. But then she noticed he wasn't even looking her way, acting as if nothing unusual had happened.

Curious, she picked up the chocolate, unwrapping it slowly. As she took a tentative bite, she felt her cheeks warm. She'd never received anything like this before. Steeling herself, she walked over to Zenkichi's desk, holding the chocolate wrapper up like evidence.

"Alright, Nakamura, spill it. Did you leave this on my desk?"

Zenkichi looked up, genuinely puzzled. "What? No, why would I do that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Because it's the kind of annoying thing you'd do?"

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry to disappoint, but I'm not the chocolate fairy. Maybe you've got a secret admirer?"

Akane's face turned redder. "Don't be ridiculous. It's probably just some prank."

But she didn't quite believe that herself. After all, why would someone go to the trouble of picking out a nice chocolate and leaving it on her desk?

As the day went on, Akane couldn't stop thinking about the mystery behind the chocolate. In her mind, she started wondering if it might have come from someone she actually liked—someone like Hayato, the quiet but handsome boy from her literature class. She'd always admired him from afar, though they'd never really spoken. The thought that he might be interested made her heart flutter.

Meanwhile, Zenkichi couldn't shake an odd feeling of annoyance. He'd never seen Akane so wrapped up in something so trivial before. Every time he glanced over, she seemed to be lost in thought, staring dreamily off into space.

"Geez, Akane, are you planning a wedding over there or something?" he finally muttered during lunch.

She blinked, snapping out of her thoughts, and scowled at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been staring into space all morning. What, are you seriously thinking that chocolate was from a secret admirer?"

Akane hesitated, then shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe. Why? Does it bother you?"

Zenkichi scoffed, though he couldn't help but feel a strange, uncomfortable pang. "Bother me? Please, I just think it's ridiculous. You're getting all worked up over some random piece of chocolate."

"Random? It was nice, actually. Thoughtful," Akane said pointedly, glancing away.

He snorted. "Whatever. Just don't get your hopes up—it's probably just a joke."

But even as he brushed it off, Zenkichi couldn't help but feel his mood souring. The thought of Akane crushing on some guy, especially one who had the nerve to leave chocolates anonymously, irritated him in ways he couldn't quite explain.

Later that day, rumors started floating around that Hayato—the quiet boy Akane secretly liked—had been spotted leaving the classroom earlier than usual that morning. A few classmates speculated that he might have been the one to leave the chocolate.

The thought sent Akane's mind spinning. Could it really be him? she wondered, feeling her heart skip a beat.

But when Zenkichi overheard the whispers, he felt his jaw clench. So that's why she's been so happy all day…

Unable to stop himself, he found himself blurting out, "You know, Akane, if this guy's such a coward that he can't even give you chocolate in person, he's probably not worth your time."

Akane looked at him, a bit taken aback. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing," he said quickly, looking away.

For the rest of the day, Akane kept mulling over the mystery, feeling the thrill of excitement. But each time she glanced at Zenkichi, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was acting strangely distant. The more she thought about it, the more she started to wonder why he seemed so affected by something as simple as a piece of chocolate.

It was the first time Akane felt as if there was more to Zenkichi's teasing than just friendly banter. And as they left school together that afternoon, an awkward tension hung in the air, leaving both of them lost in their own confusing thoughts.