"Shouko, this is yours."

Sahara Miyoko approached, placing a yearbook with a light pink cover on Shouko's desk, momentarily interrupting her conversation with Akira.

As both looked up, Sahara flipped to a blank page, carefully tore out two sheets, and handed one to each of them.

Akira blinked. "I have one too?"

He'd noticed the book in her hands, but didn't expect to be involved. As he glanced at the page, memories came flooding back. Before smartphones became common, yearbooks like this were the main way to stay in touch after graduation.

Some filled them out for nostalgia. Others—especially those with a crush—used them as a sly excuse to collect someone's contact info.

"Of course you have one," Sahara said with a shrug, pulling over a chair. "Wouldn't be complete without you."

Akira smirked but didn't protest. Just as he reached for his pen, the yearbook sheet was swiftly taken from his hands.

"Huh?" he turned to see Shouko holding it.

"I'll fill it out for you," she said confidently, pulling out her pencil case.

"You sure?"

"Your zodiac sign, birthday, age, contact info, hobbies... I know them all," she replied, her tone calm but proud. "Doesn't that just show how close we are?"

Akira raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She wasn't wrong.

Truthfully, while he hadn't been given a single girl's yearbook before this moment, the boys had passed him a few. Shouko had bought one too, like most of the class.

After a few minutes, Shouko finished writing, reviewed both pages carefully, and handed them back to Sahara.

"All done, Miyoko."

"Perfect. Now, time to hunt down the next person." Sahara grinned and headed off.

As she disappeared down the aisle, Shouko reached into her bag and pulled out her own yearbook. She opened to the first page and held it out to Akira, who had started to doze off again.

"This is for you. Fill it out properly," she said with mock sternness.

He took it without thinking, then blinked at her. "Didn't you just write mine?"

"That was yours. This is mine."

"Oh... Right." He still didn't get the difference, but didn't argue.

Instead of writing immediately, he flipped through Shouko's yearbook, reading messages from their classmates. A few were heartfelt. Others... ridiculous.

"Heh..." He chuckled at one particularly corny entry.

Just then, a pale hand reached out and snatched the book away.

"Akira! What are you doing? That's private!" Shouko's cheeks flushed as she held her yearbook tightly to her chest.

"Sumimasen! Just curious, I couldn't help it!" Akira bowed dramatically in apology, eyes wide.

Shouko sighed and returned the book to him—this time pulling a chair beside him to supervise.

"Since I'm here, might as well make sure you behave."

Just then, another voice cut in.

"Miyamura, since you're already writing in yearbooks, could you sign mine too?"

They turned around to see Kawai Miki, the class monitor, holding out a pale blue page.

Before Akira could respond, Miki added with a coy smile:

"You've already filled out Naoka's and a few others. It's only fair, right?"

"…?"

Akira blinked. Did he hit his head and forget something? Why didn't he remember doing that?

Before he could reply, Shouko stood up and intercepted the page from Miki.

"I'll bring it to you once Akira finishes," she said calmly.

Miki gave her a soft smile and walked off.

Akira turned slowly toward Shouko, noting her slightly stiff expression.

"Shouko... is there something you're not telling me?"

"Wha—what are you talking about?" she stammered, her voice going a pitch higher. "She must've mixed us up! Called your name by accident!"

"Right... of course." Akira raised an eyebrow but didn't press.

He gently ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, I believe you."

And honestly, he didn't care if she had helped fill out a few extra pages—especially since no boys' names had appeared in her yearbook. That was all the reassurance he needed.

Meanwhile...

Across the classroom, a girl flipped through two yearbook pages and frowned.

"Naoka... why do Shouko and Akira have the exact same contact number?"

Naoka looked over. A few curious girls gathered, pulling out their yearbooks to compare.

The result: confirmed.

Both pages listed the same number.

Sahara Miyoko peeked at the digits and instantly recognized it—it was Shouko's home landline.

She set her pen down and quietly sighed.

"...Why do I feel full when I haven't eaten anything?"

-------------

POWER STONE!!!

Support me at patréon com/Lukas25