Ren had seen her before he even decided to watch her.
It wasn't something easily explained; his attention simply drifted toward Hanako as if it were a habit he hadn't chosen. He was near the vending machines, half-hidden behind the corner of the hallway, his uniform slightly disheveled and his hands in his pockets.
Hanako was laughing.
That sound, so light and natural, contrasted with everything Ren usually felt when he watched her.
In front of her was Mei, her best friend, talking with her hands as she tried to explain something that seemed urgent... though Hanako kept smiling at her as if nothing in the world could ruin her day.
Ren should have left.
But he didn't.
He took a step without thinking, then another, until he was close enough to hear their voices blending with the noise of the hallway.
"—I’m telling you, it was obvious," Mei said, crossing her arms.
"Obvious what?" Hanako replied, tilting her head, still amused.
And then Ren heard it all.
Or at least, enough that something inside him shifted slightly. Ren stood where he was, as if moving a centimeter might break something invisible.
The conversation between Hanako and Mei kept flowing, light, everyday... but to Ren, every word began to weigh more than usual.
"—I don't understand how you can keep saying you don't like anyone," Mei murmured, lowering her voice as if she were revealing a dangerous secret.
Hanako let out a short giggle, tilting her head.
"Because I don't like anyone."
Too fast. Too easy.
Ren tightened his fingers inside his pockets.
Mei clicked her tongue, clearly unconvinced. "Uh-huh. And then what was that about the boy from the literature club?"
Hanako made a face, as if she had been reminded of something annoying.
"That doesn't count. He only talked to me twice."
"And he made you nervous," Mei added, with a triumphant smile.
"He did not make me nervous!"
But her voice went up a little higher than usual.
Ren felt something strange in his chest. It wasn't jealousy yet... or perhaps it was, but without a clear shape. Just a silent discomfort, as if he had found a door left ajar to something he shouldn't see.
Mei continued, lowering her tone slightly.
"Then tell me something easy. What type of person do you like?"
Hanako took a second to respond. That second was enough for Ren to stop breathing properly.
"Someone... who doesn't give up easily," she finally said, looking at an indefinite spot on the floor. "Someone who isn't afraid to be persistent."
Mei raised an eyebrow. "That sounds dangerous."
Hanako smiled, but this time in a softer, almost distracted way.
"Maybe it is."
Ren felt those words stick to him.
Because he didn't know why... but they sounded to him as if they were directed at someone who wasn't yet in the conversation.
And for the first time, he wondered if he was listening too late. Both girls continue walking, leaving Ren behind with more information and a growing obsession.