Monsoon Romance

The next morning, Aiko walked into class with her heart pounding. She had barely slept after yesterday's unexpected reveal. Even though Kenji and Yui had promised not to spread the news, she knew how quickly gossip traveled. She braced herself for the inevitable.

Haruto, standing beside her, seemed more relaxed, his usual easygoing demeanor unfazed. "It's not like we committed a crime, Aiko," he said with a smirk as they walked toward their desks.

"I know that," Aiko muttered, "but I just—"

Before she could finish, Mei suddenly appeared in front of her, eyes wide with excitement. "Aiko!" she whisper-shouted, grabbing Aiko's hands. "Is it true?"

Aiko froze. "Is what true?"

Mei's eyes flickered between her and Haruto before she grinned. "That you two are together?"

Aiko felt her face heat up instantly. She turned to Haruto, who only shrugged as if to say Well, here we go.

"I… um…" Aiko struggled to find the right words.

Mei gasped. "Oh my gosh, you're blushing! That means it's true!"

Before Aiko could protest, Kenji and Yui appeared behind Mei, both grinning like they had just won a prize.

"See? I told you I wasn't lying," Kenji said, crossing his arms.

Yui practically bounced on her toes. "They're so cute together, right? Like, I knew it was only a matter of time!"

At this point, a few other classmates had started to take notice. Whispers spread like wildfire, and soon, nearly everyone in class was turning to look at them.

One of the boys, Riku, smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Haruto, man, you could've told us. We wouldn't have made it weird."

Haruto chuckled. "Yeah? Because you guys are so good at not making things weird?"

Another friend, Satoshi, grinned. "Come on, we have to tease you at least a little. It's, like, our duty as your friends."

Aiko groaned, covering her face. "This is so embarrassing."

Mei nudged her playfully. "Oh, please. Everyone already thought you two were basically a couple anyway. This just confirms it."

Aiko blinked. "Wait, what?"

Kenji laughed. "Seriously? You guys weren't exactly subtle. The way you always looked at each other, the way Haruto walked you home every day, the way you defended each other… We were just waiting for you to figure it out yourselves."

Haruto raised an eyebrow. "That obvious, huh?"

Satoshi nodded. "Painfully."

Yui sighed dreamily. "It's like a love story come to life. You guys are so perfect together."

Aiko felt her embarrassment turn into warmth. Maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

"Alright, alright, enough interrogation," Haruto said, finally stepping in. He slipped his hand into Aiko's without hesitation, making her heart flutter. "Yes, we're together. Yes, we wanted to keep it private for a while. And no, we are not some kind of drama show for you guys to watch."

Kenji smirked. "Too late for that."

Mei leaned closer to Aiko, whispering, "Seriously though, I'm so happy for you. I knew this would happen one day."

Aiko softened. "Thanks, Mei."

The teasing continued throughout the day, but it wasn't mean-spirited. Their friends weren't making fun of them—if anything, they were just excited, happy to celebrate something they had all apparently seen coming.

By lunchtime, the news had spread beyond their class, and even students from other sections were sneaking glances at them.

While they ate, Aiko sighed dramatically. "I feel like we just became celebrities overnight."

Haruto grinned. "Yeah? Should we start signing autographs?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't encourage them."

Yui suddenly gasped. "Oh! Now that everyone knows, you guys should totally go on a real date! Like, an official couple date!"

Mei's eyes lit up. "Ohh, that's a great idea! Have you guys gone on one yet?"

Aiko hesitated. "Um… well…"

Haruto smirked. "Not exactly."

Satoshi clapped his hands together. "Alright, that settles it. You have to go on a date this weekend."

Aiko sputtered. "You guys can't just decide that for us!"

Kenji grinned. "Why not? We're invested now."

Haruto chuckled, nudging Aiko. "What do you think?"

She sighed, knowing there was no way out of this. Then, looking at him, she realized something—she wanted to go on a real date with him. No more hiding, no more worrying. Just them.

With a small smile, she nodded. "Okay. A real date it is."

The group erupted into cheers, and despite her initial embarrassment, Aiko couldn't help but laugh. Maybe having supportive (and nosy) friends wasn't such a bad thing after all.