Unraveled Ties-Chapter 42: Unspoken Changes

The morning sun filtered through the classroom windows, casting a warm glow over the students as they settled in. The usual chatter filled the room, but Reiji sat quietly at his desk, absentmindedly tapping his pen against his notebook. His thoughts were scattered.

*Aoi had been acting different lately.*

Ever since that moment in the library, when he had held her hand, she had started looking at him differently. It wasn’t something obvious—just small things. Like how her eyes lingered on him a little longer when they made eye contact. Or how she smiled at him more, even when he hadn’t said anything.

And then there was *Sena.* 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Reiji sighed and leaned back in his chair. He wasn’t sure when it started, but she had been on his mind a lot lately. He was supposed to be learning from her, practicing things that would help him get closer to someone else. Yet, whenever they weren’t together, *he caught himself thinking about her instead.*

"Yo, Tsukishima, you good?"

Kaito’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Reiji blinked and turned to his friend, who was already grinning.

"You’ve been zoning out a lot lately," Kaito teased, resting his chin on his hand. "Don’t tell me—have you finally fallen for someone?"

Reiji scoffed. "You think I’d tell you if I did?"

Kaito laughed. "But man, you’ve been acting weird. Even Yuna noticed."

"Not surprising, considering you probably talk about me more than you talk about yourself."

"Hey, I have a life outside of bothering you, you know," Kaito shot back, leaning back in his chair. "Anyway, if you need advice, you know where to find me."

Reiji didn’t reply. His mind was still elsewhere.

---

*After school, Reiji found himself heading to the clubroom.*

Sena was already there, flipping through a book with a bored expression. When she saw him, she closed it with a soft thud.

"You’re late," she said.

"I wasn’t aware we had a set time."

Sena rolled her eyes. "Well, you’re here now. Let’s get started."

Their "lessons" had been going on for a while now, but after what happened in the library, Reiji found himself hesitating for the first time.

Sena raised an eyebrow. "What’s with that look? Don’t tell me you’re chickening out now."

Reiji clicked his tongue. "As if."

"Then focus." Sena leaned forward slightly, her usual sharp gaze locked on him. "Today, we’re practicing meaningful conversation. Not small talk—something real. Something that makes the other person feel like they’re important to you."

Reiji exhaled. "And you’re just assuming I have nothing important to say?"

"Considering the way you avoid talking about yourself, yeah."

She wasn’t wrong. Reiji wasn’t the type to talk about his personal life much. But still, **he wasn’t about to let her be right so easily.**

"Fine." He leaned back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before speaking. "I have a younger brother. He’s five. He can be a pain, but he’s pretty smart for his age."

Sena looked surprised for a moment, but she quickly covered it up. "Huh. Didn’t expect you to talk about family."

"Why?"

"You don’t seem like the type who gets along with his siblings."

Reiji smirked slightly. "I have an older sister too. She’s three years older. Spoils both of us way too much."

Sena was quiet for a moment before she muttered, "Must be nice."

There was something about the way she said it that caught Reiji off guard. *Like it was something she didn’t have.*

"You don’t have any siblings?" he asked.

Sena shook her head. "Only child."

The conversation paused for a beat.

For some reason, Reiji thought about that moment in the library again. How he had held Aoi’s hand. How he had been trying to understand his own feelings. But here he was, talking to Sena—*not because of some lesson, but because he actually wanted to.*

*And that realization made something tighten in his chest.*

Sena, unaware of his thoughts, sighed and leaned back. "Alright, not bad for a first attempt. Next time, try making it feel more natural."

Reiji rolled his eyes. "Sure, whatever you say."

But even as they continued talking, *he couldn’t shake the feeling that things were changing—whether he was ready for it or not.*