Chapter 3 - The Distance Between Us
1482 Words
There are two kinds of silence.
Comfortable silence.
And the kind currently filling Apartment 3-B.
It was 10:42 PM.
The lights were dim.
The city outside the window shimmered faintly.
And in the middle of the room—
A double bed existed like a problem neither of us wanted to acknowledge.
Saotome Airi stood on one side of it.
I stood on the other.
“This is stupid,” she muttered.
“It’s just sleeping.”
“It’s not just sleeping!”
I considered that.
“I promise not to move.”
“That’s worse!”
“…How?”
“Because that means you’re thinking about it!”
I wasn’t.
At least, I didn’t think I was.
She grabbed a pillow and placed it between us.
“There. Border.”
“Like a territorial dispute.”
“Exactly.”
I lay down on the far edge.
She lay down stiffly on the opposite side.
There was approximately one meter between us.
And a pillow wall.
This was fine.
Probably.
Five seconds passed.
Ten.
Then—
“Are you asleep?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“It’s been ten seconds.”
“Oh.”
Silence again.
Then—
“…Are you uncomfortable?”
“No.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
She shifted slightly.
The mattress dipped.
I could feel it.
The awareness of another person in the same bed was… noticeable.
But not unbearable.
“You really don’t care?” she asked quietly.
“About what?”
“Sleeping next to a girl.”
“…We’re partners.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Her voice was softer now.
Less aggressive.
More uncertain.
I stared at the ceiling.
“Should I care?”
She turned slightly toward me.
I could feel her gaze even without looking.
“Most guys would.”
“Why?”
“…Because I’m me.”
I finally turned my head.
In the dim light, her pink hair spread across the pillow.
Her eyes reflected the faint glow from outside.
“You’re popular,” I said.
Her brows furrowed.
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
“Then what are you asking?”
Her lips parted.
Then she turned away quickly.
“Nothing. Forget it.”
I didn’t understand.
But I let it go.
After a while, her breathing evened out.
She fell asleep.
I thought I would too.
But sometime during the night—
Something changed.
The pillow barrier was gone.
And something warm was pressing lightly against my arm.
I opened my eyes slowly.
Airi had rolled closer in her sleep.
Her forehead rested near my shoulder.
Her hand lightly gripping the fabric of my shirt.
Her expression—
Peaceful.
Completely different from her daytime persona.
No sharp glare.
No flushed frustration.
Just… soft.
I stared for a moment.
This was dangerous.
Not in a scandalous way.
But in a complicated way.
If she woke up like this—
I carefully tried to shift away.
Her fingers tightened slightly.
“…Don’t go,” she mumbled faintly.
I froze.
Was she awake?
No.
Still asleep.
Probably dreaming.
I stayed still.
After a few minutes, she relaxed again.
Her grip loosened.
I gently moved to the edge of the bed.
Crisis avoided.
Probably.
—
The next morning was not peaceful.
She woke up first.
Sat up.
Stretched.
Then froze.
Her eyes slowly turned toward me.
Then toward the space between us.
Then—
She noticed the pillow on the floor.
Her face drained of color.
“…Did we—”
“No.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“You moved in your sleep.”
Her entire face turned red instantly.
“I-I did not!”
“You did.”
“I would never!”
“You said ‘don’t go.’”
Silence.
Complete.
Devastating silence.
“…I WHAT?”
“You were asleep.”
“I-I was dreaming!”
“Probably.”
She buried her face in her hands.
“This is a nightmare.”
“You were just sleeping.”
“Stop being calm about it!”
I didn’t know what reaction she expected.
Should I tease her?
That felt unnecessary.
She peeked at me through her fingers.
“You didn’t think anything weird, right?”
“No.”
That answer came naturally.
Because it was true.
Her expression shifted slightly.
Something unreadable passed through her eyes.
“…Oh.”
She turned away.
Why did that “oh” sound disappointed?
—
At school, things became complicated.
The compatibility ranking board updated every Monday morning.
Couples were listed publicly.
Apartment 3-B:
Kisaragi Haruto & Saotome Airi — Rank 9
Murmurs spread immediately.
“Already top ten?”
“That fast?”
“Isn’t she supposed to like Takamine?”
I didn’t think much of it.
But Airi stiffened beside me.
“Why are we ninth?”
“We worked well.”
“That’s not the point.”
She glanced across the courtyard.
Where Ren and Hina stood.
Their ranking?
Rank 12.
Airi’s lips pressed together.
Her gaze sharpened.
Competition.
That made sense.
She didn’t want to lose to Hina.
That was all.
Right?
—
During lunch, Hina approached me.
“Haruto, can we talk?”
“Sure.”
We stepped aside near the vending machines.
She smiled.
But her eyes looked slightly strained.
“You’re already rank nine.”
“Apparently.”
“Are you… having fun?”
“Fun?”
“With her.”
I thought about it.
“She’s energetic.”
Hina’s fingers tightened around her juice box.
“…Do you like spending time with her?”
“She’s my partner.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Why was everyone asking that today?
“She’s interesting,” I said honestly.
Hina fell silent.
Then—
“Haruto… if you had to choose—”
“Hina.”
A voice cut in sharply.
We both turned.
Airi stood a few meters away.
Her expression was perfectly composed.
Too composed.
“Practice session. We’re supposed to submit a joint reflection.”
“Oh,” Hina said quickly. “Of course.”
Airi’s eyes flickered briefly toward Hina’s hand.
Still holding my sleeve lightly.
Her jaw tightened.
But she smiled.
Politely.
“Sorry to interrupt.”
She wasn’t sorry.
Not even a little.
As we walked away—
She didn’t say anything at first.
Then—
“You’re close.”
“With Hina?”
“Yes.”
“We’ve known each other for years.”
“That doesn’t mean anything.”
“It usually does.”
She stopped walking.
I turned.
Her expression was different.
Less angry.
More… unsettled.
“If she confessed to you,” she asked quietly, “what would you do?”
I blinked.
“Confess?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I’d think about it.”
Her eyes widened slightly.
“You wouldn’t reject her immediately?”
“Why would I?”
“She’s your childhood friend!”
“Yes.”
“That makes it obvious!”
“Obvious what?”
She stared at me like I was beyond saving.
“You really are dense.”
I tilted my head.
“Is that bad?”
She looked away.
“…It’s annoying.”
But her voice was quieter now.
And when we resumed walking—
She walked slightly closer than before.
Close enough that our shoulders brushed.
She didn’t move away.
And this time—
Neither did I.
—
That evening, while reviewing our next task—
Airi suddenly asked:
“If I liked someone… and then started liking someone else… does that make me shallow?”
I looked up.
“Depends.”
“On what?”
“Why you started liking the other person.”
She hesitated.
“…What if he’s just… there?”
“That’s vague.”
“What if he’s calm. And kind. And annoying.”
“That’s contradictory.”
She glared at me briefly.
“Hypothetically.”
“Then maybe your feelings changed naturally.”
Her fingers tightened around the tablet.
“…Even if you swore you’d never fall for someone like him?”
“That happens.”
She went quiet.
Very quiet.
Then she stood up suddenly.
“Idiot.”
“For what?”
“Nothing!”
She walked toward the bedroom.
But before closing the door—
She glanced back at me.
Just for a second.
Her cheeks were faintly pink.
And her eyes—
Confused.
—
Compatibility Score Updated:
60 → 67
Airi stared at it like it personally betrayed her existence.
“Why does it keep going up?!”
“We didn’t even do anything.”
She looked at me.
Long.
Hard.
“…That’s the problem.”
I genuinely had no idea what she meant.
But one thing was becoming clear.
This wasn’t just competition anymore.
And whatever was growing between us—
It wasn’t part of the assignment.
- Writer
