There was no addressee or sender’s name on the envelope. She picked it up curiously. It was unsealed, and inside was a sheet of paper to match the envelope.

Dear Kokoro-chan,

Whenever you get here next, please drop by the room where we play video games. You might see something pretty wicked.

Subaru

Kokoro felt her heart pound.

She was elated that he’d been thinking of her. She thought of how she’d run away when she’d seen Aki and Fuka looking so cosy, and tears welled in her eyes.

She walked speedily over to the Game Room where the kids were all gathered, except for Rion. When she spotted Ureshino, she hesitated.

‘Kokoro,’ Aki called.

‘Hi, there.’ Ureshino’s voice was low. She expected him to launch into his usual Hey, Kokoro-chan cloying self, but this time he didn’t. For some reason he avoided her eye.

Kokoro struggled to explain her five-day absence and looked to Subaru to rescue her. But he just smiled broadly and said, ‘It’s been a while, Kokoro-chan.’

Masamune, game controller in hand, watched the proceedings with his usual smirk.

Something seemed off. ‘You know …’ Ureshino began, and Kokoro braced herself.

But his eye was on – Fuka.

‘Fuka-chan, what do your close mates call you? Do they ever call you Fuchan or anything?’

Fuka was reading her book. She spoke without lifting her eyes from the page.

‘Nope. Even my mum usually calls me Fuka.’ She looked up and gave him a glare. ‘Why are you asking?’

‘Nah. Just wondering what other people call you.’

Fuka opened her book again, and her eyes met Kokoro’s. She looked like she wanted to say something, but instead she pursed her lips and carried on reading.

Despite Fuka’s chilly response, Ureshino continued staring.

Instinctively, Kokoro looked over at Subaru. He was the one, after all, who’d written the note telling her something wicked was afoot. But Subaru was simply observing, with a broad smile on his face.

Kokoro had no clue what had triggered it, but clearly Ureshino was now smitten with Fuka.

There were only three girls among them, and now he’d gone through each in turn.

‘DO YOU WANT TO GET together for tea, just us girls?’ It was Aki who was inviting her.

Kokoro was in her room. There had been a hesitant knock at the door, and Kokoro flinched for a second. But when she opened the door, it was Aki. With Fuka hovering behind her.

‘Uh, well …’

Kokoro had yet to really chat to Fuka. And it still hurt when she recalled how the two of them had seemed to be getting on so well without her.

Honestly though, Kokoro was overjoyed to be invited. ‘Just a second,’ she said, and went to fetch some cookies she’d brought from home.

Aki led them to the dining room where Kokoro had been the previous week.

‘I made tea,’ Aki said.