Sera finished setting up the mattress, giving it a final pat before stretching.
"There. That should be good enough," she said.
Rei nodded as he settled onto his bedding. The room was quiet, aside from the faint sound of the wind outside.
Sera sat on her bed and asked, "Should I turn off the light?"
Rei, still lying on his mattress, replied, "I don't have a problem with that."
Sera turned off the light, laying back on her bed. "Anyways, sorry about this," she muttered. "My mom has a habit of snoring and kicking in her sleep… If I slept with her, I wouldn't make it through the night. And I'm used to sleeping in my own bed, so I wouldn't be able to sleep in Alya's room either."
Rei chuckled. "I don't mind. It's kinda cozy."
The room fell into silence, the only sounds being the wind outside and the soft rustling of blankets.
After a while, Sera spoke up again. "We have a trip next week… Are you coming?"
Rei turned his head toward her silhouette. "Yeah, there's nothing wrong with having some fun," he replied.
Another quiet pause. Then, Rei asked, his voice softer, "Hey, Sera… what do you think about me?"
Sera thought for a moment before replying.
"That was out of nowhere… but anyway…
I mean, you're good-looking… but somehow, you've never been in a relationship. You're average at studies… not too good at sports… and you kinda suck at cooking."
Rei scoffed, shaking his head. "Woah. That was some mixed feedback."
Sera smirked. "Just being honest."
Then, she turned to him. "What about me? What do you think about me?"
Rei sat up slightly, resting his arms on his knees. He hesitated before letting out a small sigh.
"You're good at studies… good at cooking… good at sports… and even when it comes to looks," he paused before finishing, "You're kinda perfect. And I… I'm just a good-for-nothing friend."
Sera stayed silent for a moment. Then, she turned on her side, facing him.
"Idiot," she muttered, her voice softer than before. "You're just a little dumb sometimes."
Rei blinked in surprise. "Huh?"
Sera sighed, rolling onto her back again. "If you weren't coming on the trip… it would've been lonely."
Rei's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't expected that.
Sera yawned, rubbing her eyes. "I'm too tired to argue with you about this," she murmured before curling up.
Rei watched as her breathing evened out. She had fallen asleep—maybe the exhaustion from cooking had finally caught up to her.
The room was still. The faint scent of roses lingered in the air, mixing with the warmth of the blankets.
Rei remained awake. His gaze drifted to Sera—her peaceful face, lips slightly parted as she breathed.
He slowly sat up, his eyes softening. He reached out, fingertips gently brushing against her cheek. A feather-light touch, nothing more.
His thumb traced the soft outline of her lips before he pulled away. No bad thoughts. No hesitation. Just… something unspoken.
The moonlight cast a soft glow over her. She looked so calm, so at peace.
Rei exhaled, barely whispering, "I don't know how, but the more time I spend with you… the deeper I fall."
A quiet breath. Then, even softer—
"I love you."
But Sera didn't stir. She remained still, lost in sleep, completely unaware.
Rei lay back down, staring at the ceiling, his heart still racing.
Maybe it was better this way.
Maybe some things were meant to stay unspoken.
—To be continued
~Rei