كان الاعتراف بداية لعبة العقاب — 第三章 校门口的等待

Chapter 3: Waiting at the School Gate

From that day on, Nanjo appeared at the school gate.

He did not block the way. He stood a little to the left, as if waiting for weather that would arrive late. When Aoi tried to pass on the right, he still took her bag, the motion so natural that bystanders had nothing to tease.

“This is heavy,” she said.

“Liking someone is heavy to begin with,” Nanjo answered evenly. “The game only set the weight on the table ahead of time.”

Aoi stared at his profile and suddenly did not know whether the spinner had stopped on that square by chance, or because someone had lightly touched the edge with a finger.

She did not ask. If she asked, it would become another confession.