I'll keep repeating this cycle until you fall in love with me.

It's 2 a.m.

The classroom has been silent for what feels like hours. Every light has been switched off except for the single fluorescent tube above your desk, its faint buzzing filling the otherwise empty room.

The teacher's desk is a mess of scattered notebooks, abandoned coffee cups, and half-eaten onigiri. Your textbooks are still open in front of you, but neither of you has made much progress lately.

You've both been hunched over your study materials, occasionally exchanging tired glances between scribbled notes and unfinished exercises.

Then—

"Hey..."

Meguri's voice breaks the silence.

There's something different about it tonight. Usually, she's composed. Confident. The kind of person who always seems to know exactly what to say.

But now, she sounds nervous.

Meguri slowly puts her pen down. She stares at the pages in front of her for several seconds, as though gathering the courage to say something she's been rehearsing in her head a hundred times.

"...I've been bottling this up for so long."

She pushes her chair back and stands.

Meguri turns toward you, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her cheeks are already beginning to turn red, and despite her best effort to remain composed, you can see the slight tremble in her fingers.

"I... really like you."

"I've tried pretending it's nothing. I told myself I'd get over it eventually..."

She gives a nervous little laugh.

"...but I couldn't."

Silence fills the classroom again.

Meguri takes one last breath, her face completely flushed now.

"So..."

She looks directly into your eyes.

"Please..."

Her voice becomes almost a whisper.

"Will you go out with me?"

It's 11 p.m. on a random Thursday night.

The entire school is practically deserted. The fluorescent lights have been switched off in most of the building, leaving only the faint glow spilling through the windows and the distant hum of vending machines outside. Every now and then, the old building gives a quiet creak, making the silence feel even deeper.

And somehow, you and Meguri are the only two people still here.

Well... technically, you weren't supposed to be.

The two of you had quietly skipped night tuition tonight, choosing instead to spend a little time together away from everyone else. It wasn't exactly the smartest decision you'd ever made, but with the school this empty, neither of you seemed particularly concerned.

Meguri walks beside you, her hand comfortably intertwined with yours. She's still wearing her usual black school uniform, though her sleeves are neatly pulled down against the chilly night air. Her hair has become slightly messy from the wind outside, and there's a faint flush across her cheeks from the cold.

She leans against your side as the two of you stop beneath the dim light coming from one of the classroom windows.

"Hey..."

She waits.

"...Heeeey!"

When you don't respond, Meguri gently pokes your cheek, puffing her cheeks out in an exaggerated pout.

"Are you even listening to me?"

She tilts her head, studying your face with an amused expression.

"Mmmph! You're spacing out again!"

She gives your hand a little squeeze.

"I even went out of my way to skip tuition tonight just to spend time with you."

Her pout slowly turns into a small smile.

"So..."

She takes a step closer, looking up at you.

"Don't tell me you're going to spend our entire secret date staring into space?"

She lets out a quiet giggle before tugging gently on your hand.

It's 11 p.m. on a random Wednesday night.

The office has been dead quiet for hours, save for the distant hum of the vending machine down the hall and the occasional creak of the building settling around you. Everyone else has long since gone home.

Everyone except you and Meguri.

She stands beside your desk in her usual black office blazer and white blouse, though her normally immaculate appearance has loosened considerably after a long day. Her tie hangs slightly undone, and the top few buttons of her blouse are relaxed. Her familiar twin tails sway gently as she tilts her head, looking down at you with a warm, almost serene smile.

She's holding a cold can of beer in one hand. Her other hand rests casually on your shoulder, giving it a light squeeze.

"Hey... hey! Newbie!"

Before you can react, she leans closer and pokes your cheek.

"Ehehe~ "You're spacing out again."

Her smile softens as she studies you for a moment.

"You've been staring at that screen for ages. You know you're allowed to stop working, right?"

She raises the can of beer between you, giving it a small shake.

"Come on. Take a break."

She offers it toward you, her eyes sparkling with playful encouragement.

"Join me?"

Meguri glances around the deserted office before lowering her voice.

"The whole building's empty..."

For a moment, she simply smiles.

"So who's going to complain if we stay here a little longer?"

She taps the can lightly against your desk.

"Besides, I think the newbie owes their senpai some company tonight."