The next morning, Kuze woke up with a grin he couldn’t shake. His hand instinctively touched his cheek where Masha had kissed him last night. The simple gesture had sent his thoughts spinning all night, and now, heading back to school, he couldn’t help but feel like things were different. 
When Kuze arrived at school, he felt nervous for the first time in a while. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he saw Masha again after last night. Would she act differently? Would it be awkward? He shook his head, telling himself to calm down.
He was still thinking about it when Masha walked into the classroom. The moment she stepped inside, their eyes met, and time seemed to freeze for a second. Kuze could feel the heat rising to his cheeks, but Masha, ever the composed one, smiled at him — a small, knowing smile that only deepened the color in his face.
“Good morning,” she greeted, sliding into her seat next to him, her tone casual yet laced with something more.
Kuze cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. “Morning. How are you?”
Masha tilted her head playfully. “I’m fine. Why? You seem more nervous than usual.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly. “I’m not nervous.”
“Really?” Masha’s eyebrow lifted in amusement. “You’re blushing.”
Kuze opened his mouth to deny it, but the look on Masha’s face told him she was teasing him. He groaned, slumping in his seat. “Okay, maybe a little.”
Masha giggled, the sound light and melodious. She reached over and gently nudged his arm. “Relax, Kuze. I’m not going to bite.”
The class began to fill with students, and their teacher walked in, signaling the start of the day. But even as the lecture began, Kuze could feel Masha’s presence beside him, more intensely than usual. There was a warmth, a connection that had solidified after last night. He couldn’t help but steal glances at her, watching how she scribbled notes, the way her hair fell over her shoulder, and how she occasionally smiled to herself.
About halfway through the lesson, Kuze felt something soft bump into his arm. He glanced down to see a small folded piece of paper being nudged toward him by Masha’s elbow. He looked at her questioningly, but she was focused on her notebook, pretending as if she hadn’t done anything.
Curious, Kuze unfolded the note under the desk.
*“Hey, daydreaming much? You’re going to miss the whole lesson if you keep staring at me like that. ;)”*
Kuze’s face flushed, and he quickly glanced at Masha, who finally turned her head slightly, just enough to give him a knowing smirk. He could only imagine how proud of herself she must’ve been for catching him like that. 
He grabbed his pen and scribbled a reply before passing it back to her.
*“I wasn’t staring... just thinking. And you’re not helping by writing this!”*
A few seconds later, Masha’s hand crept across the desk again, pushing the note back toward him.
*“Thinking about me, huh? Interesting... :)”*
Kuze closed his eyes, his heart pounding. He wanted to sink into his chair, but instead, he decided to own up to it. With a slight smile, he wrote his response.
*“Maybe. I mean, you did kiss me last night.”*
Masha’s smile faltered for a second as she read his reply, and she turned her face away, trying to hide the flush that crept up her neck. It was clear that, despite her teasing confidence, she wasn’t immune to her own feelings.
By the end of the lesson, neither of them had paid much attention to the material. When the bell rang, signaling lunchtime, they both stood up at the same time, bumping into each other in the process.
“Oops!” Masha laughed, stepping back quickly. “We’re off to a clumsy start.”
Kuze grinned sheepishly. “Yeah, looks like it.”
As they walked toward the cafeteria, Masha gave him a sidelong glance. “So... about last night. I was wondering if we should talk about it.”
Kuze’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected her to bring it up so soon. “Uh, sure. What do you want to talk about?”
Masha sighed softly, her expression more serious now. “I just don’t want things to get weird between us. I mean, I like where we are, and I don’t want to ruin that with awkwardness.”
Kuze frowned, his chest tightening. He didn’t want things to get weird either, but at the same time, he didn’t want to pretend that nothing had changed. “I get that,” he said carefully. “But... things are already kind of different, don’t you think? I mean, after last night, I don’t think we can just go back to how things were.”
Masha bit her lip, her eyes scanning the floor as they walked. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just don’t know what to do with... all of this.”
Kuze took a deep breath, his voice soft but steady. “Maybe we don’t have to know right now. Maybe we can just... take it one step at a time. See where this goes.”
Masha glanced up at him, her gaze full of uncertainty, but also something hopeful. “Yeah... I like that. One step at a time.”
They shared a small, mutual smile, and the tension between them eased just a little. It wasn’t a grand resolution, but it was a start.
By the time they reached the cafeteria, the awkwardness had been replaced by a renewed sense of ease. They fell into their usual rhythm — teasing, laughing, and sharing stories as they ate. But now, there was a new layer to their connection, something deeper that neither of them could fully explain yet.
As they sat together, Alya passed by their table, raising an eyebrow when she saw how close they were sitting. “Oh ho, what’s this? Are you two finally a thing now?”
Masha almost choked on her drink, quickly wiping her mouth as her face turned beet red. “W-What? No, we’re just... studying partners! Right, Kuze?”
Kuze’s eyes widened, and he stammered in agreement, though the heat in his cheeks betrayed him. “Y-Yeah, that’s all.”
Alya smirked, clearly not buying it. “Uh-huh, sure. You both are terrible liars, by the way.”
Before Masha or Kuze could respond, Alya waved them off with a laugh, disappearing into the crowd. Masha groaned, burying her face in her hands. “Oh my god, she’s never going to let us live that down.”
Kuze chuckled softly, nudging her playfully. “Well, she’s not entirely wrong, is she?”
Masha peeked through her fingers, her eyes widening at his words. “Wait, are you saying—?”
Kuze shrugged, his face turning red again. “I mean... we did kind of just agree that things are different now, right? So... maybe she’s not that far off.”
Masha’s heart raced at his words, and for a moment, all she could do was stare at him, speechless. Finally, she smiled, her face still flushed but her eyes shining with something more. “Yeah... maybe she’s not.”
As they continued their lunch, Kuze and Masha couldn’t help but feel that this was just the beginning of something new — something exciting, terrifying, and full of possibilities.