Silence filled the clubroom. You felt the tension grow between the two of you. Rin stared at you. You gave her an unrelenting gaze. You never lost eye contact and no one blinked.
You felt the club members hold their breath tensely as their eyes were dead set on the two of you.
The room was completely silent. No one dared to talk.
Two minutes.
Two minutes and thirty seconds.
Three minutes?
You tried estimating how long you've been staring at her, but you lost track of time. She still looked as determined as ever, but you sensed how tired she was.
Everyone felt tense. The room had so much tension, and it really made the room still, almost as though time stopped. But it didn't. The clock moved its hands at a fixed tempo, probably tired of the silence. And the bland and mundane activity being held at this very moment.
Rin blinked her eyes.
'Over! Nozomi-chan is the winner,' everyone cheered, save for Rin.
'I lost... at my own game?' Rin cried, tears welling up in her eyes.
'It's okay, Rin,' you comfort her, walking over to where she was seated. You kiss her gently on the forehead, giving her a quick smile to tell her to be patient and wait for later.
Everyone laughed over the fact that all of us got so worked up over a staring contest. The most mundane of activities one could think of. The clock felt more lively, and the birds outside started chirping.
'Everyone was watching, huh?' you tease, causing everyone to burst into another fit of laughter, and you weren't safe from your own joke, either.
'You two had no choice but to watch!' Hanayo pointed out, looking at Rin and you.
'That's right!' everyone cheered, the laughter never ending.