Some time before their graduation...
The brightness of the late afternoon cast long shadows across the quiet street as Yuki walked home from school beside Haruto. Her heart raced, beating louder than her footsteps, as she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. His usual calm demeanor only made her more nervous. Haruto had always been kind, but lately, Yuki had found herself noticing more—his quiet confidence, the way his smile softened when they talked, and how he made her feel safe. And now, with graduation fast approaching, she couldn't keep these feelings bottled up any longer.
She swallowed, gathering her courage.
"Haruto," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. He turned his head, giving her his full attention, and her throat tightened. "I… I wanted to talk to you about something important."
Haruto raised an eyebrow, his expression open but curious. "Sure, what's on your mind?"
Yuki's hands trembled as she fidgeted with the strap of her school bag. This was, the moment she'd been dreading and anticipating in equal measure. Her chest tightened as she tried to steady her breathing.
"I've been thinking a lot lately, she began, her voice shaky. "About us… and how I feel. It's-"
Just as she's about to finish, Kaito appears from around the corner, interrupting the moment.
"Yo! Haruto! Yuki!"
Yuki flinched as Kaito came bounding around the corner, his usual carefree grin plastered on his face. He jogged over, completely oblivious to the moment he'd interrupted. Yuki's heart sank, the words dying in her throat.
Haruto turned, looking surprised but not displeased. "Hey, Kaito. What's up?"
Kaito shrugged casually. "Nothing much. Just figured I'd join you guys. It's too quiet walking home alone."
Yuki bites her lip, silently cursing her missed opportunity as Kaito falls into step beside them. Her confession is lost in the conversation, and she's left feeling more confused and uncertain than ever.
The following day, Kaito found himself wandering toward the school library, though he didn't quite know why. Maybe it was just habit. Or maybe it was because he'd seen Aoi slipping inside earlier, clutching a notebook to her chest as she often did. Since the festival, something about Aoi had changed. She was someone who had shared a part of herself—a deeper, more personal part—through her writing.
Kaito spotted her at the back of the library, hunched over her notebook, lost in thought. Her face was illuminated by the soft glow of the afternoon sun filtering through the windows, and for a moment, Kaito just watched her, feeling something unfamiliar stirring in his chest.
He cleared his throat, and Aoi looked up, startled. A small smile tugged at her lips when she saw him.
"Hey," Kaito said, slipping into the seat across from her. "What're you working on? New story?"
Aoi looked down at her notebook, then back up at him with a shy smile. "Just some ideas. Nothing big."
Kaito tilted his head, watching her closely. "You always say that, but I bet it's great. You've got a real talent, you know?"
Aoi blushed faintly and averted her gaze. "It's just a hobby."
Kaito leaned back in his chair, feeling a strange urge to say something more, something that lingered in the back of his mind, but he wasn't quite sure how to put it into words. He liked this quiet, creative side of Aoi. It wasn't like the energy he shared with Haruto or the teasing banter he had with Yuki. With Aoi, everything felt… different.
"You really don't give yourself enough credit," Kaito said softly. "You're amazing, Aoi."
Aoi blinked, her expression faltering for a second, as if she didn't quite know how to take his words. There was a brief moment of silence between them, one where both felt something shift. But just as quickly as it had arrived, Aoi brushed it aside, her walls going up again.
"Thanks, Kaito," she said with a small smile, but her eyes darted back to her notebook, leaving him unsure of whether she understood how much he meant it.
Later that afternoon, Misaki sat in the art room, sketching the outline for a new painting. The rhythmic scratching of her pencil was soothing, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was off within their group. She had seen Yuki struggling to talk to Haruto lately, the tension in her friend's expression unmistakable. And then there was Kaito, who had been acting strange around Aoi—more serious, almost like he wasn't his usual carefree self.
The door to the art room creaked open, and Misaki glanced up to see Yuki standing hesitantly in the doorway.
"Misaki," Yuki said quietly, stepping inside. "Can I sit here for a bit?"
"Of course," Misaki replied, gesturing to the stool beside her. "What's on your mind?"
Yuki sat down and sighed, her shoulders slumping. "It's Haruto. I wanted to tell him how I feel… but I can't seem to do it. Every time I try, something stops me. And now, Kaito's always around, so it's even harder."
Misaki listened, her brow furrowing in thought. "Confessing your feelings is never easy," she said gently. "But you'll get your chance. Don't rush yourself, Yuki. Just be patient."
Yuki gave her a small, grateful smile, but the worry in her eyes didn't disappear. Misaki reached out and patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"You've got this. You just need to find the right moment," Misaki added.
Meanwhile, Aoi sat at the Sunset Café with the group later that evening, her thoughts drifting as the others chatted around her. She could feel Kaito's gaze on her from time to time, but every time she glanced at him, he looked away quickly, pretending to focus on something else. It was confusing. Had she imagined the shift in their dynamic, or was there something more going on?
"Hey, Aoi," Haruto called out, snapping her out of her thoughts. "You've been quiet today. Lost in writer's world again?"
Aoi laughed softly, trying to mask her unease. "Yeah, I guess."
But as she said the words, her mind kept replaying the conversations she'd had with Kaito recently. There was something there—an unspoken tension, a shift she didn't fully understand. She wasn't ready for romance, not with the emotional baggage she was still carrying. Yet, she couldn't deny that her heart skipped a beat whenever Kaito looked at her that way.
Across the table, Kaito's eyes lingered on her for just a moment longer, his own confusion mirroring hers. Neither of them knew what to do with the growing feelings between them, and it seemed neither was ready to confront it just yet.
As the evening came to a close, each of them left with their own unanswered questions and unspoken feelings. Yuki replayed the missed opportunity with Haruto, Kaito mulled over his growing affection for Aoi, and Aoi was left wondering whether she was imagining everything. Misaki, as always, sensed the emotional tangle building between her friends and worried about what would happen when it finally came to light.
The confessions they all longed for remained unsaid, and the confusion between them deepened, setting the stage for the emotional confrontations still to come.
To be continued...