It was Friday morning, and Kaede lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her mind a chaotic mess of emotions. She still couldn't fully wrap her head around what had happened yesterday. Mirei, the girl she'd admired and cared for, was now someone else's girlfriend.
"Now Mirei is someone's girlfriend…" Kaede mumbled to herself. "Does that mean she won't walk with me to school anymore? Won't talk to me the same way?"
Frustration bubbled up inside her, and she let out a soft yell, muffled by her pillow. It wasn't fair. Mirei was supposed to be hers—not in some possessive way, but in the sense that Kaede had admired her, had feelings for her. Even if it wasn't in this bizarre timeline, her crush on Mirei had been there long before this entire strange sequence of events.
Kaede sighed deeply, sitting up and running her hands through her hair. "What can I do now? Mirei's happy… and I just have to be happy for her. As her friend."
The word "friend" felt heavy on her tongue, but what else could she do? Mirei had no idea how Kaede really felt, moreover it was hard for Kaede to tell her feelings as they both were girl.
She got ready for school slowly, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Mirei. Once she was dressed and her bag packed, she stood hesitantly by the door, debating whether she should wait for Mirei or just go on ahead. Maybe Mirei already had plans with her new boyfriend this morning. Should she even ask?
Just as Kaede was about to make a decision, she heard the familiar sound of Mirei's door opening. She turned around, and there was Mirei, standing in the doorway with her usual cheerful smile.
"Good morning, Kaede!" Mirei greeted her with that infectious brightness. "Ready to go to school together?"
Kaede blinked, momentarily surprised. "Y-Yeah, of course." She forced a smile and fell into step beside Mirei.
As they walked, Kaede felt a knot form in her stomach. There were so many things she wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure where to start. Her mind swirled with questions about Mirei's new boyfriend, but every time she opened her mouth, the words wouldn't come out.
"So… are you not going to school with your boyfriend?" Kaede finally asked, trying to sound casual.
Mirei shook her head. "Nope. He said his house is pretty far away from here, and I don't want to be a demanding girlfriend from day one, you know?" She chuckled, clearly comfortable talking about him.
Kaede's heart sank a little. It was so easy for Mirei to talk about him. "His name is Kouki, right?" she asked, hoping to keep the conversation going.
"Yeah, Kouki," Mirei said with a dreamy look in her eyes. "He's my first boyfriend, you know? I'm already seventeen, and I thought I'd never get one."
Kaede felt a jolt of surprise at that. She had always assumed that Mirei, being as pretty and charming as she was, would have had guys lining up for her. "Really? I figured you must've had tons of admirers," Kaede said, genuinely curious.
Mirei shrugged, smiling a little. "Nah, I guess I was always too focused on other things. But Kouki… he's really sweet. I'm glad I confessed."
Kaede forced a smile, nodding as Mirei continued to talk about Kouki. Every word felt like a tiny needle poking at her heart. Mirei's happiness was evident in the way she spoke, and Kaede couldn't bring herself to interrupt it. But deep down, she couldn't help but hope that Kouki wasn't a bad guy. He better not hurt her.
The rest of the day went by in a blur, and soon enough, school was over. As Kaede and Mirei walked out of the school gates, Kaede noticed a familiar figure standing nearby. Kouki. He was waiting for Mirei, and judging by the excited whispers of the other girls at their school, he was quite the catch.
Mirei hesitated when she saw him, glancing at Kaede uncertainly. Kaede noticed the hesitation and smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's okay, Mirei. You should go with him."
Mirei bit her lip, looking apologetic. "I'm really sorry, Kaede. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah, no worries," Kaede replied, waving her off. She watched as Mirei walked over to Kouki, her heart feeling strangely heavy.
As Mirei and Kouki walked away together, Kaede sighed, her shoulders slumping. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was walking home alone. The city felt a little lonelier, the streets a little quieter without Mirei by her side.
Over the next two weeks, things only grew more distant. Mirei spent more and more time with Kouki, and soon enough, he even started coming to her house in the mornings to walk with her to school. Kaede found herself left out, and it hurt more than she expected. The time she once spent with Mirei was now occupied by someone else.
Kaede didn't have many other friends. In fact, she didn't have any. She had always been shy, content to just stick by Mirei's side. But now that Mirei was busy, Kaede was left with no one to turn to. She tried to fill the growing void with schoolwork and distractions, but it wasn't enough.
That's when she decided to get a part-time job.
The idea had come to her during one of her lonelier afternoons. If she couldn't spend time with Mirei, then she might as well keep herself busy. There was a small café not far from her house, and she figured it would be a good place to start. She applied for the job and was hired as a waitress almost immediately.
At first, it was strange—balancing school with a job. But soon, Kaede found herself enjoying the work. The café was cozy, and the customers were kind. She found herself getting into a routine, and the job helped take her mind off of Mirei's absence.
During her shifts, Kaede could almost forget about the ache in her chest. The hours passed quickly as she took orders, served coffee, and chatted with the regulars. For the first time in weeks, she felt like she had a place to belong.
Still, no matter how much she tried to focus on her new activities, thoughts of Mirei lingered in the back of her mind. She missed her. She missed the mornings they spent walking together, the afternoons they shared after school.
But now… Mirei had Kouki.
Kaede sighed, wiping down a table at the end of her shift. Maybe this was just how things were meant to be. Mirei was happy, and Kaede would support her as a friend. That's all she could do.
But deep down, Kaede knew that it wasn't enough.