The next day at school, Kaede immediately noticed something was off. Mirei, who usually greeted her with a smile and endless chatter about Kouki, seemed unusually quiet. Her usual brightness was dimmed, and Kaede could see it in her eyes—something was bothering her.
At lunch, Kaede couldn't help but ask. "Hey, Mirei, is everything okay? You don't seem like yourself today."
Mirei looked up from her lunch, her expression conflicted. She hesitated for a moment before sighing. "I… I had a fight with Kouki last night."
Kaede frowned, surprised. "What happened?"
Mirei shook her head, as if trying to shake off the memory. "It was after we went to the café. I didn't like the way he was mocking you. It really bothered me, so I told him off when we got home."
Kaede smiled softly, feeling touched by Mirei's concern. "Mirei, it's okay. You don't have to worry about me. Kouki was just being himself. I don't want this to come between you two."
Mirei bit her lip, clearly still frustrated. "But it's not okay! You're my best friend, and he shouldn't be treating you like that. I want him to see you the way I do, not as some kind of rival or enemy."
Kaede gave a small laugh. "Well, maybe it's not that serious. But I appreciate you standing up for me."
Mirei seemed to brighten slightly at that, and then an idea sparked in her eyes. "You know what? Tomorrow's Saturday. Do you have the day off work?"
Kaede nodded, confused by the sudden shift. "Yeah, I only work on weekdays. I didn't want to overwork myself."
Mirei's face lit up with excitement. "Perfect! How about we all go out together tomorrow? You, me, and Kouki. I want you two to get along better, and maybe if we spend time together, he'll see how great you are."
Kaede blinked, caught completely off guard. "Wait, what? You want me to hang out with you and your boyfriend? Mirei, that's crazy! I'll just be a third wheel. It'll be awkward."
Mirei shook her head, her determination clear. "No, it won't be awkward at all! I promise. I really want you two to become friends. It would mean a lot to me."
Kaede hesitated, the idea still feeling strange to her. Spending time with Mirei and Kouki together? It already felt like a nightmare in the making. She imagined walking around while they held hands, completely absorbed in each other while she trailed behind like an awkward shadow.
But Mirei's hopeful expression made it hard to say no.
With a sigh, Kaede finally gave in. "Alright, fine. I'll go. But if it gets weird, I'm leaving."
Mirei beamed and clasped Kaede's hands in excitement. "Thank you, Kaede! I promise it won't be weird. We're going to have so much fun!"
Kaede wasn't so sure about that, but she nodded anyway.
---
The next morning, Kaede found herself standing in front of the mirror, debating her outfit. She didn't want to look too casual, but she also didn't want to stand out. After some thought, she settled on a simple hoodie and a baseball cap, hoping to blend in and avoid drawing any attention.
By the time she left her house at 10 AM, she was already feeling a bit of nervousness creeping in. This whole situation felt wrong. Mirei's idea, though well-intentioned, seemed destined to create awkwardness.
When Kaede arrived at Mirei's house, she saw Kouki already standing out front, hands in his pockets, looking bored. She swallowed her discomfort and tried to be polite, giving him a small wave as she approached. "Hey."
Kouki didn't bother replying, merely glancing at her with indifference. Kaede sighed inwardly. Great start.
Before the awkward silence could stretch any further, Mirei burst out of the house, her energy as infectious as ever. "Good morning!" she chirped, greeting both Kaede and Kouki with her usual enthusiasm.
"Ready to go?" she asked, clapping her hands together. "I have everything planned for today."
Kaede nodded, though she wasn't entirely sure what Mirei had in mind. She followed them as they began walking, noticing how Mirei slipped into the middle, naturally placing herself between Kaede and Kouki. Kaede appreciated that small gesture, but the sense of being the odd one out still gnawed at her.
A few minutes into the walk, Kouki surprised them both by grabbing Mirei's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. Mirei blinked in surprise, looking down at their hands and then back up at him. "What's this all about? You don't usually want to walk like this."
Kouki shrugged, his tone casual. "Just felt like it today."
But Kaede could see through him. Kouki wasn't being affectionate out of the blue—he was showing off. His glances in Kaede's direction made that painfully clear. It was as if he wanted to prove something, to show Kaede that Mirei was his, and there was no room for anyone else in her life.
Kaede tried to brush it off, playing it cool as always. "Looks like someone's in a romantic mood," she teased lightly, though her heart wasn't really in it.
Mirei, sensing the slight tension, gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah, I guess so," she said, squeezing Kouki's hand. But there was a flicker of confusion in her eyes. It wasn't like Kouki to act this way in public, and Kaede knew Mirei was trying to figure out why he was suddenly being so possessive.
Kaede stayed quiet for the rest of the walk, keeping her eyes forward and ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach. She could feel Kouki's eyes on her every now and then, as if he was waiting for her to react, to show any sign that she was affected by his little display of affection.
But Kaede wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. She kept her face neutral, her hands shoved into her hoodie pockets, and focused on getting through the day.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of awkward silence and stolen glances, they arrived at their destination—a small theme park on the edge of town. It wasn't anything extravagant, but it was charming in its own way, with colorful rides and game booths scattered around.
Mirei's face lit up at the sight. "Here we are! Let's have fun today, okay?"
Kaede swallowed her nerves and forced a smile. "Yeah, let's."
But inside, she was already dreading what was to come. A theme park with Mirei and Kouki? The thought of being a third wheel in such a place felt like a nightmare. Watching them go on rides together, laughing and enjoying themselves, while she stood awkwardly on the sidelines—it was enough to make her wish she had never agreed to this in the first place.
Mirei, as always, seemed oblivious to the potential awkwardness of the situation. She was genuinely excited, determined to make the day a success. But Kaede couldn't help but feel that this was a terrible idea.
Still, she was here now. There was no turning back. She could only hope that the day wouldn't be as unbearable as she feared.