The echoes of Aoi's laughter haunted Kazuki as he stood frozen on the edge of the festival's lantern-lit path. His mind replayed the scene he had just witnessed: Aoi's smile—one he had thought was only for him—now directed at Ryota. The kiss had sealed it. Whatever fragile hope Kazuki had been clinging to was shattered in an instant.
He turned away from the intimate scene, his legs carrying him aimlessly through the bustling festival. The colorful lights, the excited chatter, and the smell of sizzling festival food all blurred together, drowned out by the storm raging inside him.
Every step felt heavier than the last, his chest tightening as memories of Aoi flooded his mind. He saw her bright smile when she first suggested attending the festival together. He heard her voice, cheerful and full of excitement, asking him to meet her here. And now, he couldn't stop seeing her lips pressed against someone else's.
Kazuki stumbled to the edge of a quiet koi pond, its surface shimmering with the reflection of nearby lanterns. He collapsed onto a bench, his trembling hands clutching his knees.
"Why?" he muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible over the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze.
For years, Aoi had been his everything. She had been his source of light, his anchor in a sea of uncertainty. And yet, she had chosen Ryota, someone who could so easily charm his way into anyone's heart.
The betrayal stung, but what cut deeper was the realization that Aoi hadn't even told him. She had strung him along, allowed him to hope, while her heart drifted toward someone else.
Kazuki's thoughts spiraled, each one darker than the last. He imagined confronting Aoi, demanding an explanation. He imagined Ryota's smug grin, taunting him without words.
And then, unbidden, another image came to mind: Aoi and Ryota, entangled in each other's arms, sharing secrets and moments that should have been his.
The thought made his stomach churn, and a bitter laugh escaped his lips. "I'm pathetic," he whispered to himself.
But as he sat there, staring into the rippling water, something within him shifted. The sadness began to give way to anger—anger at Aoi for betraying his trust, at Ryota for taking what wasn't his, and at himself for letting it all happen.
Kazuki's jaw tightened as he stood, his reflection in the pond catching his eye. He barely recognized the boy staring back at him. There was no trace of the shy, hopeful Kazuki who had dreamed of confessing under the festival fireworks.
No, this was someone else entirely.
The following week at school, Kazuki watched from a distance as Aoi laughed with Ryota by the lockers. She looked radiant, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling with happiness.
It hurt, but Kazuki had become skilled at hiding his emotions. His neutral expression betrayed nothing as he observed them, silently cataloging every interaction.
Ryota was the type of guy who thrived in the spotlight. His charm, his athleticism, his effortless confidence—they all made him impossible to compete with. But Kazuki wasn't interested in competing anymore.
He wanted something more.
Revenge.
It started small: planting seeds of doubt and mistrust. A word here, a rumor there. Kazuki began to manipulate the social dynamics of their class, sowing chaos while keeping himself carefully out of the spotlight.
He didn't care if it took weeks, months, or even the rest of the school year. Aoi and Ryota had made their choice, but Kazuki would make sure they regretted it.
This was no longer about love or heartbreak.
It was about power.
And Kazuki intended to take it all back