The private playground was almost empty, shadows stretching long across the swings and slide. A cold winter breeze swirled faintly, rustling the leaves that had fallen from nearby trees. The three girls stood in a loose triangle, tension thick enough to feel in the air.
Leah Boutsuki was the first to speak, her hands trembling slightly, lips pressed tight. "We… we need to talk. About Jousuke."
Rika Sakurai's arms were crossed, jaw tight. "Finally. I was wondering when someone would have the courage to say it out loud."
Kaede Miyazaki clutched her folder, her calm facade barely holding. "This… has to be civil, at least."
Leah's voice shook as she spat out, "Civil? We've been civil long enough! Do you think I haven't noticed how much you like him, Sakurai-san?"
Rika's eyes flared. "Don't you dare say I like him more than you, Boutsuki-san! I've been worrying about him too! I've been—"
Kaede raised a hand. "Stop!" Her voice cut through the cold air sharply. "Both of you are letting your emotions run wild! Listen to each other before you say things you'll regret!"
But Leah ignored her. "No! You don't get it, Miyazaki-san. He's—he's the one I care about! Every time I think about him, it hurts!"
"I care about him too, Boutsuki-san!" Rika's voice trembled, but the words were firm. "I love him! I've been trying to do what I can for him, every single day!"
Kaede stepped forward, voice quiet but icy. "Do you think yelling at each other will change anything? You're both showing me things I don't want to see—anger, jealousy… bitterness!"
Leah's eyes glistened. "Bitterness? You think I'm bitter, Miyazaki-san? I'm just—just—tired of pretending that I don't care!"
Rika's fists clenched. "I'm not pretending either, Boutsuki-san! Don't make it sound like I'm the enemy!"
Kaede exhaled sharply, gripping the folder. "This is exactly what I meant. Look at yourselves! This isn't helping Jousuke at all!"
The shouting continued, words colliding, voices echoing across the empty playground.
"I just want him back!" Leah cried suddenly, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"I want him back too!" Rika shouted, voice breaking, hot tears streaming. "I love him! How can you even doubt me?"
Kaede's lips pressed together, the corner of her eyes twitching slightly. She said nothing, but her silence carried weight, a wall between the other two and her.
Leah's face contorted with anger and despair. "Why do you act like you're better than me, Sakurai-san? Are you pretending to be the perfect girl for him?!"
"I'm not pretending!" Rika yelled, stepping forward. "Do you think I'm not scared? Do you think I'm not hurting too?!"
Kaede finally spoke, her voice calm but sharp. "Enough!"
Leah and Rika froze momentarily, their eyes snapping toward her. Kaede's face was unreadable, hands gripping the folder tightly. "You're fighting each other instead of thinking about Jousuke. You're letting jealousy and frustration show in ways he won't even understand."
Leah sniffled, wiping her tears. "He… he doesn't even know how much I care! I can't… I can't…"
Rika's shoulders shook violently, sobs escaping despite her attempts to stay composed. "I can't either! I love him so much…"
Kaede's gaze softened slightly but her tone remained firm. "I'm not crying, not because I don't care, but because you two need to calm down before you say something irreversible."
Leah turned to Rika, voice trembling with anger. "You… you're not the person I thought you were!"
Rika shot back, equally heated. "And you're not the person I thought either, Boutsuki-san! I didn't know you could get this… mean!"
Kaede shook her head slowly. "You're seeing each other's worst emotions and thinking that's the real person. That's not true, but neither of you will listen."
Leah's sobs came again, loud and jagged. "I hate this… I hate that I can't even talk to him properly!"
Rika's voice cracked in response. "Me too! And now you're yelling at me like I'm the enemy!"
Kaede pressed the folder against her chest. "I… I have to go." Without another word, she turned, walking quickly toward the exit of the playground. She didn't look back, didn't apologize, leaving Leah and Rika standing in shocked silence.
Leah sank to her knees on the gravel, hands covering her face. "I… I can't… I can't believe this…"
Rika kicked at the sand, tears streaking her cheeks. "Why does it have to be this hard? Why can't he just… just notice me like I notice him?!"
The playground fell into silence again, broken only by the soft rustle of the leaves. But this time, it was heavy, loaded with misunderstanding and unresolved anger.
Neither Leah nor Rika moved for several minutes, each staring at Kaede's retreating figure. Both thought the same thing:
"Kaede… she's so calm. How can she just walk away like that? Does she even care?"
"And you… you're impossible! How could you act like I'm the bad one?"
In their hearts, the anger and hurt festered, each interpreting the other's outburst as a glimpse of their true nature. And in doing so, the rift between them widened rather than closed.
They both loved Jousuke. They both cared. But now, all they saw in each other was a rival, a threat, a wall in the way of their hearts.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the playground in shades of gold and crimson, the three girls silently parted ways—two crying, one composed but distant—each carrying their own misunderstanding, their own frustration, and their own aching longing.
The battle of hearts had only just begun, and the lines between love, jealousy, and anger were already impossibly tangled.