The fever faded.
But the weight in Ren's chest hadn't.
He stood at the balcony of his apartment, wrapped in a loose hoodie, cup of warm barley tea in hand. The sky was pale. Clouds floated gently, as if mocking how heavy everything felt below.
Emi. Yui. Rika. Haruka. Mei.
He closed his eyes.
And let the memories come.
✿ Emi Tachibana
The first smile.
It was after a failed science lab—Ren spilled acid, his partner screamed, and the entire class laughed.
Except Emi.
She stayed after, cleaning the mess beside him, not saying a word until the last beaker was placed back on the shelf.
Then, quietly:
"You're terrible at science.""Thanks.""But good at smiling through disaster. I like that."
He laughed. For the first time that month.
She smiled too.
And something shifted.
❖ Yui Sakamoto
The first fight.
She hated him at first.
He bumped into her. Spilled milk on her uniform. Forgot her name. Twice.
She threw chalk at him once. He threw back her eraser. It hit a teacher.
They both got detention.
She glared at him for ten minutes straight.
Then finally said:
"You're dumb.""You're loud.""...Wanna walk home together?"
He thought she was joking.
She wasn't.
That walk changed everything.
♡ Rika Minami
The first secret.
She caught him sketching in his notebook.
Not schoolwork. Just rough manga-style girls, scenery, a boy holding an umbrella.
"You draw?" she asked, leaning close."A little," he muttered.
She didn't tease.
She took the notebook. Flipped through it. Gave it back with a grin.
"Next time, draw me."
He did.
She never saw it.
But he kept it anyway.
Because that was the first time someone looked at something he made…
And saw him in it.
❄ Haruka Aizawa
The first silence.
She didn't say much.
But when Ren forgot his lunch during midterms, she slid a rice ball across the desk.
No words.
Just that.
He didn't ask.
She didn't explain.
And yet… the moment was louder than a confession.
🌙 Mei Kanzaki
The first rhythm.
It was always the mornings.
The juice box.
The simple glances.
The comments about his wrong-side-up sandwich.
She never flirted. Never pushed.
She just stayed.
And somehow, being seen without being chased…
Was the most dangerous feeling of all.
Ren opened his eyes.
The sky hadn't changed.
But his heart had.
"I felt something real with all of them," he whispered."And I'm scared… that no matter who I choose, I'll lose the others."
His phone buzzed.
One message.
From none of them.
From a new number.
Unknown:
"Looking forward to transferring in tomorrow. I hear your school is… interesting."
Ren blinked.
"…What now?"