Leo stood outside the music room, heart thudding.
He could still hear Yuki's voice from within—light, melodic, drifting through the air like wind chimes on a summer afternoon.
He waited until the final note faded, then knocked gently.
A pause.
Then the door opened.
Yuki stood there, flushed from practice, towel draped around her shoulders. She blinked at him.
"Oh," she said. "It's you."
"I wanted to talk," Leo said.
She hesitated. Then stepped aside.
The room was lit only by the fading evening light and a small desk lamp in the corner. Music sheets were scattered across the piano bench. A plastic bag with half-finished melon soda sat on the floor.
Leo took a breath.
"I'm sorry."
Yuki looked up.
"I should've explained what happened last night," he said. "You saw something that looked bad. And I didn't clear it up. That's on me."
She didn't respond right away. Just sat on the edge of the piano bench, looking at her hands.
"I wasn't angry," she finally said. "Not at you, at least."
Leo blinked. "Then…?"
"I was scared."
Her voice was quiet. Barely above a whisper.
"I've liked you for a long time, Leo. But I didn't know if it was just me. I thought maybe… maybe you didn't see me that way."
He stepped closer. "I do see you."
Yuki's eyes met his. Wet, uncertain.
"Then why do I feel like I'm always running to catch up?" she asked. "You're kind to everyone. You help everyone. And I don't know if I'm special or just… another person you're trying to help."
Leo sat down beside her. Close, but not too close.
"I never wanted to make you feel that way," he said. "You're not just anyone to me. You're Yuki. You're the one who dragged me out of my shell when I first got here. Who made me laugh when everything felt new and terrifying. I'm grateful for that. More than I've ever said."
She looked away.
He continued, voice lower. "But I've been scared too. I didn't know how to handle this—any of this. I didn't want to hurt anyone, so I ended up hurting everyone."
Yuki gave a soft laugh, bitter and sweet. "That's very Leo of you."
He smiled faintly. "Probably."
Silence stretched.
Then she asked, "Do you like me?"
He looked into her eyes.
"Yes."
It wasn't loud. It didn't need to be.
Yuki's breath caught.
Then she stood, grabbing the melon soda from the floor and taking a long sip, like she needed something to do with her hands.
"…Good," she said. "Because if you hadn't said yes, I was going to pour this over your head."
He laughed.
She turned back toward him, cheeks pink. "I'm still mad at you. A little."
"I deserve that."
"But," she added, "I'm glad you came."
He nodded. "Me too."
Yuki looked down at her soda, then back up.
"Hey… want to walk home with me?"
Leo smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that."
---
As they left the music room, the campus was bathed in a soft golden glow. The typhoon had cleared the sky, leaving it impossibly blue.
Some students were testing fireworks for the festival finale in the distance. A few sparks lit the horizon.
Yuki slipped her hand into Leo's.
He didn't flinch.
And for the first time in days, the knot in his chest loosened.