Leo arrived early to the campus greenhouse, a place normally reserved for botany club meetings and occasional awkward confessions. It was quiet, filled with the scent of damp earth and a warmth that clung to the skin.
He adjusted the collar of his shirt for the fifth time and checked his phone.
Still just one message:
> [Rin] Hey. Can we talk sometime soon?
He'd responded with a time and place. She'd seen it. No reply.
But then—
The door creaked open.
Rin stepped in slowly, sunlight catching in her black hair, the faintest touch of hesitation on her face. She held her school bag like a shield.
Leo stood. "Hey."
Rin nodded. "Hey."
For a moment, neither spoke. The greenhouse felt louder somehow—with every rustle of leaves and hum of insects amplified by silence.
"I wasn't sure you'd come," Leo admitted.
"I wasn't either," Rin said. "But… I didn't want to run away again."
Leo nodded slowly. "I'm glad."
They sat on the wooden bench beside the tall sunflowers. Rin traced a line on her skirt with her finger.
"I left the group," she said.
"I know."
"I didn't mean to hurt anyone."
"I know that too."
Rin looked at him, her eyes glassy. "Then why didn't you come after me?"
Leo's throat tightened. "Because I didn't know what you wanted. And I was scared I'd make it worse."
A pause.
"I was scared too," Rin whispered. "I thought if I stayed away long enough, maybe the feelings would go away. But they didn't."
Leo glanced down at his hands. "Mine didn't either."
Silence again—but this time, warmer.
"Yuki's been amazing," Rin said quietly. "She makes you smile in a way that's… hard to ignore."
"She makes me laugh," Leo agreed. "But that doesn't mean I don't think about you."
Rin blinked. "Why are you saying that?"
"Because it's true. And I don't want to lie to you."
The air felt heavy, like rain was coming.
"I don't want to make you choose," Rin said.
"I don't want to choose yet," Leo answered honestly.
Rin smiled faintly. "Then let's… not rush. Can we do that?"
Leo met her gaze. "We can."
They sat for a long time, side by side. Nothing resolved. Nothing forced. But for the first time in days, there was peace.
---
Outside the greenhouse, Yuki stood behind the ivy-covered corner.
She hadn't meant to eavesdrop. Not really. She'd followed Leo out of curiosity, maybe worry, and then… stayed.
Every word had sunk like a stone.
She bit her lip and walked away before they could see her.
Her heart was heavy. But she wasn't angry.
Just afraid.
---
That night, Yuki sat in her dorm room with her knees hugged to her chest, her phone buzzing beside her.
> [Kai] Hey. You okay?
She ignored it at first.
Then typed: "Can we talk?"
A minute later, Kai responded with just two words:
> [Kai] Rooftop. Now.
---
The school rooftop was empty except for Kai, sitting against the chain fence, sipping canned coffee.
Yuki arrived in her hoodie, arms folded, eyes shadowed.
"I wasn't gonna cry," she said.
Kai nodded. "Good. I didn't bring tissues."
Yuki exhaled, then slumped beside him.
"I heard them," she said. "Leo and Rin."
"I figured," Kai replied. "You looked like someone who'd just eaten a heartbreak popsicle."
"…What flavor is that?"
"Lime. Obviously."
Yuki gave a small laugh. Then her face fell again.
"I don't hate her, Kai. I really don't. But hearing Leo say those things—"
"Made it feel real."
She nodded.
Kai looked up at the stars. "Yuki, you've always been the one who jokes, who fills the room with noise so no one notices when it goes quiet. But maybe it's okay to let it be quiet for a bit. Let it hurt."
Yuki closed her eyes. "I'm scared I'll lose everything."
"You won't," Kai said simply. "You might lose pieces. But not everything."
They sat like that for a while.
And when she finally leaned her head on his shoulder, Kai didn't say anything.
He just stayed.