The office evening had transitioned into a casual dinner at Koharu's penthouse. The room was warm, filled with the faint aroma of seafood and freshly cooked dishes. Mina, bubbly as ever, bounced around the living area, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Ooooh my God! It's Hana! OG is here!" Mina exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight.
"Yes," Rinn replied calmly, adjusting her glasses as she observed the chaos with her usual patience. "They're here."
Mina's eyes shifted toward Koharu, widening like saucers. "Please, please, please! I want to have dinner with them!" She clasped her hands together and gave the most exaggerated puppy eyes ever directed at Koharu.
Koharu, ever the soft spot for Mina, smiled and chuckled lightly. "Fine… but behave, Mina-chan."
Mina squealed in delight, practically bouncing in place. Hana and the rest of OG glanced at each other, giggling softly at her enthusiasm.
---
Sakura's Zealous Watch
Sakura, holding her cup of water, quietly took a step back to observe. At first, she tried to remain calm, telling herself, It's just dinner. Koharu is being kind… nothing else.
But then she saw it: Koharu peeling shrimp with delicate precision and occasionally handing a piece directly to Mina. Her fingers brushed Mina's hand ever so slightly, and Koharu smiled down at her with soft eyes.
Sakura's lips pressed into a thin line, and her fingers tightened around the glass in her hand. "She's… she's feeding her? With her hands?" she muttered under her breath, barely audible.
Hana noticed Sakura's sharp gaze. "Uh… Sakura? You okay?"
Sakura blinked rapidly and shook her head. "I'm… fine. Just… uh… watching."
But Aiko, sitting nearby, clearly caught the tension in Sakura's posture. The twitch of her jaw, the way her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Yet Aiko didn't comment. She merely smirked internally, recognizing that Sakura was… jealous.
---
The Quiet Storm
Sakura's jealousy simmered quietly. She wasn't exactly sure why. Koharu had been kind to OG for weeks, had shown no inappropriate attachment, and yet—seeing her smile at Mina, peel shrimp carefully for her, and lean in while laughing—it was enough to make Sakura feel the familiar prick of irritation.
Her brain argued: It's silly. She's just being kind. She's like this with everyone she likes.
Her heart countered: But she's only supposed to feed me like that… not Mina.
Sakura clenched her cup slightly harder. Why am I feeling this way? She didn't even notice me. I'm… I'm powerless here!
Aiko, glancing at Sakura subtly, whispered softly, teasing: "You look… tense."
Sakura's eyes flicked toward her sharply. "I'm not."
Aiko raised an eyebrow, smirking knowingly. "Uh-huh. Sure. Totally not."
Meanwhile, Koharu, completely unaware of the silent storm brewing nearby, continued her interaction with Mina. She laughed softly at something Mina said, reached over to peel a shrimp, and fed it directly into her mouth. Mina's eyes sparkled, and she giggled with pure delight, completely oblivious to the jealous glances of the woman sitting not far away.
Sakura's cheeks heated, and she leaned back slightly, trying to calm herself. But every time Koharu smiled at Mina, her chest tightened like she had swallowed ice.
Hana nudged her. "You're… actually jealous, huh?"
Sakura glanced at her sharply, lips pressed in a thin line. "I am NOT!"
Aiko only smirked. "Mhmm. Sure. Keep telling yourself that."
---
The Unseen Tug-of-War
As the dinner progressed, OG laughed, joked, and shared stories. Koharu maintained a balance between being attentive to Mina and professional with OG, but Sakura couldn't stop herself from stealing glances. Every laugh, every soft glance Koharu directed at Mina felt like a small storm in her chest.
Her anger was compounded by the fact that she couldn't even openly express it—how could she, when Koharu was behaving exactly as a gracious host? There was no fault to find. No "reason" to be upset. And yet… jealousy coursed silently through her.
Aiko, sitting nearby, simply watched Sakura's struggle with a teasing glint in her eyes. She said nothing, letting Sakura simmer in her own emotions, knowing full well that this internal struggle was entirely Koharu's doing—even if Koharu herself didn't realize it.
Sakura clenched her fist under the table. I have no way to get jealous for her… yet I can't stop feeling this. She's… too soft. Too perfect. Too… Koharu.
Meanwhile, Koharu finished feeding Mina her shrimp, smiled warmly, and looked around the table—still untouchable, yet impossibly gentle. To Sakura, it was the cruelest mix of beauty and kindness she had ever witnessed.
And so, as laughter echoed around the dinner table, Sakura's jealousy simmered quietly, unresolved but very much alive.
Because no matter how much Koharu tried to hide it, and no matter how kind she was to everyone… Sakura knew, deep down, that her heart belonged in the orbit of Koharu's attention.
And tonight, she had no claim.