(Kiyomi's POV)
By the time the bell rang for break, the air in Class 2A wasn't just tense anymore — it was buzzing. Whisper after whisper darted through the room like tiny needles, sharp enough to sting even if you tried to ignore them.
I could feel eyes on me — too many. Some glances were quick, others lingered longer than they should. And then came the giggles. Soft, mocking, poisonous.
At first, I didn't understand why. But when I heard Sakura's voice, I did.
Sakura: So it's true then? Minato and Kiyomi — the kitchen, the sleepover, the walk home… all of it.
The others leaned closer, hungry for more.
Mio: I heard she even told him she couldn't sleep because she was thinking about him.
Sakura: She's so bold. Acting innocent but living a movie behind our backs.
Their laughter was quiet but cruel — the kind that cuts deeper because it pretends to be harmless.
I looked over at Minato. He was seated by the window, calm as always, pretending not to hear them. But I knew he did. His fingers were stiff against his pen, his jaw slightly tensed.
I wanted to say something — to question them about it — but before I could, the door slid open.
Akio walked in.
His expression told me everything. He had heard too.
Our eyes met briefly, but he turned away and walked straight to his seat. His silence wasn't the peaceful kind anymore. It was heavy, brittle… breaking.
And in that silence, the laughter from the gossip girls only grew louder.
After class, Hinata pulled me aside. She looked uneasy.
Hinata: Kiyomi… the gossip is spreading fast. Even Asahi tried to tell them to stop.
Kiyomi: Asahi?
She nodded.
Hinata: He stood up for you. Said people shouldn't talk about what they don't know.
I smiled faintly, grateful — but the weight in my chest didn't go away.
Then, as Hinata turned to leave, I noticed how she hesitated when Asahi walked into the hallway. He smiled at her, easy and bright as always. But this time, Hinata's reaction was… different. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and for a brief second, she smiled back in a way I hadn't seen before — gentle, nervous, almost scared.
Something had changed.
(Hinata's POV)
It started with a look. Just a look — but it was enough.
When Asahi smiled at me in the hallway, something twisted softly in my chest. I didn't understand it, but I didn't hate it either. I used to think I only cared about Akio. That all my feelings stopped there. But lately, with Asahi, it felt easier to breathe.
He didn't expect me to fix things. He just stayed.
Asahi: You okay? You look tired.
Hinata: I'm fine. Just… thinking.
Asahi: About him?
I paused, caught off guard.
Hinata: Maybe.
Asahi:(Smiling) Then think less. Sometimes, the people we chase don't want to be caught.
He said it softly, almost like a warning. Or maybe… a confession.
(Akio's POV)
I sat by the back window, staring outside. Everything felt loud — too loud. The laughter, the voices, the whispers — they all clawed at the inside of my head.
When I saw Kiyomi and Minato together earlier, I wanted to believe it meant nothing. But every rumor, every look… made it harder to pretend.
I wasn't angry at her. Not really. I was angry at myself — for not being him.
For not being the one she looked at like that.
Akio:(Thinking) Maybe I'm just fading. Maybe I was never really in the picture to begin with.
Someone called my name, but I didn't answer. Not even when Hinata came by my desk. She said something about lunch, but I just nodded, not really hearing.
When she left, I caught sight of her walking beside Asahi. And for a strange, bitter moment, I realized she was starting to look at him the way I once looked at her.
Maybe this was what growing up felt like — watching the people you care about slowly drift away, one by one, while you pretend you're fine.
(Kiyomi's POV)
That afternoon, as the sun began to lower and the noise of class faded into the soft hum of after-school quiet, I found Minato on the balcony.
He was staring at the sky again — calm, peaceful, but with something fragile underneath.
Kiyomi: You heard what they were saying, didn't you?
He nodded.
Minato: Let them talk. I know what's real.
Kiyomi: Still… I don't like how they talk about us. It's like they're trying to ruin everything.
Minato:(Softly) They can't ruin what's true, Kiyomi.
He turned, his eyes meeting mine.
Minato: The only thing that can ruin it is distance. And I don't plan on letting that happen.
He smiled — that quiet, confident smile that always made my heart skip — and gently brushed his thumb over my hand.
The warmth from his touch spread through me like sunlight after rain.
Even with the shadows growing behind us — gossip, jealousy, heartbreak — something in me still believed we'd find our way back to the light.
Because sometimes, even under the harshest sunlight, love finds a way to bloom in the cracks.