The applause from the crowd faded the moment Ren stepped offstage.
And the silence waiting behind the curtain was louder than anything.
Yui stood there, arms folded tightly. Haruka leaned against the wall, eyes narrowed. Rika sat backwards on a folding chair, uncharacteristically quiet. Mei clutched the hem of her skirt.
Emi had walked ahead—alone.
Ren was left with the rest of them.
No cameras. No crowd.
Just eyes.
Sharp ones.
Yui was first.
"You didn't kiss her."
Ren nodded. "Yeah."
"You were supposed to."
"I know."
She took a step forward. Her voice was low. "You embarrassed her. In front of everyone."
"I didn't mean to—"
"She was ready, Ren. And you just…"
"…froze."
Yui clenched her fists. "You don't get it. That wasn't just a stupid poll. That was Emi telling you she was willing to risk everything. And you made her walk off that stage feeling like she wasn't enough."
The sting hit harder than expected.
But Yui wasn't done.
"Do you know how hard it is to stand there, knowing she kissed you first? Knowing she still might win, even when I—"
She stopped herself.
Ren blinked. "…You what?"
Yui looked away.
"Nothing."
And stormed off.
Mei was next.
She walked up slowly, then held out a small hand towel.
"…You're sweating," she said softly.
"Thanks."
He took it.
She didn't move.
Then she whispered, "I voted for you and Emi."
Ren looked up.
"…Why?"
"Because I thought… if she kissed you, maybe she'd stop hurting."
Mei's voice was quiet. Too quiet.
Ren frowned. "And what about you?"
"I'm used to hurting. It's… manageable."
He reached out, but she took a small step back.
"Don't be nice to me right now," she said. "I'll break."
And just like that, she left too.
Haruka didn't speak at all.
She looked at him. For a long time.
And then walked past him.
Just a whisper in the wind:
"…You still don't get it."
That left Rika.
She hadn't moved.
Hadn't even blinked.
He approached cautiously.
"…Rika?"
She looked up.
"You're such a moron."
"Okay, yeah, I get that."
"No, seriously," she said, standing up. "You could've kissed Emi and still made everything worse. Or kissed her and made it real. Or done anything with a little confidence. But instead, you stood there like a baby deer on a freeway."
"…I panicked."
"I know. That's why I'm not mad."
He blinked. "You're… not?"
She shrugged. "I mean, I am, but I also get it."
Then she leaned in, her breath ghosting against his ear.
"But if you chicken out one more time, I'm going to steal your first real kiss myself. Got it, lover boy?"
Ren didn't even have the energy to argue.
Rika just laughed and skipped away.
He slumped onto a chair, alone now, the noise of the festival far behind him.
He didn't regret what he said.
But it still hurt like hell.
He was trying to protect all of them.
And in doing so…
He might've broken each one.
Outside, in the quiet of the courtyard…
Emi stood under the sakura tree props again.
Her fingers brushed her lips.The ones that almost got kissed.
A faint smile curved her face.
"…Idiot."
But this time, there was no sadness in her voice.
Only hope.