The morning passed in silence.
Ren sat at the edge of the courtyard fountain, fingers brushing the cool surface of the water. School had ended, but he hadn't gone home. Not yet.
The clouds drifted above. Slow. Soft. Like they weren't in a hurry to go anywhere.
Just like him.
Footsteps approached.
He didn't turn around.
"…I figured you'd be here," Emi said quietly.
Ren glanced up.
She wore her uniform with a navy cardigan today. Hair down. The same way it had been that day—the day she kissed him.
And just like then… she was calm on the outside.
But her eyes…
They trembled.
Ren stood slowly. "Hey."
"Hey."
A pause.
"Can we talk?" he asked.
"I came here hoping you'd say that."
They sat on the fountain's edge.
Neither rushed.
Neither forced it.
And after a long silence, Ren finally spoke.
"I've been talking to the others."
"I know."
"Yui almost killed me. Haruka didn't say much. Mei… was Mei. And Rika was… surprisingly quiet."
"And me?" she asked.
He looked at her.
"You were the hardest."
Her lips curved. "Because I kissed you first?"
"Because I ran away right after."
She nodded slowly.
"I kept replaying that moment in my head," she said. "Every day. Every night. Wondering if I messed up. If I rushed it."
"You didn't."
"I know that now. But back then… when you avoided me… it felt like you regretted it."
Ren clenched his fists.
"I didn't regret the kiss."
She turned to him.
He met her gaze.
"I regretted not knowing what to do after. Not holding your hand. Not talking to you first. Not standing on that stage and saying, 'Yes. I kissed her. And I liked it.'"
Emi looked away.
"…You still don't know what you want, do you?"
He took a breath.
"I'm starting to understand. Slowly. It's not about choosing who makes my heart race."
She blinked.
"It's about who makes it feel… still. Safe. Full."
"…And?"
He smiled.
"You make me feel like I'm home."
Her eyes shimmered.
"But I'm not going to ask you to wait," he said softly. "That's not fair to you. Or the others."
"I'd wait," she whispered.
"I know," he said. "But you deserve more than that."
She laughed gently. It wasn't a happy laugh—but not a bitter one either.
"I used to dream about you saying that," she said. "But in my dream, you kissed me after."
Ren chuckled. "I'm still bad at timing."
She leaned in slightly. "Still scared?"
"Terrified."
"…Then let me do it again."
He blinked. "What?"
She stood, brushing her skirt gently.
"No audience this time," she whispered. "No vote. No pressure. Just me."
Ren slowly stood too.
"Okay."
And this time…
He didn't run.
Their lips met again.
Soft. Familiar.
And when they pulled apart, she didn't ask, "What happens now?"
Because she already knew.
Whatever happened next—
They'd face it together.
Whether Ren kissed someone else again…or stayed lost in the storm a little longer.
Back home, the girls noticed the change.
Ren's silence was softer now. Like something in him had settled.
Mei smiled faintly.
Yui scoffed but looked away before anyone saw her smile.
Haruka offered him tea without a word.
Rika poked his cheek once and muttered, "Took you long enough, lover boy."
And somewhere in all their eyes—
There was hope.