[Rina's POV]
I couldn't pinpoint the exact moment it hit me, but there it was—Takahashi holding my gaze steady, without that usual flicker of fear or doubt. The silence between us finally cracked, letting something fragile and real seep through.
He'd changed. Not dramatically overnight, but gradually. Quietly.
At first, I thought I was imagining it. Maybe I was softening. Maybe guilt was making me see things that weren't there.
But no. Today proved it.
He looked me in the eyes. Stood his ground in front of Ren. Didn't back down.
And it made my chest ache in a way I wasn't ready for.
I sat alone in the changing room, pulling pins from my hair slower than usual. My reflection stared back—tired eyes, still in costume, still in the world of fairy tales.
But Takahashi wasn't pretending anymore.
That's what scared me.
He wasn't the boy who had followed me through the halls in silence, unable to meet my gaze. He wasn't trapped in that moment anymore.
I was.
The guilt still lodged in my throat like broken glass. I'd never really told him I forgave him. And the more he changed, the heavier that silence felt.
Would he wait forever? Or would he move on?
My mind flashed to Ren—how he stood close, how easily he filled space with charm and confidence. How his presence felt like a steady, warm light in chaos. With Ren, everything was predictable. Safe. No guessing games. No second-guessing feelings.
If it came down to it… would Takahashi still wait for me? Or had I waited too long?
I swallowed hard. The ache in my chest only sharpened.
---
[Yuuto's POV]
I can't stop thinking about it. Not just Ren—though that guy's definitely gotten under my skin—but her.
The way she stepped between us. The way she didn't say anything after.
That quiet, protective motion.
She hadn't forgiven me. Not really. Not out loud
And maybe that's fine. Maybe I don't deserve it yet.
But it makes my chest tighten every time I remember it.
I'm trying. God, I'm trying.
To be better. Braver. To be the version of myself that isn't afraid of my own feelings.
But does it matter? What if it's already too late?
Ren's… everything I'm not. Confident. Sharp. Charming without even trying.
And the worst part? She doesn't seem to hate being around him.
I run a hand through my hair, pacing the empty hallway outside the clubroom. Shadows stretch long in the windows. Rehearsal's over. People are gone.
But I linger. Always do after seeing her. It's like my body hasn't caught up yet.
Maybe she likes Ren. Maybe that's why she doesn't say anything. Or maybe she's just being cautious.
I hurt her once. Even if I didn't mean to, I made her afraid. That memory is hers alone. I can't erase it.
I can only wait. And wonder.
But how long can someone wait before their heart gives up?
---
[Rina's POV]
Later that night, I found myself scrolling through old class photos.
Takahashi was always in the background. Head slightly turned away. Never looking at the camera.
But now I remember him differently.
The way he stood tall backstage. The way his eyes found mine mid-scene.
The way my heart skipped a beat when he did.
I don't know if it's love
But it's something.
And I don't want to lose it before I figure it out.
---
[Yuuto's POV]
I stare at the text
wrote over and over:
"You were amazing today. Just… thought you should know."
Thumb hovering over send. I delete it. Rewrite it. Delete it again. My heart pounds, hands shaking like the phone's burning me.
I don't send it.
What if Ren already texted her? What if she's smiling at her phone right now—and it's not because of me?
I shut the phone off and lean against the wall. The lights above buzz faintly.
And for the first time in a long time, I feel… afraid again.
Not of her.
Of losing her.