I hadn't stepped foot in the second-year building for three whole days.
Not since that moment with Ren.
Not since Rina stood between us—expression blank, unreadable, like she'd locked me out of whatever she was thinking.
I told myself I was busy. Festival prep. Class duties. Stage props.
But that wasn't it.
I was avoiding her.
Avoiding the way my chest twisted every time I saw her with Ren—too polished, too perfect, too close.
So I stayed away.
No rehearsals. No texts. Nothing.
Until today.
I was dropping off a toolbox near the supply room when two students walked by chatting.
"Did you hear? Arisaka-kun and Tachibana-san are rehearsing the kiss scene today."
"Huh? Already?"
"Miyko said she wanted 'raw emotion.'"
I froze.
Kiss scene?
Before my brain caught up, the toolbox slipped from my hands with a loud clang, and I was already running.
I didn't think. I just… moved.
The auditorium door slammed open as I burst inside, breath sharp.
And there she was.
Rina.
Sitting on the bed prop, eyes closed like she was bracing herself.
Ren stood over her, hand extended like some storybook prince. Miyko watched from the side, legs crossed, calm as ever.
They hadn't kissed yet.
But they were close.
Too close.
"What the hell? Are you doing the kiss scene now?" The words shot out of my mouth before I could stop them.
Everything froze.
Rina snapped upright, eyes locking onto mine. She looked at me like I'd appeared out of nowhere. Like she wasn't sure if she was supposed to be relieved or furious.
She came.
Haruki's voice echoed in my head:
"He's avoiding you… because you never stopped him."
Maybe he was right.
Miyko stood up slowly. "You're interrupting rehearsal."
"This wasn't scheduled," I said, not looking away from Rina.
"Neither was your dramatic entrance," she replied.
Rina's voice cut in, sharp. "You've been gone for three days. Now you show up yelling?"
I swallowed, then forced myself to meet her eyes
"You want to know why I avoided you? Because you never stopped me. Not once."
Her breath caught.
I continued, my voice softer than I meant it to be.
"And maybe… because I didn't want to watch you fall for someone else while I was still figuring out how to be enough."
Silence. Heavy. Pressurized.
Even Ren's endless smirk faded.
He finally spoke, gaze flicking between us.
"So this is jealousy."
Then, quieter—meant only for me:
"Guess this might be more fun than I thought."
Rina stood slowly. Her voice was calm, but the tremble in her fingers wasn't.
"No kissing today."
Ren blinked. "You sure?
"I said what I said."
His smirk returned—but tighter, smaller. "Your loss, princess."
I flinched at the nickname. She didn't.
Because she wasn't looking at him.
She was looking at me.
The boy who barged in like an idiot the second she might be slipping away.
Outside, I heard Miyu complaining and Haruki laughing, but their voices blurred.
Everything blurred except the girl in front of me.
I wasn't running anymore.
Not from Ren.
Not from her.
And for the first time… I felt like I could be her lead.
Rina looked at me like she wasn't sure whether to yell, cry, or pull me closer.
But she was looking at me.
Really looking.
And for a moment, that was enough.