The weekend felt like it passed without touching her.
Aira did her homework. Cleaned her room. Scrolled aimlessly on her phone. But her brain wasn't in any of it.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw both of them.
Kaito's bright, easy grin. The way he watched her when he thought she wasn't looking.
Yuki's calm voice. The sketch he handed her. The way he never asked, just waited.
She hated this feeling.
It wasn't romantic or dreamy. It wasn't butterflies or blushing.
It was a knot in her chest. Tension behind her eyes. A tightrope she didn't remember stepping on.
Monday hit like a wave.
She wasn't ready for school. But there was no avoiding it.
The moment she stepped onto campus, Miyo was at her side. "You look like you didn't sleep."
"I didn't," Aira muttered.
"You should've messaged me. I could've helped you spiral in style."
Aira let out a half-laugh. "Next time."
Miyo squeezed her arm. "They're both idiots. But I get why you care."
That made her stomach twist even more.
In homeroom, she felt the shift before she saw it.
Kaito wasn't joking around. His laugh didn't reach his eyes.
And Yuki wasn't at his desk. Not right away.
It took ten minutes before he walked in, quietly and alone. His bag slung over one shoulder, his head down.
The teacher didn't even comment. But Aira watched.
Kaito didn't glance up when Yuki passed him.
That had never happened before.
At lunch, the group split without meaning to.
Rina dragged Miyo to the cafeteria to try some new snacks.
Haru was talking to a teacher.
And suddenly, it was just her, Kaito, and Yuki, walking in awkward silence through the hall.
She thought one of them would split off. Maybe both.
But they didn't.
They followed her, like they always did. Like magnets pulled together.
They ended up in the small garden near the back building. It was quieter there. Less crowded.
Aira sat first. Neither boy said a word as they took the bench and the stone ledge beside her.
The wind stirred faintly through the trees.
She bit into her sandwich. It tasted like cardboard.
Finally, Kaito said, "So, uh… how was your weekend?"
"Quiet," she said.
Yuki nodded. "Same."
Another silence.
Kaito cleared his throat. "Did you draw anything?" he asked, glancing at Yuki.
Aira blinked.
Yuki did too. He looked a little surprised. "Yeah," he said. "I started a new one."
Kaito gave a small nod. "Cool."
That was it. No edge. No sarcasm. Just… neutral.
It felt like they were both trying. For her.
And that made her chest hurt.
After school, it happened.
She wasn't expecting it. She was grabbing her notebook from her locker when someone called her name.
She turned.
It was Yuki. He looked nervous.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Can I talk to you?"
She nodded. "Sure."
He led her to the back stairwell. No one else was around.
"I just…" he started, then paused. "I know this is hard for you. And I don't want to make it worse. But if I don't say this now, I think I'll regret it."
Aira stood frozen.
"I'm not going to pressure you. I'm not asking you to choose. I just want you to know—" He looked up, and his eyes were so open it made her breath catch. "—that I really, really like you. And not just lately. For a long time."
The words echoed in the stairwell.
He didn't move closer. Didn't try to touch her. He just… waited.
Aira felt her whole body tremble. Her throat tightened.
"I care about you," she whispered. "But I… I still care about him too."
Yuki nodded, slowly. "I know."
They stood in silence again.
But this time, it wasn't soft.
It was heavy. Dense.
Yuki finally gave her a small smile. "I'm still going to wait. But I won't wait forever."
Then he left.
Aira stood there, alone, her heart pounding.
She thought that was the end of it.
Until Kaito found her by the front gates.
"You talked to him," he said, not accusing—just quiet.
Aira nodded. "He wanted to be honest."
"And did he tell you that I told him to?" Kaito asked, gaze steady.
She froze.
"What?"
Kaito shrugged, hands in his pockets. "I told him to talk to you. To say what he wanted."
"Why?"
He looked down at the ground. "Because I needed to know, too."
He looked back at her, eyes softer than she'd ever seen them. "I'm not going to fight dirty. If you pick him, I'll live. It'll suck, but I'll live."
She felt tears prick behind her eyes.
"But if there's even a part of you that still wants me," Kaito said, stepping forward just once, "I'll be right here. I just needed you to hear it from both of us. So it's fair."
Her voice cracked. "It's not fair at all."
"I know."
He reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Then pulled back.
"See you tomorrow, Aira."
He walked off without waiting for her answer.
That night, Aira cried.
Not loud, messy crying. Just silent tears on her pillow, soaking her cheeks until the world blurred.
She wasn't crying because she was heartbroken.
She was crying because they weren't.
Both of them were still here. Still patient. Still hoping.
And she didn't know if she deserved that kind of love.