The hallway was quiet.
Not the peaceful kind. The kind that comes after an argument—where no one speaks too loudly in case something breaks again.
Aira felt like she was walking on glass.
Kaito had come to school. He smiled at people. He laughed at a joke during class. But it wasn't the same. It wasn't for her anymore. Not really.
And Yuki? Yuki had stopped watching her from the side.
Now he met her eyes.
It was different. Not easier, not perfect—but more real.
And it scared her.
They walked home together.
Not because they planned it—just because their steps lined up at the same time, and neither of them pulled away.
It was quiet for a while. Shoes against pavement. Wind pushing leaves.
Then Yuki said softly, "Is it okay that I still like you?"
Aira looked at him, startled.
He didn't sound sad. Just honest.
"I mean," he continued, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "I know things are weird. I know Kaito still matters to you. But I… I'm not going to pretend I don't feel the way I do."
She stopped walking.
"So," he added, "if you want space, I get it. If you want to tell me it's too late, I get that too."
Aira's heart beat way too loud in her ears.
"I don't want space," she said.
Yuki blinked.
She reached out, nervous but certain, and tugged on his sleeve. "I just… don't know how to start. I don't want to hurt anyone else."
He looked down at where her hand touched his arm, then back at her.
"You're not hurting anyone," he said. "You're just choosing what's honest."
They didn't kiss. Not yet.
But he walked her all the way home, and she didn't let go of his sleeve the whole way.
The next few days passed like a slow breath.
Kaito still smiled. Still joked. But he stopped showing up early to walk her to school. He stopped lingering by her desk after class.
And when he looked at her now, it was with a kind of peace.
Like someone who had let go, even if he still remembered the weight.
"I'm not mad," he said, one afternoon as they crossed paths outside the library.
"I know," Aira said.
He paused, then gave her a lopsided smile. "But I am going to be dramatic about it sometimes."
She laughed.
"Good," he added. "It means I'm still me."
Then he walked away, tossing a piece of gum into his mouth like it was the last word.
One week later, she and Yuki sat on the rooftop again.
This time, there were snacks.
And this time, their shoulders touched on purpose.
"I think I was scared of liking you too much," Aira admitted, staring out at the afternoon clouds.
Yuki chewed on a piece of dried mango. "Why?"
"Because you don't flirt. You don't do grand gestures. You just… exist. And I started falling for you before I even realized it."
Yuki looked at her. "Is that a complaint?"
"No," she said, smiling. "It's a warning."
He smiled too.
"I think I liked you," he said, "before I knew what liking someone meant. You were just this… constant. And I didn't want to ruin it."
"You didn't."
He looked at her again.
And this time, he leaned in.
It wasn't a dramatic kiss. No fireworks or spinning camera angles.
Just soft.
Certain.
Warm.
And when they pulled back, Aira's heart was beating so fast she almost laughed.
"I guess we're official now?" she said quietly.
Yuki looked down, pretending to be serious. "Only if you ask properly."
"Oh my god," she groaned, throwing a snack wrapper at him.
But when he turned to look at her again, eyes full of light, she knew.
This was the start of something real.