(Kiyomi's POV)
The days between now and the aquarium trip were dragging. It was like waiting for a storm to pass, knowing it was coming but not sure when or how it would hit. I couldn't shake the feeling that things were going to change, but I wasn't sure how much longer they could stay like this — on the edge, poised for something that might tear everything apart.
My eyes flickered over to Minato, sitting at his usual spot by the window, his head bent over a notebook. He caught me gazing at him and smiled — that soft, quiet smile that still made my heart flutter, even now.
I hadn't expected the past few weeks to unfold like this — the rumors, the jealousy, the emotional distance between everyone. I'd spent so much time thinking it was just about Minato and I, but it wasn't. It was about everything. Everyone.
But despite all the noise, there was a silence between us, one we had cultivated with the small gestures we shared when no one was watching. The hand-holding after school. The quiet smiles in class. And Minato's small surprises.
My phone buzzed, breaking my thoughts. A message from Minato.
"Minato: Meet me after school. I have something for you."
My stomach did a small flip. I didn't know what he was planning, but I was more than curious.
When the final bell rang, I grabbed my bag quickly and made my way to the school gates, finding Minato waiting near the entrance. His face lit up when he saw me, and my heart skipped a beat.
Minato: Ready? (He asked, his voice soft, but there was a spark in his eyes — a mischievous glint that only made me more intrigued).
I nodded.
Kiyomi: Ready.
Minato led me to a small café a few blocks away from school. We sat in the corner booth by the window, the late afternoon sunlight casting long shadows across the table. The buzz of conversation around us felt distant — like we were in our own little world.
Minato: I know it's not much, but I wanted to do something special for you, with everything that's been going on (He said, his tone a little hesitant).
I raised an eyebrow.
Kiyomi: You're being cryptic, Minato. What did you get me?
He reached into his bag and pulled out a small envelope. He slid it across the table to me, and I stared at it for a moment before opening it carefully.
Inside was a delicate origami flower, folded with precision, the yellow paper catching the light in the most beautiful way. It was the same color as the one he'd made the other day — the one that had reminded him of me.
I looked up at him, my heart fluttering.
Kiyomi: Minato... this is beautiful.
Minato: It's a reminder. That no matter what happens, I'm here. And I see you. Even when no one else does (He said softly).
My breath caught in my throat. The weight of his words hit me harder than I expected.
Before I could say anything, he added.
Minato: There's more. I want to go to the aquarium with you. Just us, no distractions. I don't care what people say.
I smiled, my heart swelling with affection.
Kiyomi: I'd love that.
(Akio's POV)
By the time school ended, I felt like I was walking through a haze. The world around me had become muffled, like I was underwater, watching everything happen but not being able to join in.
Every time I glanced at Kiyomi and Minato, I could feel the weight of the distance between us — the unspoken words, the invisible walls. I hadn't meant to make things worse, but the guilt still gnawed at me, especially when I caught a glimpse of Kiyomi's face.
She looked so... lost, like she was stuck between the person she was supposed to be and the person she wanted to be. And somehow, I'd helped put her there.
Asahi caught my eye as he walked past, and I noticed how he was always so distant now. He used to be so close with everyone — especially with Kiyomi and I. But now, he was slowly slipping away from everyone.
I didn't have time to think about it before the bell rang, signaling the end of the day. I knew I had to do something to fix this, to make everything right again. But what could I do?
(Hinata's POV)
I hadn't been able to sleep the night before, my mind racing with thoughts I didn't know how to process. Every time I looked at Asahi, I felt something shift inside me. Something soft. Something warm.
I had been trying to bury it — pretending it wasn't there — but it was growing, slowly, until it was too much to ignore.
I caught Asahi's gaze in class that morning. For the briefest moment, our eyes locked, and I saw it: the same confusion, the same pull, the same weight of all the things we hadn't said to each other yet.
I didn't want to feel this way. I didn't want to complicate things with Asahi, but the more I tried to deny it, the more it became clear.
(Asahi's POV)
I watched Hinata from across the room. The way her gaze flickered towards me when she thought no one was looking — it made my heart race. She was complicated, just like me, but that didn't mean I didn't want to understand her more.
The problem was that I was beginning to understand himself less and less.
My relationship with Akio was fraying, and I could feel the pull of my growing feelings for Hinata. I'd kept my distance, both from her and everyone else, because I didn't want to complicate things. But with every passing day, it felt like the line between friendship and something more was getting blurrier.
And now with the aquarium trip coming up, I couldn't escape it. I couldn't escape the changes that had already started happening.
But there was something else. I felt that there was more to this group, more to our bond, than anyone could see. More than even I was willing to admit.
(Kiyomi's POV)
As the days passed and the aquarium trip neared, I couldn't ignore the weight of everything that had changed. I had spent too long worrying about the rumors and the jealousy and the secrets.
But now, with Minato's words in my mind — and that origami flower in my hand — I knew that I had to face what was in front of me. I had to stop running from it.
The group had changed, but maybe it was time for me to change, too. To stop holding on to the past and start moving forward.
With Minato by my side, I felt like maybe they could weather the storm.
And maybe, just maybe, things could finally be okay.