The days that followed blurred into a quiet rhythm. School, lunch, work, repeat.
Ren tried to convince himself that nothing had changed. He'd tell himself that Kaito dating Aoi was normal — that this was how things should be.
He had introduced them, after all.
But even as he told himself that, every small detail began to gnaw at him.
The empty seat beside him during lunch. The faint sound of Aoi's laughter from across the courtyard.
The way Kaito would wave at him — carefree, clueless — before disappearing into the crowd with her.
At first, Ren pretended it didn't bother him.
He buried himself in homework, conversations, and anything else that could fill the silence.
But silence has a way of creeping back — especially when it's carrying something you don't want to admit.
---
It was a Friday afternoon when Kaito called out to him from the school gate.
"Yo, Ren! You coming with us to karaoke tonight?"
Ren adjusted his bag. "I've got work. Maybe next time."
Kaito shrugged, grinning. "You're always working. You'll turn into an old man before graduation."
Beside him, Aoi laughed softly, hiding it behind her hand like she used to do when she was shy.
For a brief second, her eyes met Ren's — and just as quickly, she looked away.
He caught that tiny shift — the hesitation, the awkwardness — and it stung more than he expected.
---
Later that evening, the café Ren worked at was nearly empty. The soft hum of the refrigerator filled the air.
He wiped down the counter again and again, not because it was dirty, but because his thoughts were too loud.
They're probably still out… maybe singing, maybe laughing.
He didn't like the picture his mind painted. It wasn't about jealousy — that's what he told himself.
It was just… strange.
Strange how Aoi's smile felt different now that she shared it with someone else.
---
The following week brought no relief.
During lunch, Aoi and Kaito started sitting with another group.
Ren's table, once filled with easy conversation, now felt emptier — even though Miyu still sat there, chatting as usual.
He tried not to notice how quiet it had become when Aoi wasn't around.
But the human heart has a cruel way of remembering sounds that make it feel alive.
---
"Hey, Ren," Miyu said one afternoon, tapping her pencil on his desk.
"You've been spacing out a lot lately. You good?"
Ren blinked, looking up from his half-finished worksheet.
"Yeah, just tired."
"You sure?" she asked, raising a brow. "You look like you're watching ghosts."
Ren smirked faintly. "Maybe I am."
She didn't push further, but the look she gave him said she didn't believe a word of it.
---
A week later, Ren and Kaito were walking home together. Aoi had gone ahead to meet someone for a club meeting.
For a while, neither said anything. The air was thick with early summer heat, and cicadas buzzed faintly from the trees.
Kaito kicked a small rock down the sidewalk.
"So, how's work been?"
"Same as always," Ren replied. "Busy."
Kaito chuckled. "You really should come out more. Aoi's been asking if you're mad at her."
Ren stopped. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"
"I dunno, man. She just said you've been distant."
Kaito smiled lightly. "But hey, I told her that's just how you are."
Ren forced a small laugh. "Yeah. That's… just how I am."
But as they continued walking, Ren's chest tightened.
The thought of Aoi worrying about him — even after everything — both comforted and hurt him in ways he couldn't explain.
---
By the end of that month, things changed again.
Ren's senior at the café, Yuna, started walking home with him after shifts.
She was confident, funny, and a little teasing in a way that made Ren feel seen again.
She'd bring him snacks, complain about customers, and sometimes ask questions that caught him off guard.
"You always look like you're thinking too much," she said one night as they stood outside the convenience store.
"Maybe I am," Ren replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"You should stop," she said, smiling. "People who think too much miss what's right in front of them."
Ren turned to her. "And what's in front of me?"
She looked at him, her eyes soft but playful. "Maybe me."
For the first time in weeks, Ren laughed genuinely.
And when she reached up to fix the stray strand of hair near his forehead, something inside him shifted — small, but noticeable.
It didn't erase what he felt for Aoi, but it gave him something new to think about.
---
The next day, Kaito, Aoi, and Ren crossed paths after class.
Aoi looked happy — at least on the surface — as Kaito slung his arm around her shoulder.
Ren smiled politely, pretending not to notice the flicker of tension in her eyes when she met his.
Maybe it was guilt. Maybe confusion.
Whatever it was, Ren couldn't read it.
And maybe that was for the best.
---
That night, as he closed up the café, Yuna leaned on the counter and asked casually,
"So, Ren… do you have a girlfriend?"
He hesitated.
"…No. But maybe I should start thinking about it."
Yuna smirked. "Good. Because I was wondering when you'd finally notice me."
Ren's eyes widened slightly, but before he could say anything, she laughed and added,
"Relax, I'm just teasing. Unless you want me to be serious."
Ren shook his head, smiling faintly — but for the first time in a long while, he felt something warm spread in his chest that wasn't regret.
---
As he walked home that night, the stars above felt closer somehow.
Maybe it was because he wasn't thinking of what he'd lost…
but what might still be waiting for him ahead.