By Monday morning, the entire class knew something had changed.
Not through an announcement. Not from gossip.
But in the way Leo Shen smiled.
It wasn't wide or loud or particularly dramatic. Just quieter, steadier. A kind of smile that said: I've made peace with something.
And that peace was visible.
Especially to the ones watching him most closely.
---
Yuki noticed first.
She was half asleep on her desk before homeroom, hood over her head, when she peeked up and saw Leo walking in. Rin followed five steps behind. Their pace matched. Their expressions mirrored.
Rin brushed a strand of hair behind her ear—something she only did when nervous.
Leo looked back and smiled at her.
Something shifted in Yuki's chest.
She didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Just watched.
Watched Rin sit beside Leo.
Watched Leo lean slightly toward her, not even noticing he was doing it.
Watched them share something wordless.
Yuki pulled her hood down lower.
---
Hana heard secondhand.
She was in the locker room during free period, finishing a bottle of water after drills, when a junior casually said, "Hey, did you know Leo and Rin are a thing now?"
Hana blinked. "What?"
"They walked out of the library together yesterday," the junior said. "She was holding his sleeve. Cute."
Hana didn't answer.
Didn't correct them.
Didn't ask for details.
She just nodded.
And went outside to do more laps than she needed.
---
At lunch, the tension was a sharp, invisible thread pulled across the table.
Rin sat beside Leo.
Yuki sat across.
Hana showed up late, tray in hand, eyes unreadable.
Kai, as usual, was already there. But even he didn't crack a joke.
Not at first.
"I've seen this movie before," he said finally, sipping from a juice box. "Usually ends with someone flipping the table or storming off dramatically."
No one responded.
Until Yuki said, "No one's flipping anything. That's childish."
Hana added, "We're not that kind of story."
Rin stayed quiet.
Leo looked like he wanted to disappear.
Kai poked a rice ball with his chopsticks. "Okay, but like… are we going to pretend nothing happened?"
Hana stood up.
"Leo," she said, "walk with me."
Leo blinked. "Now?"
"Yes."
He glanced at Rin.
She nodded once. "Go."
---
They walked along the track.
Hana didn't speak for a long time.
When she finally did, her voice was low.
"I liked you before this became complicated. Before everyone started noticing."
Leo slowed.
"But I don't hate you for choosing her," Hana continued. "I just… hate how quiet you were about it."
"I didn't know how to tell you."
"You could've started with honesty."
Leo flinched.
Then said, "I'm sorry."
"I believe you," Hana said. "Doesn't mean it hurts less."
They stopped walking.
Hana turned to him.
"You know I don't wait around for anyone. But I waited for you."
Leo met her gaze. "I didn't ask you to."
"No," she said. "But I hoped you would."
She sighed. "Take care of her. Or I will flip a table."
Then she left.
---
Yuki cornered him after classes.
In the music room, of all places.
She wasn't smiling.
"I knew," she said.
Leo didn't pretend not to understand.
"You could've still said it," Yuki added. "Would've hurt less than being left to guess."
"I didn't want to hurt you."
"Well, congrats. You failed."
Leo winced. "I'm sorry."
"I'm not mad you chose her," Yuki said. "She's great. But I'm mad I didn't even get the chance to be chosen or not. You took that away."
Silence.
She stepped forward.
"Leo. Next time you care about someone, care enough to tell them what they mean. Even if the answer isn't what they want to hear."
He nodded slowly. "I will."
Yuki stepped back, exhaled.
"Good. Because the next girl might not forgive you."
She turned to leave.
But then paused at the door.
"…I really liked you, you know."
"I know," he said.
She didn't look back.
---
That night, Leo sat with Rin on the rooftop.
He told her everything.
About the conversations. The guilt. The ache.
She listened.
And when he finished, she touched his hand.
"Thank you," she said.
Leo exhaled.
The rooftop wind felt softer tonight.
But he knew that underneath the calm… cracks remained.
He could only hope they wouldn't break.