Rin was glowing.
No—she was practically sparkling. The kind of glow that came from an afternoon that went exactly how you hoped it would, but didn't dare expect. The sun wasn't the only thing setting beautifully that evening.
She'd just gotten back to the dorms and was practically bouncing down the hallway with a dreamy smile when she bumped into Minako, her roommate and oldest friend at school.
"You're late," Minako said, looking up from her sketchpad. "I thought you got abducted by fashionably dressed aliens."
"I went out," Rin said, trying and failing to sound casual.
"Oh?" Minako raised an eyebrow.
"With Leo."
"…Oh."
Rin flopped down on her bed, hugged her pillow, and squealed into it.
Minako chuckled. "I'll take that as a good sign."
"It was perfect." Rin sat up, eyes bright. "He was nervous and awkward and sweet and—ugh—he got me melon milk and walked me through a park and didn't flinch when I accidentally complimented his hands."
"You complimented his hands?"
"I panicked!"
Minako laughed harder.
Rin smiled, then turned serious. "Minako, I think I really like him."
Her friend blinked. "Like, really like him?"
"Yeah. Not crush-like. Not 'he's hot' like. The kind of like where your chest feels too small when you're next to him."
Minako gave a small nod. "You should tell him that."
"Maybe. Later." Rin hugged her knees. "For now I just want to enjoy this feeling. Let it grow a little."
"Sounds healthy."
"I'm trying."
Neither of them noticed the figure standing outside the dorm room door.
---
Yuki had returned to campus two hours earlier than expected. Her dad was stable, her mom had cried, and she'd left behind a handwritten note that said she'd visit again next month.
She didn't tell anyone she was back yet. She liked walking around unnoticed.
Until she turned a corner and heard Rin's voice.
She wasn't eavesdropping.
She really wasn't.
Okay—maybe she was.
But it wasn't like Rin was being subtle. Her voice carried through the crack in the open dorm room door.
Yuki froze when she heard the name.
Leo.
She stepped back instinctively. Her brain ran the words on loop.
"Leo was nervous and awkward and sweet."
"He got me melon milk."
"I really like him."
Like him.
Like like him.
Yuki stood still for a long moment.
Then turned and walked away.
---
She ended up at the vending machine behind the gym building—the one only a few people knew still sold her favorite carbonated coffee.
She inserted coins with shaky fingers.
The can dropped with a satisfying thud. She cracked it open and took a sip.
Too sweet.
Too warm.
She hated it.
---
The thing about Yuki was—she didn't do feelings very well.
She was the "joke about it before you feel it" type.
But right now, the jokes weren't coming.
She slumped onto the bench and leaned back.
The stars were out. She hated that too.
Because the night was beautiful.
And she wasn't.
---
She didn't hate Rin.
She really didn't.
She liked her, actually. Rin was sweet and smart and didn't take nonsense from anyone.
And Yuki knew Rin liked Leo. It had been obvious since midterms.
But some stupid, traitorous part of her had hoped...
Hoped that maybe she was the one who made Leo smile the most.
That maybe when she brought him melon soda and cracked dumb jokes, he'd feel the same weird tug in his chest that she did.
Maybe she was wrong.
Maybe she'd always been wrong.
She finished the drink and crushed the can with one hand.
Then took a deep breath.
And forced a grin onto her face.
"Okay," she said aloud. "Back to the game."
---
Later that night, Rin texted Leo.
Rin: Got back safe. Thanks again. I had an amazing time 💙
Leo smiled at the message.
He was about to type a reply when another message popped in.
Yuki: Guess who's back 😎 Let's hang out tomorrow. I have memes to show you.
Leo blinked at the two texts.
Then typed out replies.
To Rin:
> Me too. Let's do it again soon.
To Yuki:
> Welcome back. I missed your memes.
He stared at the screen.
Then sighed.
Tomorrow was going to be... complicated.