Amid the noise of the cafeteria, the air around the table was ice cold.
Hiroki and Miyuki were looking at Saki with eager yet uncertain eyes.
Saki's heart was pounding fast. The storm raging inside her showed on her face only as a faint, uncertain smile.
But the truth was… she was still torn.
Just as she was about to answer, Yusuke began walking toward them.
Realizing she couldn't make a sudden decision, Saki thought, "I need to buy some time…"
She shrugged, putting on a deliberately confused look.
"Well… I don't know. I'm not sure," she said, brushing off the question.
She barely got out, "Maybe I'll say yes—" when Yusuke arrived at the table.
"Hey guys!" he said cheerfully, setting his tray down.
Hiroki and Miyuki shot him a look filled with both irritation and disappointment.
Saki quietly took a deep breath. Her plan had worked.
Using Yusuke as a distraction, she had managed to avoid answering.
To steer the conversation away, Saki suddenly asked,
"So, what medicine did you go to get, Yusuke?"
Yusuke smiled. "Stomach medicine," he said.
But no one at the table laughed.
At that moment, the tension in the air was almost tangible.
It was as if whenever Yusuke and Hiroki were in the same place, the atmosphere thickened and even breathing became difficult.
Saki felt like she was somehow to blame for the discomfort.
For a while, only the clinking of forks and plates could be heard.
Saki couldn't bear the silence any longer.
"How's the music club thing going?" she asked.
Miyuki immediately replied,
"I ran for president. I'll probably win."
Yusuke laughed. "We know you—you'd even force the other candidates to quit if you had to."
But neither Hiroki nor Miyuki laughed.
Saki forced a smile, trying to ease the tension, but it wasn't enough to thaw the cold air.
Yusuke slowly lowered his head.
He felt left out.
He turned his eyes toward Saki, as if to say, "What's going on?"
Saki figured it was because of the argument between him and Miyuki the day before.
She needed to do something.
"Maybe… maybe I can help them make up," she thought, a faint smile forming on her lips.
"Yusuke," she said in a teasing tone, "don't you have something to say to Miyuki?"
Miyuki frowned. Yusuke froze for a moment, then set down his spoon.
After swallowing his food, he bowed his head.
"I'm sorry for what I said yesterday, Miyuki."
A short silence fell over the table.
Miyuki narrowed her eyes. "There's someone else you should be apologizing to," she said coldly.
Saki froze. "Me?" she thought.
"I think you should apologize to me," she said quickly, cutting in.
Yusuke lifted his head, looking slightly embarrassed.
"Yeah, I owe you an apology too, Saki."
Saki parted her lips. "I forgive you," she said softly.
But Miyuki had lost her patience.
She gripped her spoon tightly and slammed it on the table.
"There's another person you should apologize to. Don't pretend you've forgotten!" she shouted.
Yusuke raised his eyebrows in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
Hiroki remained silent, watching the scene with a tired look.
Miyuki exhaled, her voice trembling.
"You could apologize for taking advantage of the situation," she said.
Yusuke's eyes darkened. "Stop acting like I'm the only one at fault!" he snapped.
Miyuki's eyes flashed as her tone turned sharp.
"Before your mistake, it was just a misunderstanding, Yusuke."
Those words made Yusuke even angrier.
"I'm not the only one to blame! Then why doesn't Saki pick a side?" he yelled.
All eyes turned to Saki.
Her heart raced.
Unable to speak, she silently looked at Hiroki.
Hiroki finally couldn't take it anymore.
"Enough," he said quietly but firmly.
His eyes were fixed on Yusuke, saying without words, "Stop."
Yusuke's face twisted with anger.
He didn't want to stay there any longer.
Grabbing his tray, he muttered, "Do whatever you want," and walked away.
Silence once again settled over the table.
Miyuki took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.
Hiroki rested his head on his hand, lost in thought.
And Saki… felt something inside her slowly breaking.
This time, she said nothing.
She just sat there, weighed down by guilt.
Hiroki lifted his head.
His eyes looked tired, yet a spark of anger flickered in them.
"Saki… what are you even trying to do?"
Saki froze.
Her heart began to pound faster.
"Hiroki…" was all she could say, her voice trembling.
Hiroki's eyes were filled with shadow.
"I don't understand you anymore, Saki."
Each word stabbed into her heart like a knife.
Tears welled up in Saki's eyes.
"I'm sorry, Hiroki… for everything I've done…"
Her throat tightened, and the words barely came out.
Hiroki stared at her for a while.
Then he turned to his tray and slowly set down his spoon.
"Crying won't fix anything, Saki. You need to change yourself."
Those words echoed inside her.
It felt as though the invisible hand squeezing her heart pressed even harder.
Her lips trembled, but she couldn't say a word.
Hiroki stood up and quietly walked away.
Miyuki gave Saki a sharp, resentful look and left too.
And once again… Saki was alone.
The clatter of plates and chatter faded into the distance.
The world fell silent.
Tears rolled down Saki's cheeks.
Her heart felt heavy, her breathing uneven.
"I just want to disappear…" she thought.
Her choices… her words… had led her here.
Everyone around her was drifting away one by one.
Only she remained—alone with her silence.
Hiroki's words still echoed in her mind:
"You need to change yourself."
Saki looked down at her hands resting on the table.
"I wonder…" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"Do I really love Hiroki… or am I just curious about his special song?"