Saki's footsteps echoed softly across the school courtyard, bathed in the warm gold of the setting sun. Every step felt heavier than the last—like her heart had been tied to her ankles. The sky glimmered in orange hues, the day quietly slipping away, yet inside her, everything felt painfully still.
Near the garden gate, Yusuke stood pretending to look at his phone.
But his eyes… they flicked up at her every few seconds.
Hopeful. Nervous. Trying not to show it, yet failing miserably.
When Saki finally reached him, he straightened instantly.
"Saki… so, um… shall we go?" His voice wavered ever so slightly, trembling with a mixture of excitement and fear.
Saki lowered her head.
"I'm sorry, Yusuke… I think I need to work alone today."
The light in Yusuke's eyes dimmed.
"But… you promised you'd help me," he whispered, his voice cracking.
A heavy silence fell over them.
Even the breeze seemed to pause, suffocated by the unspoken tension between them.
Yusuke was just about to say something else—breath already drawn—when a familiar voice called from behind.
"Saki! Let's go!"
Hiroki's voice.
The one voice that could make Saki's heart stumble.
He was coming down the steps, adjusting the guitar slung across his back. His eyes were searching for her—only her. Yusuke didn't even exist in his world at that moment.
Hiroki approached them and stopped, sensing something was off.
"What's going on?" he asked gently, but his eyes were sharp, reading the atmosphere instantly.
Saki's stomach twisted.
She could feel Yusuke getting ready to talk.
She looked at him desperately—Please… not now… don't say it…
But Yusuke inhaled sharply and spoke anyway.
"Saki promised she'd help me with the project today."
Saki froze.
Hiroki froze.
A shadow passed behind Hiroki's eyes—one so dark and deep that Saki felt it pierce right through her.
He didn't raise his voice. Didn't sigh. Didn't argue.
He simply said, too calmly:
"Alright then, Saki. I won't bother you. Do your assignment."
His voice was steady, but the hurt underneath was unmistakable.
He turned and walked away, each step like a quiet goodbye.
Saki's chest tightened painfully.
Yusuke continued awkwardly, "Now that Hiroki's gone… we can start on the project, right?"
But Saki didn't hear a single word.
Her eyes were fixed on Hiroki's back as he walked farther and farther away.
It felt like the world was stretching, pulling him away from her—out of her reach.
Her heartbeat roared in her ears.
Go.
You can't lose him.
Not like this. Not again.
She closed her eyes, clenched her fists, and—
Ran.
"Sa—Saki?!" Yusuke called out, shocked.
But she was already gone, her breath burning, her legs moving on pure instinct.
---
The air outside the school was cool, the sky shifting into twilight blue. Streetlights flickered on one by one, painting the sidewalk in soft gold. Hiroki walked ahead with his hands in his pockets, shoulders slightly hunched.
He looked strong from afar.
But Saki could see the loneliness in the curve of his back.
"Hiroki!" she shouted, breathless.
No response.
"Hiroki!"
Still nothing.
"Hiroki!"
Finally, he stopped.
Slowly—too slowly—he turned around.
His eyes…
They were tired.
Not just physically—emotionally. Deeply.
Saki's voice trembled.
"If you'd listened… I already said no to Yusuke…"
The words broke apart as they left her lips.
Her emotions were spilling everywhere—raw, messy, real.
Hiroki shut his eyes for a moment.
"Saki… this is turning into a childish game."
His tone was low, almost shaking.
"I don't want anything from you anymore. If you want… you can even quit the trip club."
Saki felt her heart collapse inside her chest.
"Hiroki… please… I'm sorry. Don't go…"
But he shook his head slightly.
"It's too late, Saki. This is what happens because of your choices."
He was about to walk away again… but something inside him snapped.
He halted.
His shoulders tensed.
His breath hitched—barely audible.
When he spoke again, his voice wasn't calm anymore.
It cracked.
"You want to know something, Saki?"
"…What?"
"Our date… it's never going to happen."
Saki's world shattered.
"And the song I wrote…" His voice dropped to a whisper.
"I don't think you deserve it."
Her heart ripped open.
"And worst of all…"
He swallowed, the bitterness choking him.
"I realized I never really knew who you were."
He turned around and walked away.
From behind, he looked cold, distant.
But Saki saw the truth—two small streaks of tears sliding down his cheeks.
Her legs gave out.
The pavement felt icy beneath her as she sank to her knees.
Her vision blurred.
But she couldn't cry—her body was too numb even for that.
After a long moment, she forced herself to stand.
Her steps dragged as she walked toward home.
Clouds rolled across the sky, dark and heavy.
And then—
Rain.
Soft at first, then harder.
Like the sky was crying for her…
Or with her.
She pulled her arms close, trying to steady her breath, but her chest ached like someone was squeezing her heart from the inside.
Right as she reached her house, her foot slipped.
She fell into the mud, cold water splashing up her arms and face.
This time, she didn't hold it in.
Her hands covered her eyes.
Her shoulders shook uncontrollably.
A silent scream tore out of her chest—
raw, broken, desperate.
She had lost him.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
The kind of loss that hurts far deeper.
And as the rain drenched her completely, one thought echoed in her mind—
haunting her more than the fall… more than the tears… more than Hiroki's words.
"Can I ever—
ever—
earn him back?"