The breeze fluttered gently through the spring air, carrying with it the delicate fragrance of cherry blossoms. Behind the school building, a lone sakura tree stood in full bloom, its pale petals raining down like soft snow, carpeting the ground in blush pink. Underneath its branches, Aiko stood, clutching a folded note in her trembling hands.
She had been practicing for days, whispering to herself, rewriting the words over and over in her mind until they etched into her heart. But even now, as she stood beneath the very place she'd chosen for her confession, her legs felt weak.
"Okay... breathe in, breathe out," Aiko muttered, pacing in a small circle. "You can do this, Aiko. You're the childhood friend. You kissed him first, remember? That's gotta mean something!"
She paused and shook her head.
"No, that sounded desperate. Ugh, okay. Let's try this again. 'Shin... I've liked you for a long time, and I—' No! Too plain! Too boring!"
She groaned, slapping her cheeks lightly. "Get it together, Aiko! You've watched every romance anime ever made. You're literally living one. Don't mess this up now."
Just then, she heard the crunch of footsteps behind her. Her breath caught.
She turned, expecting to see Shin.
But instead...
"YUKI?!"
The short, white-haired boy froze mid-step. His mouth dropped open.
"Aiko?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
They both stood there in stunned silence for a moment. And then, at the exact same time:
"...Wait. YOU wrote the other letter?!"
They pointed accusing fingers at each other.
"I knew it!" Yuki exclaimed, flailing his arms.
"Oh please!" Aiko shot back.
Yuki turned red. "Th-That's not the point! Why are you here?"
"Why do you think?! I came to confess!"
Yuki's eyes narrowed. "So did I."
They stared at each other in disbelief.
"Hold on, hold on," Aiko muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Let me process this. YOU—Yuki—the tsundere boy who throws tantrums when Shin pats your head— really telling he is in love with him?"
Yuki growled, stomping his foot. "D-Don't say it like that! I'm not in love with him, I just... I like him a lot, okay?! Idiot!"
Aiko raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. And writing a sappy love letter and asking to meet under the sakura tree doesn't scream 'in love' to you?"
"Says the girl who's been crushing on him since elementary school and still hasn't confessed!"
Aiko clutched her chest. "Hey! That's uncalled for! I was just... waiting for the right moment."
Yuki crossed his arms. "Well, apparently we both picked the same 'right moment.'"
"Seriously, what are the odds?" Aiko sighed, dropping onto the grass. "Out of all the times and places..."
Yuki hesitated, then sat beside her, their shoulders nearly touching.
"So... you really do like him that much?" he asked after a moment.
Aiko smiled softly. "Yeah. I always have. Even before I realized what love was."
Yuki looked down at his hands. "I've only known him for eight days. But somehow, he's already become so important to me. It's stupid, right?"
"Not stupid," Aiko said, shaking her head. "Just... love."
Yuki glanced at her. "Are we still friends after this?"
She smirked. "Depends. Are you planning to sabotage my confession?"
Yuki puffed his cheeks. "Only if you sabotage mine first."
They both burst out laughing.
"Let's be honest," Aiko grinned, "he's probably gonna freak when he sees both of us here."
"Or he'll faint. He's so dense sometimes."
"Oh god," Aiko groaned, "what if he tries to pretend this is a dream again?"
Yuki slapped his forehead. "We'll never get anywhere with that airhead."
And just then, as if summoned by their complaints, more footsteps echoed across the sakura-lined path.
They turned.
Shin.
He stood a few feet away, his eyes wide, looking between the two of them.
"Uh... hi?" he said slowly. "You both... wanted to talk to me?"
Aiko and Yuki scrambled to their feet, stiff and awkward.
Aiko was the first to move.
She stepped forward—quickly, nervously—but with a quiet fire in her eyes. Her shoes crunched softly against the loose petals scattered under the sakura tree, and her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her skirt like it was the only thing anchoring her heart.
"Taa-Kun," she said, her voice shaking but clear. "I—I need to tell you something. Something I've wanted to say for years."
Shin blinked. "Haa-Chan...?"
She inhaled sharply and gripped her skirt tighter. "I love you."
Her words hung in the air, as fragile as the cherry blossom petals drifting above them.
Aiko bit her lip. "Ever since we were kids. Ever since that day you gave me your umbrella and ran home soaking wet." She let out a shaky laugh. "You had snot running down your nose and your stupid shirt stuck to your back like some soggy cat, but you still smiled like an idiot."
Shin flushed faintly, rubbing the back of his head.
"You've always looked out for me," she continued, her voice trembling. "You've always made me smile when I didn't want to. You even gave me my first kiss, remember? I didn't even know what to do... but you just said, 'Close your eyes and stop being weird.'"
Shin's eyes widened as the memory clicked. His mouth parted, but no sound came out.
Aiko's cheeks turned bright red. "I've never stopped thinking about it. Not for one day. I'm sorry it took me this long, but... I'm in love with you, Shin. I always have been."
The silence between them was loud.
Her eyes searched his—desperate, scared, but hopeful.
Then—
"Say something, idiot," she mumbled, cheeks puffed.
Shin finally smiled. That familiar, warm, stupid smile. The one that used to pull her out of her darkest moods.
"Aiko... thank you."
His voice was soft, sincere.
Then he turned slowly, his gaze shifting toward the other person who stood frozen like a scared cat caught in headlights.
Yuki.
"...And you, Yuki?"
The moment Shin's gaze locked onto him, Yuki flinched. His small frame stiffened, and his eyes darted to the side like a startled squirrel.
"W-Why're you looking at me like that?!" he blurted, cheeks instantly turning pink. "I-It's not like I—I like you or anything, b-baka!"
Shin tilted his head, confused and amused. "Huh?"
"I-I mean... maybe I do! A little! Okay? Just a little bit! A microscopic speck of affection, maybe! Not that you deserve it with that dumb face!"
Shin took a slow step forward. "Yuki…"
"I said shut up!" Yuki barked, pointing a trembling finger at him. "You don't get to look at me with those gentle, stupid, perfect eyes and make me say embarrassing things! You're such a jerk! And you ruffle my hair all the time and poke my cheeks like I'm some pet hamster or something—"
"You kinda are," Aiko whispered with a smirk.
"I HEARD THAT!"
Yuki puffed up like a tiny furious marshmallow, his arms stiff at his sides, fists clenched. But despite all the noise, his voice cracked—softening around the edges.
"I..." he mumbled, then paused.
Aiko turned her head slightly, curious.
Yuki's fingers twitched as he slowly reached into his hoodie pocket, curling them around something unseen.
"I... I know I look like... like a girl," he muttered, eyes downcast, voice barely above a whisper. "But I'm not. I'm a boy. A real boy. I just... I look like this. And I sound like this. And I hate it sometimes. Because people always assume things."
Shin's expression shifted—gentler now.
"But you didn't," Yuki continued, glancing up, lips trembling. "You never did. You teased me like I was just... me. Not a boy who looked wrong. Just me."
The wind shifted, carrying loose petals across the space between them.
"I—I know we've only known each other for eight days," Yuki said, his voice trembling. "And maybe that's not enough to fall in love, and maybe I'm being a complete idiot, and maybe I'll regret saying this, but…"
He sniffled, cheeks burning brighter than the blossoms.
"…I love you, okay?! I love you, you idiot!"
Shin stood there, stunned again. Yuki looked like he wanted to disappear. His hands balled at his sides. His knees were shaking. His voice cracked again.
"When you tease me, I feel like screaming—but also like hugging you until my chest stops hurting. I hate how much I like you. It's infuriating! You make my heart do stupid flips and I can't sleep and I keep thinking about how warm your hands were when you held my shoulder and how dumb your laugh is and—and—"
Tears welled in his bright blue eyes.
"I love you, Shin! Even if I don't understand it all yet. Even if it's fast. Even if I'm a boy and I'm a weirdo and I act all tsundere and mess everything up! I love you!"
The wind went still.
The world quieted.
Even Aiko stood in silence, lips parted, eyes shimmering.
Shin blinked—once, then twice—like he was waking from a dream.
He took a single step forward, then another.
His shoes crunched the grass and petals until he stood right before them.
Then, he bent—slightly, gently—and extended both his hands, one toward Aiko, one toward Yuki.
"Then... let me hold both of you."
Aiko's breath caught.
Yuki's eyes widened.
"You..." Aiko whispered, hand hovering midair.
"You mean it?" Yuki's voice cracked again, his entire body trembling.
Shin smiled—a smile full of warmth and quiet devotion.
"I love you both," he said. "Maybe in different ways. Maybe I still need time to understand what that means. But I don't want to lose either of you. You're both special to me. So if it's okay... let's figure it out. Together."
For a moment, no one moved.
Then Aiko surged forward, arms wrapping tight around Shin's chest. Her face buried into his shirt, and she let out a sob muffled by his warmth.
Yuki stood frozen—still trembling, still teary.
"Yuki," Shin said softly, holding his hand out again.
Yuki stared at it.
His lip quivered.
"Idiot…" he whispered, barely audible.
Then, slowly—like a kitten unsure of its first step—he reached out. His small fingers curled around Shin's hand.
And suddenly he was crying too, shoulders shaking as he stepped into the embrace, wrapping his arms tightly around Shin's waist, face pressed into his side.
Aiko sniffled.
Yuki sobbed softly.
And Shin just held them both, silent, steady.
Under the sakura tree, with petals swirling like snowflakes around them, three hearts beat quietly in unison.
None of them knew what tomorrow would bring.
But in that moment—warm, messy, full of trembling hands and too-loud hearts—they were one.
---
END OF CHAPTER : 112 : BENEATH THE SAKURA- TWO HEART, ONE CHOICE.
---