The school halls felt heavier than usual. Sunlight streamed through the windows, but it did nothing to lighten the weight pressing on Jousuke's chest. Today, he had to face them. He had spent countless hours thinking, weighing feelings and fears, and now the moment had come.
"I have to be honest. I can't hide anymore. They deserve the truth… even if it hurts."
-LUNCH BREAK-
The cafeteria buzzed with life—students chatting, laughing, clinking trays—but for Jousuke, it was a silent storm. He spotted Rika sitting alone, as if she instinctively knew he would come. Her hand fiddled with a pen, her gaze unfocused, lingering on nothing in particular.
He approached, his steps measured.
"Rika," he said, voice soft but steady.
She looked up, hope flickering in her eyes like candlelight in the wind. "Jousuke… you… you came."
He pulled out a chair and sat down, keeping his voice calm, though his heart pounded in protest. "I wanted to talk… honestly. About everything."
Her lips quivered. "Okay… I… I'll listen."
"I care about you, Rika," he began carefully, "and I've always admired your kindness, your strength, the way you put others before yourself. But… my heart… it doesn't belong to you in that way."
Her hand froze mid-air, pen hovering over her notebook. "…You… what?" Her voice cracked like thin ice breaking.
"I can't return your feelings the way you want me to," he said gently. "It's not fair to you to pretend otherwise. I wish I could, but I… can't."
Her chest heaved. She pressed her hands against the table, tears slipping silently between her fingers. "I… I see… I thought… maybe…" Her voice trailed off into nothing, swallowed by the cafeteria's noise.
"You are extraordinary, Rika," Jousuke continued, leaning forward slightly. "Anyone would be lucky to have your heart. I just… I just can't be that person."
She blinked rapidly, fighting against her tears. "Y-You… you don't understand. I… I risked everything to tell you. I trusted you… I…" Her voice broke completely, leaving only the sound of soft sobs.
Jousuke's throat tightened. "I know," he whispered. "And I'm sorry… I never wanted to hurt you. I hope… someday… you'll meet someone who loves you as deeply as you deserve."
Rika's lips trembled into a sad, fragile smile. She lowered her gaze, covering her face with her hands. The first heavy drops of tears fell, soaking her notebook.
"I… I need to go," she muttered, standing. Her chair scraped softly against the floor. She ran from the cafeteria without looking back.
Jousuke remained seated, hands gripping the edge of the table. The emptiness that followed her departure was suffocating. "She's heartbroken…" he thought. "And I can't blame her."
-AFTERNOON CLASS-
Time seemed to stretch endlessly. Leah sat in the back of Class 1-F, notes untouched, her mind elsewhere. She watched the classroom door as if she could see into Jousuke's thoughts. When he approached, her heart leapt, a mixture of hope and dread tightening her chest.
"Leah," he said quietly, stopping beside her desk.
Her hand stilled on the page. "Oh… Jousuke." Her voice trembled.
"I… need to tell you something," he continued, his gaze steady but gentle.
She looked up, eyes glimmering. "I… I'll listen."
He inhaled deeply. "Leah… I care about you. More than I probably should. But I… I can't give you what you want. My heart… it doesn't belong to you."
Her hand flew to her mouth. "…You… what?" The words barely formed, fragile as glass.
"I'm so sorry," he said, voice low. "I never wanted to hurt you, but I can't lie to you either. You deserve someone who can love you completely, without hesitation. And… that's not me."
Her breath caught in her throat. "I… I thought… maybe… maybe you…" Her voice cracked, and tears spilled freely, streaking her cheeks.
"I know," Jousuke murmured. "And I'm sorry for the pain this causes. Please… know that you are incredible. Anyone would be lucky to be loved by you."
Leah's body trembled. She pressed her hands to her face, silent sobs wracking her frame. She couldn't stop the flood of emotions—the heartbreak, the disappointment, the unspoken yearning that had been building for so long.
Finally, she pulled back, pushing herself from her desk. "I… I need… I can't…" Her voice broke as she ran down the hallway, not daring to look back.
Jousuke stayed where he was, feeling the ache of her absence, the echoes of her heartbreak lingering in the empty classroom.
"I hope they'll understand someday… that it's not about them… it's about me… about my heart…"
The bell rang, dismissing the last of the students, but the emptiness lingered. The laughter, the chatter, the clattering of desks—it all felt muted. Jousuke walked the quiet hallways, each step heavy with thought.
Rika and Leah… both so brave, both so honest, and yet both left broken in a single day. He pressed a hand to his chest, the weight of responsibility and guilt pressing down.
"I had to be honest… he thought. I couldn't lie to them. But… it hurts seeing them like this…"
He stopped for a moment by the school exit, watching the sunlight fade into the afternoon. The tears they shed, the heartbreak he caused—he would carry it with him. Yet beneath the guilt and sorrow, a faint resolve sparked.
"I have to face tomorrow. I have to face everything. And then… I have to be honest with Kaede."
The wind rustled gently through the trees outside, whispering through the empty streets. The silence after heartbreak was heavy, but it was not the end.
Jousuke exhaled slowly. He would carry today's sorrow in his chest, a painful reminder that love was never simple. But he would keep walking, keep thinking, and keep preparing for the truth he had to tell next.