Seeing all of this, Ayane felt two completely opposite emotions at the same time. Part of her heart felt happy, deeply touched by the effort Arashi had made for her… yet another part of her felt upset and heavy, as if something inside her still refused to settle.
She slowly wiped away her tears with trembling hands and spoke softly to herself. She told herself that she shouldn't be angry. Arashi had truly tried his best to make sure her heart wouldn't be hurt. He had put in effort, genuine effort, and she knew that. If he had done so much for her, then she, too, should at least try—try not to let his hard work go to waste.
But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, tears continued to stream down her face. Her heart was willing to forgive, but her mind wasn't ready to forget.
Inside her head, one painful scene kept repeating again and again—the moment when she had been rejected. That memory spun endlessly in her thoughts, refusing to fade. She tried desperately to push it away, to pretend it didn't exist anymore, but it was no use. The pain clung to her, refusing to loosen its grip.
Still crying, Ayane began to form a plan in her mind. She decided that she would go to Arashi, apologize to him, and fix everything that had gone wrong between them. She also resolved to apologize to Mizuki and make things right with her as well. She wanted to repair every broken connection, every misunderstanding.
She told herself that she would try—she had to try—to forget everything that had happened that day. Yet, despite her determination, she could feel a heavy burden pressing down on her chest. It was too much for her to carry alone.
She realized she needed to talk to someone. She needed to tell someone about what had happened, so that the weight on her heart could ease, even if just a little.
With shaking fingers, Ayane picked up her phone and called Miyu, asking her to come over.
From the other side of the call, Miyu sounded concerned. She asked why Ayane was calling so late, reminding her that night was about to fall. She said it would take time for her to come and asked anxiously if everything was alright.
Unable to hold herself together anymore, Ayane replied while crying. She pleaded with her, her voice breaking as she begged Miyu to come. She told her that she really needed her right now.
Hearing the desperation and pain in Ayane's voice, Miyu immediately understood that something serious had happened. Without asking further questions, she told Ayane to wait and assured her that she was on her way.
Moments later, the call ended—but the silence that followed felt heavier than before.
After that, Ayane began waiting for Miyu. Every second felt unbearably heavy, as if time itself had slowed down. Her chest felt tight, and her thoughts refused to settle.
Almost five minutes later, Miyu arrived and stepped into Ayane's room.
The moment Ayane saw her, she lost all control. She rushed forward and hugged Miyu tightly, then broke down completely. Her sobs poured out as she cried with all her strength, clinging to her as if she had been holding everything in for far too long.
Miyu hugged her back firmly, placing one hand gently on Ayane's head and slowly stroking her hair.
"What happened, Ayane?" Miyu asked softly. "Tell me. I came only for you. Come on, tell me what happened."
But Ayane's crying only grew louder.
Seeing this, Miyu spoke again, her voice calm and reassuring.
"Alright," she said gently. "Cry properly first. Let it all out. Whatever is inside you, bring it out. We'll talk after that."
Ayane continued crying for a while longer. When her breathing finally began to steady, she hugged Miyu again—tighter than before.
Miyu held her and said quietly, "Okay, okay… now tell me. What happened?"
Ayane told her everything. Even as she spoke, she kept crying, though her eyes had gone completely dry. She had cried so much that there were no tears left to fall, yet the pain in her voice was still clear.
After listening to everything, Miyu finally spoke.
"Ayane," she said gently, "I understand. I know you're hurt. And I also know you want to fix everything."
She paused for a moment, then continued,
"But don't force yourself. If you force your emotions, everything will get worse instead of better."
Miyu looked at her seriously and added,
"You know what Arashi always says—everything has its own time. Things happen only when that time comes. Everyone needs to act with patience."
She held Ayane's hands and said,
"So be patient. Don't do anything suddenly. Don't rush. Arashi and Mizuki will appreciate this decision too."
Then, in a softer voice, she finished,
"Take your time. Heal yourself first. And only after that… go to them. Okay?"
After listening to Miyu, Ayane nodded slowly and took a deep breath.
"Alright," Ayane said softly. "I actually feel better now. I'll be patient. I won't rush things. Thank you, Miyu."
Miyu smiled faintly and replied, "It's no problem at all."
Ayane hesitated for a moment, then asked, "By the way… how did you get here so quickly?"
Miyu let out a small sigh and said, "I was nearby. When I heard you crying, I couldn't stay away. I knew something must have happened, so I came as fast as I could."
She continued, "The door was already open, so I came inside. Honestly, I didn't even know which room was yours at first. This was actually the second room I entered—and you were here."
Then Miyu's expression suddenly changed into a playful grin. She glanced around the room and teased,
"By the way… tell me something. Who made this heart with roses? And who wrote 'I love you' with flower petals, hmm?"
Ayane immediately blushed.
"Oh—well… you already know," she replied shyly, looking away.
Miyu laughed softly and said, "Wow, seriously. You know, Satoru has never given me anything like this. He's always busy gaming. Sometimes he doesn't even answer my calls."
She shook her head and continued, "You won't believe this—he liked me. But he never even tried to give me a hint or tell me how he felt. In the end, I was the one who confessed."
Her voice grew a little bitter as she added,
"And when I did he said, 'I like you too'."
Miyu paused for a second, then smirked and said,
"And that guy—what was his name? Ren, right? He did so much for you. Man… I'm jealous."
Miyu looked at Ayane quietly for a moment, then spoke.
"So this is your answer, Ayane," she said calmly.
She continued, her tone gentle but firm.
"Look, in this world, there are people who fall in love, but when they confess, they face rejection. No one loves them back."
She paused, making sure Ayane was listening.
"But your case is different," Miyu said. "You loved someone else, and someone else loved you."
Then she said the words clearly, as if she wanted Ayane to remember them forever.
"The point of saying all this is simple—don't love the person you want. Love the person who wants you."
Ayane stayed silent, absorbing every word.