The campus grounds, now spotted with cherry blossoms, had taken on a new energy. Students lingered outdoors, laughing under trees, snapping pictures, trading gossip. Spring didn't just bring flowers—it brought a mood.
Leo felt it, too.
But unlike most, the warmth of spring didn't ease his nerves.
Because today, the girls weren't speaking.
Not to him.
Not to each other.
And it all began with Aira.
---
"I swear I've seen her before," Yuki whispered, arms crossed as she leaned beside Hana outside the gym.
"You probably have," Hana replied, stretching her leg against the railing. "She's Leo's childhood friend."
"She fed him, Hana. In the middle of class."
Hana smirked. "And?"
"And she touched his hair like she owns the copyright."
Hana chuckled. "Jealous?"
"I'm not—!" Yuki flushed. "I'm not jealous. I'm… curious. Like, who shows up out of nowhere and knows his favorite soy sauce ratio?"
"Someone who's known him for a decade, probably."
Yuki sulked. "That's cheating."
Across the courtyard, Rin sat on a bench sketching, though her eyes flicked up more than they should've.
She'd seen Aira smile.
Seen Leo smile back.
And it unsettled her.
Not because of competition.
But because it looked natural.
That kind of closeness wasn't forged in weeks or months.
It came from years. Shared memories. Secrets whispered during thunderstorms. Stories etched into the walls of growing up.
And Rin didn't have that.
---
Leo, meanwhile, was stuck in the middle.
He'd barely had time to digest Rin's confession from the rooftop, and now Aira was appearing beside him at every turn. Not in a clingy way—just casually present. Effortless.
Like she belonged.
And truth be told… it felt comforting.
It was different from the flutters he got around Yuki.
Or the calm he felt near Rin.
Or the fire Hana lit in him during those brief, heart-racing glances.
Aira was a familiar warmth. A blanket he forgot he used to sleep with.
But that warmth brought conflict.
Because it meant choosing wasn't just about the present anymore.
It was about the past, too.
And that terrified him.
---
After class, Leo tried to break the silence.
He invited Yuki to the café across from the station.
She agreed.
But when they arrived, she kept fidgeting with her straw, avoiding eye contact.
"So…" Leo began. "About yesterday—"
"You don't owe me anything," Yuki said quickly, smile too bright. "Really. We're not dating. You're allowed to have friends. Childhood friends. Attractive, lunch-packing, unfairly charming friends."
Leo sighed. "Yuki—"
She finally looked at him. "Do you like her?"
Silence.
He didn't answer.
And that was answer enough.
Yuki's shoulders dropped slightly.
"I hate this," she admitted. "I hate not knowing where I stand."
"You're important to me."
"That's not the same."
He knew that. But what else could he say?
---
Back at the dorm, Kai was waiting with two cans of grape soda.
"You look like you just walked out of a breakup anime," he said, handing one over.
Leo groaned. "I'm tired."
Kai took a sip and nodded. "Yeah. Emotional whiplash'll do that to you."
After a moment, he added, "You know what's funny?"
"What?"
"All four girls are great. Different types. Different strengths. But they all like you. Not some version of you. You."
Leo leaned back against the dorm wall. "Is that supposed to help?"
Kai grinned. "Nope. Just reminding you how doomed you are."
Leo chuckled despite himself.
---
That night, he opened his notebook. No homework. Just words.
One page each.
Rin. Yuki. Hana. Aira.
He didn't know what he was doing.
But maybe, if he wrote enough, he'd figure it out.
Because spring was here.
And his heart was no longer hibernating.