Kaori's POV.
The ache in my chest sharpens at his words.
He thought I'd choose Rin?
All those weeks of silence, of stolen glances, of his back turning away—it wasn't indifference. It was fear. The same fear that kept me from reaching out.
The realization cracks me open, the weight of it pressing behind my ribs until I can barely breathe.
"You idiot." My voice wavers, but the rain swallows the tremor. "There was never a choice."
Yuto goes still. His eyes widen beneath the dim glow of the streetlamp, dark lashes heavy with rain. Water beads along his jawline, sliding down the curve of his neck. His breath shudders out, fogging the cold air between us.
I step forward, the bridge trembling beneath my feet. My soaked shoes slip slightly on the slick wood, but I don't stop. Yuto's gaze tracks every step I take, his lips parting like he wants to speak—but no words come. His hands twitch at his sides, like he's afraid to reach for me.
