A week had passed, and Sakura was finally beginning to heal. The night terrors that had once plagued her sleep had lessened, her appetite was returning, and slowly—hesitantly—she was rebuilding the trust she had lost in her parents.
You've gone back nine years. Your parents are alive. They're real.
The words echoed in her mind like a fragile prayer, something she clung to even when doubt crept in.
And through it all, Haru had been by her side.
He comforted her when she woke up gasping in the middle of the night. He sat beside her when she struggled to eat. He even helped with her studies, though she didn't truly need it. With nine years of experience, she could have completed the assignments in half the time, but she had to be careful. Moving too quickly, excelling too easily—it would raise suspicion. She had to pace herself, blend in, and move like a normal college student.
That morning, as they sat at the breakfast table, Sakura took a steady breath.
"I'm ready to go back to university."
The words felt forced, like she was pushing them out before she could take them back.
Ren and Umeko exchanged a look.
"Are you sure?" her mother asked gently.
Sakura hesitated, staring at her plate. The eggs and rice on it looked untouched.
Ren leaned forward, concern etched into his features. "There's no rush, sweetheart. You can stay home for a few more days if you need to—"
"With all due respect, Mr. and Mrs. Suzuki," Haru interrupted, his voice calm but firm, "Sakura has been indoors for a week. I don't think she should return to university just yet, but I do believe it would help if she went outside—just for a little while. A change of scenery. I can go with her, and a friend of mine will join us too."
Ren considered this. "That might be a good idea."
Umeko nodded, but then, as if something had just occurred to her, she turned to Sakura.
"Speaking of friends… why don't you see Mia anymore?"
The question sent an icy jolt through her.
Her breath caught.
Her fingers clenched around her chopsticks.
Mia.
Even hearing her name made her chest tighten.
"I—excuse me."
Sakura pushed back her chair abruptly and left the table, walking away before the tears in her eyes could fall.
Ren and Umeko watched her go, their faces etched with worry.
Just how many secrets was their daughter keeping from them?
Haru started to follow, but Ren stopped him with a quiet but firm, "Haru."
Haru turned.
Ren's expression was unreadable, but his eyes held a quiet urgency. "Did something happen between Sakura and Mia?"
Haru hesitated.
A part of him wanted to tell them everything, to give them the answers they were looking for.
But it wasn't his truth to tell.
"Yes," he admitted, "but I think it would be best if you heard it from Sakura herself."
Ren and Umeko exchanged a glance, their unease growing.
…
That afternoon, Haru and Sakura met up with Kei at the shopping mall.
"Thanks for inviting me," Kei said, offering Haru a quick bro hug.
"Of course."
Sakura glanced at Kei, her voice soft when she spoke. "Hi, Kei."
Kei hesitated. "Hi… Sakura."
The awkwardness between them was palpable. He wasn't sure if he should apologise for what had happened to her, or pretend that things were normal. And to make things worse, he knew that she remembered their past life.
Sensing the tension, Haru changed the subject. "How about we check out some shops?"
Sakura studied Kei's face for a moment before saying, "I heard you work at a bookstore. Can we go there?"
Kei blinked, slightly caught off guard. "Uh, yeah. Sure."
As she was about to walk ahead, Haru caught her hand, his fingers warm against hers.
Sakura's breath hitched slightly as she turned to look at him.
He smiled. "Boyfriend and girlfriend should hold hands, right?"
…
The moment they stepped into the bookstore called MagicBooks, one of Kei's coworkers greeted them cheerfully.
Sakura glanced around, letting herself relax.
"Kei, do you know any good romance books?" she asked. "Haru told me you love to read."
Kei shot Haru a glare. "I don't love to read romance novels, but there's one series I liked."
"Really?"
"Yeah, apparently it has great reviews."
He led her to the romance section and pulled a book from the shelf.
"Ta-da." He handed her a copy of Twisted Love.
Haru let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head.
Kei frowned. "What?"
"Sakura's already read it," Haru said, amused.
Sakura looked at him, surprised. "How do you know that?"
"I saw it on your bookshelf."
Kei grinned. "Did you read the second part? Twisted Games?"
"Yeah. Along with Twisted Hate and Twisted Lies."
Kei's face lit up. "Which one was your favourite?"
Sakura's lips curved into a small smile. "That's hard to say."
"I know, right? They were all amazing."
As they spoke, the awkwardness between them eased.
Meanwhile, Haru watched them closely, making a mental note to read the Twisted series.
…
After strolling through the mall for a while, they stopped at a ramen restaurant.
As Haru queued to order, Sakura and Kei sat across from each other.
"I'm really happy you came out with us, Kei," she said.
Kei hesitated, guilt gnawing at him. "Me too."
"It's nice to go out sometimes with a friend."
Friend.
The word felt like a punch to the gut.
He wasn't her friend.
He was a coward. A coward who had watched Mia betray her and said nothing.
Kei opened his mouth—he wanted to confess, to tell her everything—but then closed it.
Sakura continued, unaware of his inner turmoil. "I mean, don't get me wrong. I love spending time with Haru, but that's boyfriend-and-girlfriend time. Sometimes you just need time with a friend."
She smiled, but Kei barely heard her. His heart pounded.
"What about Mia?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.
Sakura's smile faltered, turning sad. "Even though she never apologised for how she treated me at the mixer, I—I still forgave her. But after what happened with Kenji, she wasn't there for me. And that… that hurts."
Her voice wavered, and Kei could see the tears threatening to spill.
Kei clenched his fists.
"Sakura, Mia—"
The words caught in his throat.
He wanted to tell her. That Mia had changed their fate. That she had sent them all back in time. That everything—their pain, their second chances—was because of her.
But he couldn't.
Sakura was still healing. She didn't need more pain.
"What?" she asked, watching him closely.
Kei exhaled sharply and forced a small smile. "Nothing."
The weight of the truth pressed down on him like chains.
This burden—this secret—he carried it all because he loved Mia.
He had loved her in the previous life. He loved her now.
But she had never loved him.
And this love… it felt like a curse.