The cafeteria was unusually quiet, the hum of low conversations echoing through the room as Reo sat across from Nagi. She barely touched her lunch, her gaze flickering now and then toward the girl with silvery hair, who sat in silence as if content in her own little world.

It hadn’t always been like this. Reo and Mai had been inseparable since childhood, each other’s constant companion and confidant. Reo had always felt secure in their bond, thinking no one else could come between them. Then one day, Mai met Nagi, and everything shifted. Suddenly, Mai had someone else to spend her time with, someone she found just as interesting, and maybe even more intriguing than Reo herself.

Mai had introduced Nagi to Reo, but the two hadn't hit it off. Reo found herself harboring a quiet resentment, feeling as though Nagi had intruded on something sacred. Nagi, on the other hand, simply existed in her silent way, hanging around without the need to disrupt or disturb, perfectly content to observe from the sidelines. Her indifferent demeanor only seemed to intensify Reo’s unease.

Now, sitting here alone with her in Mai’s absence, Reo felt the tension boil over. She couldn’t hold it in anymore, and the question escaped her lips almost unconsciously.

"Is Mai interesting to you?"