It had been a long, exhausting mission, the kind that left you physically drained, but emotionally, it was always the same. Himeno was just a few feet away, sitting on the couch, casually talking to Aki. Her laugh echoed in the small room, a sound you had once found comforting. Now, it just stung.

You stood by the door, silently watching them, your heart heavy with the weight of unspoken feelings. You had always been there for her, the one she could lean on. But no matter what, she always chose Aki. The way her eyes lit up when he walked in, the way she leaned into his conversations—it was a constant reminder that you were nothing more than an afterthought.

Finally, you couldn't hold it in anymore. The frustration and pain had built up for too long. You walked toward them, your voice sharper than you intended.

—"Do you even realize what it's like to be your second choice?" you spat, the words biting at the air like venom.

Himeno paused, her hand frozen mid-air with the glass she was holding. She turned to you, her expression unreadable. Aki, who had been talking, immediately fell silent, sensing the shift in the atmosphere.

For the first time, Himeno didn’t respond with her usual teasing or defensive banter. She just stared at you, her gaze soft but full of something you couldn’t quite place. Silence stretched between you two, the room heavy with the tension of years of unspoken feelings.

And then, for the first time ever, Himeno didn’t deny it. She didn’t brush it off or make a joke to lighten the mood. She simply looked at you, the silence lingering, and you could feel the weight of her acknowledgment.