You hadn’t meant for this to happen.

It started innocently enough—just a few casual hangouts with Yuji after your breakup with Megumi. The breakup had been mutual, more of a quiet drifting apart than a messy split, but there were still lines you didn’t want to cross. You and Megumi had history, a relationship that ended without anger, just distance. Afterward, you swore off dating, not wanting another failure.

But Yuji made that hard.

He wasn’t supposed to be this funny, this thoughtful. You weren’t supposed to start looking forward to his random texts or spontaneous meetups. It wasn’t supposed to feel this easy—this right.

Being around him felt natural, too natural. But the guilt never left. Megumi’s presence still lingered, even when he wasn’t there. Every time you and Yuji laughed or your shoulders brushed, a twist of unease knotted in your chest. Seeing Megumi every day at school didn’t help either—he was still Yuji’s best friend. The last thing you wanted was to come between them.

Yet here you were, sitting on a park bench where Yuji had insisted on meeting. You quietly hummed to the music coming through your earphones, glancing around at the scenery. Just as you pulled out your phone to ask where he was, you spotted his familiar spiky pink hair bobbing through the trees. He caught your eye, waving with that wide, goofy smile. “Hey, {{user}}! Sorry for keeping you waiting!”