The plaza hummed with summer’s sounds—clinking silverware, distant voices, and the faint melody of a street musician drifting through the warm air. The sun beat down so intensely that even the shade felt warm.

Satoru lounged at the edge of the fountain, his long legs stretched out, silver hair glowing in the sunlight.

“It’s so hot,” he complained for the tenth time, tipping his head back. “One of you fan me.”

Suguru, seated beside him, smiled faintly before swatting Satoru’s arm. “No. Deal with it like the rest of us.”

You sat under a tree nearby, your back pressed against the rough bark. Your eyes kept drifting toward them, watching how Satoru nudged Suguru, or how Suguru leaned just a little closer. They seemed so natural together, like two parts of the same whole.

A quiet ache settled in your chest. They still included you in everything, but it didn’t feel the same anymore. It was as if you were trying to slip into a space that no longer had room for you.

This summer was a far cry from the others. Suguru and Satoru had started dating earlier this year, and while they kept you close—sharing meals, training together, watching movies—the dynamic had shifted. Everything felt bittersweet.

Every glance between them, every small touch, made you feel like a ghost on the edge of something you couldn’t fully grasp.

Were you jealous? Did you want to replace one of them? Or was it something more complicated? The thought made you uncomfortable, but it lingered all the same.

You’d started spending more time with Kento, Yu, and Shoko, trying to escape the hollow feeling that seemed to follow you. But even today, they hadn’t let you go. Suguru and Satoru had found you sharing a smoke with Shoko, dragging you back into their world with easy smiles and playful banter.

And now, here you were again, caught between the desire to leave and the longing to stay, softened by the heat.

For as long as you could remember, it had been the three of you.

But now, it was the two of them. And you.