The soft morning light filtered through the curtains of Mirei’s room as she y in bed, staring at her phone. Despite the exhaustion from yesterday’s Disneynd shoot, her mind refused to rest. Kaede’s image, standing beside Risa, haunted her thoughts. Mirei felt a twinge of jealousy as she recalled how close the two of them seemed.

  "Kaede’s not the type to go to an amusement park unless someone drags her," Mirei muttered to herself. It didn’t sit right with her. The memory of Risa grabbing Kaede’s hand and pouting fshed in her mind, making her stomach churn.

  With a deep breath, Mirei decided to call Kaede. "I can’t just assume things," she thought, clutching her phone tightly. Her heart pounded as she tapped the call button. Each ring felt like an eternity, but to her dismay, Kaede didn’t answer. Mirei sighed in disappointment, staring at the phone screen that now felt colder than ever.

  "Maybe I should text her?" Mirei wondered aloud, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. Before she could type a word, a sharp knock interrupted her.

  "Mirei! Hurry up; we’re starting soon!" Hikari’s voice pierced through the door.

  Mirei groaned softly, tossing her phone onto the bed. "Coming!" she called out. She quickly grabbed her bag and left the room, leaving the unsent message behind.

  ---

  The day dragged on, each passing hour only heightening Mirei’s unease. She kept gncing at her phone, hoping to see a reply or a missed call, but there was nothing. Her fingers twitched, tempted to reach out to Kaede again, but she held herself back, worried she might come off as too needy.

  During a short break, Minami approached her, noticing the unusual way Mirei was glued to her phone. "How is it, Mirei?" Minami asked casually.

  "How’s what?" Mirei replied, feigning ignorance.

  Minami raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Don’t py dumb. You’ve been checking your phone since yesterday. It’s about Kaede, isn’t it? And that bandmate of hers."

  Mirei hesitated, then let out a frustrated sigh. "I don’t know, Minami. I haven’t had the chance to talk to her. I didn’t want to ask through text and risk a misunderstanding, so I called her this morning. She didn’t pick up."

  Minami gave Mirei a reassuring smile. "Maybe she’s just busy. Kaede’s not the type to ignore you on purpose. Let’s wait until ter, okay?"

  "Yeah," Mirei mumbled, forcing a small smile. But the pit of unease in her stomach remained.

  ---

  By evening, as Celestial wrapped up their day’s activities, Mirei finally saw a notification on her phone. Her heart leapt when she saw Kaede’s name. The text read:

  "Mirei, what is it?"

  Mirei immediately found a quiet corner and called Kaede again, her hands trembling slightly. This time, Kaede answered.

  "Hey, Mirei!" Kaede greeted cheerfully, her voice warm and familiar.

  "Kaede…" Mirei began softly.

  "What is it, Mirei? Why did you call? Did something happen?" Kaede asked, her tone ced with concern.

  Mirei hesitated, her emotions swirling. "Kaede, I…"

  Before she could finish, another voice rang out from Kaede’s side. "Hey, Kaedeeee! Come hereee!"

  Kaede turned away from the phone. "Wait, Risa! I’m on a call!" she replied.

  Returning to the call, Kaede asked, "Sorry, Mirei. What is it?"

  Hearing Risa’s voice sent a pang through Mirei’s chest. "Kaede, I want to ask you something. Can you move somewhere quieter? It sounds chaotic over there."

  "Oh, sorry! Wait a second," Kaede said, her voice apologetic.

  Mirei listened as Kaede shuffled around, trying to find a quieter spot. However, the chaos on the other end didn’t subside. Instead, Risa’s voice became clearer.

  "Who’s calling, anyway?" Risa asked, her tone teasing.

  "It’s Mirei," Kaede replied.

  Risa ughed, her voice dripping with pyful mockery. "Oh, Mirei again. Of course, it’s Mirei. You always dump me for her, Kaede. I’m sooo sad. Can’t you be nicer to me? Don’t you know I love you too?"

  Mirei froze, her breath catching in her throat. The words hit her like a punch to the chest. Her fingers trembled as she clenched her phone tighter. Before she realized it, her reflexes took over, and she ended the call.

  ---

  Kaede stared at her phone in shock as the call abruptly ended. Her mind raced. "Did Mirei hear all of that?" she thought, panic setting in.

  Meanwhile, Risa, clearly tipsy, clung to Kaede’s arm, giggling. "What’s wrong, Kaede? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

  Kaede gently pushed Risa away, her tone firm. "Risa, you’re drunk. Go sit down."

  Risa pouted, swaying slightly. "You’re no fun, Kaede…"

  Ignoring her, Kaede stepped outside to call Mirei back. She pressed the call button repeatedly, but it went straight to voicemail. Frustration and guilt bubbled inside her. "Damn it, Mirei! Please don’t misunderstand this."

  Kaede quickly typed out a text:

  "Mirei, I’m so sorry. Can we talk again? Please let me expin."

  ---

  Back in her room, Mirei sat on the edge of her bed, tears streaming down her face. The words she’d overheard echoed in her mind. "Don’t you know I love you too?"

  Her heart ached as doubt began to creep in. Was Kaede really cheating on her? Did Risa mean what she said?

  Mirei wiped her tears, staring at her phone as it buzzed with Kaede’s messages. She couldn’t bring herself to read them. The pain was too fresh, and the image of Kaede and Risa ughing together was burned into her memory.

  She clutched her knees to her chest, her thoughts spiraling. "I thought… we were different. I thought Kaede loved me."

  ---

  Kaede sat outside, the cool night air doing little to calm her nerves. She stared at her phone, hoping for any sign of a reply from Mirei. Her thoughts were a whirlwind.

  "Risa didn’t mean it… right? She was just drunk. But Mirei—" Kaede groaned, running a hand through her hair. "This is such a mess."

  Her mind repyed the sound of Mirei’s voice before the call ended, soft yet tinged with pain. It made her chest tighten.

  ---

  Meanwhile, Minami, noticing Mirei’s distant behavior, approached her with concern. "Mirei, are you okay?"

  Mirei forced a weak smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "Yeah, I’m fine."

  Minami frowned, unconvinced. "You’re not. Did something happen with Kaede?"

  At the mention of Kaede’s name, Mirei’s facade crumbled. Tears welled up again as she shook her head. "I don’t know, Minami. I really don’t know anymore."

  Minami pced a comforting hand on Mirei’s shoulder. "Hey, whatever it is, I’m here, okay? Don’t jump to conclusions. Talk to her when you’re ready."

  Mirei nodded silently, but deep down, the weight of her emotions remained.

  As the night deepened, both Mirei and Kaede found themselves lost in their thoughts, the distance between them growing heavier with every passing moment.