Kanta tapped his smartphone screen, fingers tense as he stared at it. The thought of Tanya drifting away dawned on him. He tightened his grip on the phone, his shoulders rising and falling as he tried to steady his breathing.

A text from Teiichi popped up on the screen: "She dumped you, didn't she? 😏"

A small smile tugged at Kanta's lips. He shook his head, thumbs flying over the keyboard. "Very funny." He paused, then added a second message: "Family Mart by the station. ASAP. My treat."

Teiichi's reply was almost instant: 👍

Kanta then opened the app to call Kim. Kim answered after a few rings, the sounds of the train station clear in the background—announcements, footsteps, muffled conversations.

"Hey, Kanta," Kim greeted, his voice calm as ever. "What's up? I'm on my way to cram school."

"Forget cram school. I need to talk to you. Now."

"Uh..." Kim hesitated. The train lights approached the platform, and the crowd began to shuffle. "Kanta, I really have to—"

"Kim," Kanta yelled. "I can't really hear you—just meet me at the Family Mart by the station. Ten minutes, my treat." Before Kim could argue, Kanta hung up.

Kim stood frozen as the train screeched to a halt. People shuffled around him, boarding in a hurry. Kim just stared, torn. The doors started closing, and he sighed, shoulders slumping as he watched the train pull away. He turned away, weaving through the crowd, his feet heavy as he made his way toward the station exit.

When Kanta arrived at the Family Mart, Kim and Teiichi were already there, standing in front of the store. Teiichi gave Kanta a knowing grin, while Kim just looked slightly confused.

"I'm here," Kim said, frowning slightly. "What's going on?"

Kanta jerked his head toward the entrance. "Come inside." Without another word, he led the way. Teiichi followed, with Kim trailing behind and exchanging a glance with him. Kanta grabbed a couple of drinks and snacks, paying quickly at the counter. They found a table in the back, away from the bustle.

Kanta dropped into the seat across from Kim and Teiichi, his fingers tapping restlessly on the table. "Tanya told me she doesn't want to hang out anymore," he said, his voice tight, eyes fixed on the tabletop. "She said it was 'better this way,' but I can't make sense of it. Did I miss something?"

Kim's eyes widened, his brows knitting together. "She said that?"

Kanta let out a long breath, sinking back in his chair. "She's been pulling away for weeks. Avoids me, barely looks me in the eye. When I message her, it takes hours for a response, and even then, it's always short. Cold. It's like she's building a wall, and I don't know why."

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Kim tore open a bag of chips. 'Maybe it's something personal, something she can't talk about,' he said, his voice trailing off as he crunched on a chip, eyes staying on Kanta.

Teiichi leaned forward, resting an elbow on the table. He grabbed a chip, chewing it slowly as he watched Kanta.

"What could be so personal that she can't even tell me? She used to tell me everything—even her underwear size." Kanta looked up, his jaw clenched, frustration etched across his face.

"Whoa, seriously?" Kim said, raising an eyebrow before popping another chip into his mouth, still eyeing Kanta.

Teiichi shrugged. "Yeah, seriously."

"And Lada... she's been acting strange too. Always whispering with Tanya, looking serious. I can't shake the feeling it's about me." Kanta grabbed a chip, his gaze shifting between Kim and Teiichi. "Have you noticed anything? Anything off between them?"

Kim paused, finishing his munch. "Not really. But you know Tanya—she's got her own way of handling things. Maybe you're reading too much into it."

"Yeah, Tanya always looks serious. Maybe you're overthinking it." Teiichi added.

Kanta shook his head. "No. I can't just ignore it." He pulled out his phone, calling Lada. The call rang on and on, unanswered. He ended it, tossing his phone on the table. "She's not picking up," he muttered.

"I should've asked her out that night at the culture festival," Kanta sighed, staring at the table.

"You didn't? I thought you said you would." Kim's eyebrows shot up.

"No, I didn't. Maybe things would've turned out better if I had." Kanta reached for his bubble tea. "What do you guys think? Be honest."

"Maybe it would have," Teiichi said with a nod.

"I don't know. How would that make a difference? You two were already acting like a couple," Kim said, shaking his head.

Silence settled over them, the faint rustle of the convenience store filling the air. Kanta sipped his bubble tea, the straw scraping the bottom of the cup. Kim tore open a second bag of chips, the crinkle cutting through the stillness. Teiichi's gaze shifted between Kanta and the table.

Kanta's eyes drifted around the Family Mart. He finally spoke, pointing at Teiichi. "You know, Tanya and I used to hang out here a lot after her band rehearsals. She'd sit there, telling me how the band members were a bunch of morons. But sometimes, we'd just sit quietly, and it felt... comfortable. Like we had all the time in the world."

Kim gave Kanta a soft smile. "Those sound like good times."

Teiichi gave Kanta a teasing grin. "You made her think her bandmates were all idiots, didn't you?"

Kanta smirked. "I made her realize her bandmates were all idiots."

"We'd stay late because Tanya hated crowded trains. I'd ride with her and walk her home." Kanta paused, his eyes widening as a thought struck him. He then slammed his palm on the table. "That's right. I'm going to Lada's. If she knows something I'm going to find out." He stood, the chair scraping against the floor.

"Now?" Teiichi asked.

"Now," Kanta answered, grabbing his phone from the table.

"Wait, Kanta. Showing up like that... it could backfire. She might not even be home," Kim said.

Teiichi glanced at Kanta but remained silent.

"I need answers, sooner rather than later."

Kim opened his mouth, but Kanta was already turning to leave. "And what if she has nothing to do with this?" Kim called out, leaning forward slightly.

Kanta paused at the door for a moment and took a deep breath. "Then she'll help me figure this out." He walked out.

Kim sighed, slumping back in his chair, his gaze dropping to the snacks on the table. Teiichi shook his head slightly. "This is going to end badly," Kim muttered, grabbing the third bag of chips.