Fractured Pieces

The walk home was silent. Yuuto, Rika, and Reina moved as a group, but the tension between them was thick enough to choke on. Reina kept her head down, her hands trembling at her sides. Rika walked a step ahead, her jaw set in a rigid line. Yuuto was in the middle, his thoughts a whirlwind of guilt and confusion.

He glanced at Reina, the tears she had tried to suppress earlier now visible in the shimmer of her eyes under the streetlights. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. What could he say to make this better?

"Are you going to explain, or do I have to keep guessing?" Reina's voice broke the silence.

Yuuto stopped walking, the question freezing him in place.

Rika sighed, turning around to face them. "Reina, this isn't the time—"

"No, Rika," Reina interrupted, her voice shaking. "I need to know. What did Eva mean? How did I hurt you, Yuuto?"

Yuuto looked at her, and for a moment, the memories he had buried so deep clawed their way back to the surface. He had avoided confronting them for so long, but now, with Reina staring at him, there was no escape.

---

The Unspoken Truth

Yuuto took a deep breath. "It was in middle school," he began, his voice barely above a whisper. "You were… everything to me back then. We were best friends, remember?"

Reina nodded slowly, her brow furrowing.

"I liked you," Yuuto admitted. "A lot. But I never said anything because I didn't want to ruin what we had. And then one day, I overheard you talking with your friends. You said…" He paused, the words catching in his throat.

Reina's face went pale. "What did I say?"

"You said I was too boring. That I wasn't… boyfriend material," Yuuto finished, his voice breaking.

Reina's hands flew to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. "I didn't… I didn't mean it like that," she stammered. "I was just—"

"Trying to impress your friends," Yuuto said, a bitter edge creeping into his tone. "Yeah, I figured that out later. But at the time, it crushed me. I started doubting myself, thinking maybe you were right."

Reina took a shaky step toward him. "Yuuto, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you heard that. If I could take it back, I would."

Yuuto sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me. But it still did. And I think Eva knew about it somehow. She used it to drive a wedge between us tonight."

Reina nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I hate her," she whispered. "I hate that she's doing this to you."

"Not just to me," Yuuto said, glancing at Rika.

---

Rika's Silence

Throughout the exchange, Rika had remained quiet, her arms crossed as she leaned against a nearby lamppost. Her eyes were distant, as if she were somewhere else entirely.

"Rika?" Yuuto asked gently.

She blinked, her expression softening as she met his gaze. "Yeah?"

"You've been quiet. What's on your mind?"

Rika hesitated, then pushed herself off the lamppost. "I'm just thinking about how predictable Eva is. She's good at finding people's weak spots, but that's all she has. She's not invincible, Yuuto. She can be beaten."

Yuuto nodded, her words filling him with a glimmer of hope.

Reina wiped her tears away, her voice stronger now. "If we work together, we can stop her, right? She doesn't get to control us anymore."

Rika smirked. "Now you're talking."

---

Eva's Countermove

The next morning, Yuuto arrived at school determined to confront whatever Eva had planned next. But the moment he stepped into the hallway, he realized she had already made her move.

Students were clustered in groups, whispering and casting furtive glances in his direction. Some held their phones up, scrolling through what appeared to be a message or image.

Yuuto's stomach sank. He pushed through the crowd to his locker, only to find a note taped to it.

Check your messages.

His hands trembled as he pulled out his phone. Dozens of notifications flooded his screen, all from an unknown sender. When he opened the first one, his heart stopped.

It was a photo of him and Reina from the night before, standing close together by the river. The angle made it look far more intimate than it had been, and the caption below it read:

"Guess Yuuto doesn't need Rika anymore."

The next message was worse: a screenshot of an old diary entry Reina had written years ago, confessing her feelings for someone. The caption beneath this one read:

"Guess who?"

Yuuto's chest tightened as he scrolled through more messages, each one carefully designed to stir chaos. It was all there—the photo, the diary entry, even a fabricated conversation implying Reina and Yuuto had been secretly meeting behind Rika's back.

"Unbelievable," Rika's voice cut through the noise, sharp and furious.

Yuuto turned to see her standing behind him, her phone in hand. She was scrolling through the same messages, her jaw clenched.

"Eva did this," Yuuto said, his voice shaking. "She's trying to turn us against each other."

"She's not going to win," Rika said firmly, her eyes blazing with anger.

---

The Confrontation

By lunchtime, Yuuto, Rika, and Reina had regrouped on the rooftop. The tension between them was palpable, but there was a shared determination in their eyes.

"We need to expose her," Rika said. "Prove to everyone that she's the one behind this."

"But how?" Reina asked. "She's so careful. She never leaves any evidence."

Yuuto thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone. "She wants to play games, right? Let's set a trap."

Rika raised an eyebrow. "What kind of trap?"

"We'll give her exactly what she wants," Yuuto said, his voice steady. "A chance to win. But we'll make sure she slips up in the process."

Reina looked skeptical. "That's risky. What if it backfires?"

"It won't," Rika said, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Because we'll be ready for her."

---

The Plan

That evening, Yuuto sent Eva a message.

You win. Let's talk.

Her reply came almost instantly.

Smart move. Meet me at the train station. Midnight.

Yuuto showed the message to Rika and Reina, and the three of them spent the next few hours preparing. They rehearsed their roles, made contingency plans, and ensured they had everything they needed to turn the tables on Eva.

By the time midnight arrived, Yuuto felt a strange sense of calm. He wasn't walking into her trap—she was walking into theirs.

---

The Final Move

Eva was waiting for him on the empty platform, her smile as sharp as ever.

"Back so soon?" she said, her tone mocking.

"You were right," Yuuto said, keeping his voice even. "I can't beat you. But maybe I can understand you."

Eva tilted her head, intrigued. "Go on."

Yuuto took a step closer, his heart pounding. "Why do you do it? Why do you enjoy hurting people?"

Eva's smile faltered, just for a moment. "Because people are predictable, Yuuto. They lie, they cheat, they betray. I just hold up a mirror."

"Is that what you think you're doing?" Yuuto asked. "Or is it just easier than admitting you're afraid?"

Eva's eyes narrowed. "Afraid of what?"

"Of being alone," Yuuto said.

For a split second, something vulnerable flickered in her expression. But then it was gone, replaced by her usual mask of confidence.

Before she could respond, Rika and Reina stepped out from the shadows, their phones recording.

"This ends now," Rika said, her voice like steel.

Eva's composure cracked as she realized what was happening. "You think anyone will believe you?" she spat.

"They will when they see this," Reina said, holding up her phone.

Eva took a step back, her confidence evaporating. For the first time, she looked genuinely afraid.

"This game is over, Eva," Yuuto said. "You don't get to control us anymore."

Eva glared at them, her hands trembling. Then, without a word, she turned and disappeared into the night.

---

A New Beginning

The next day, the truth about Eva's schemes spread like wildfire. Her reign of manipulation was over, and Yuuto, Rika, and Reina could finally breathe again.

As they sat together on the rooftop, the sun shining brightly above them, Yuuto felt a sense of peace he hadn't known in years.

"Do you think she'll come back?" Reina asked quietly.

"She might," Rika said. "But if she does, we'll be ready."

Yuuto smiled, his heart lighter than it had been in a long time. For the first time, he felt like he had truly won.