Conversations to Myself

Yuuto sat at his desk, staring at the blank notebook in front of him. The soft hum of his desk lamp was the only sound in the room, yet his mind was far from quiet. Thoughts swirled relentlessly, each one louder than the last.

Rika's words from the night before still echoed in his head.

"I've always been by your side, Yuuto... How am I supposed to feel?"

The frustration and sadness in her voice had been unmistakable. And then there was Eva. Every time he thought about her, there was a strange warmth in his chest, but also an unease that he couldn't quite shake. She had caused so much trouble, hurt so many people—including him—and yet, here he was, drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

"Why is this so complicated?" he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair.

---

Rika's Room

In her own room, Rika lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She had spent most of the day avoiding Yuuto, pretending to be busy with homework or errands. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the image of his face out of her mind—the confusion, the hesitation when she'd confronted him.

Her chest ached as she thought about it. She hated feeling this way, like she was stuck in a battle she'd already lost. But a part of her refused to give up, even if it hurt.

"What do I do now?" she whispered to herself. Her voice sounded small in the silence of her room.

She thought about Eva. She wanted to hate her, but deep down, she knew that Eva wasn't the real problem. The problem was Yuuto. Or maybe, the problem was herself—for wanting something that she knew might never be hers.

---

Eva's Room

Meanwhile, Eva was sitting cross-legged on her bed, a book open in front of her. She wasn't reading it, though. Her mind was elsewhere, replaying moments with Yuuto over and over again.

The way he smiled. The way he looked at her when he thought no one else was watching. It made her chest tighten and her heart race.

But then, there was the other side of things. The side where she remembered all the pain she had caused him, all the ways she had hurt him and the people around him. Did she even deserve to feel this way about him?

Eva sighed, closing the book. "Why did it have to be him?" she murmured. She hugged her knees to her chest, her thoughts a chaotic mix of guilt and longing.

---

Yuuto's Reflection

Back in his room, Yuuto leaned back in his chair, letting out a heavy sigh. He had been staring at the same page for what felt like an eternity, and he still hadn't written a single word.

"Maybe I should talk to someone about this," he said aloud, though the idea felt daunting. Who could he even talk to? Rika was too close to the situation, and Eva... well, she was part of the problem.

He thought about his sister for a moment, but quickly dismissed the idea. She'd probably tease him relentlessly or give him some over-the-top advice that wouldn't help at all.

"Guess I'm on my own," he muttered.

He picked up his pen and began to write, not sure where the words would take him.

---

The Notebook

"Why does it feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions?"

He stared at the words for a moment before continuing.

"Rika has always been there for me. She's loyal, kind, and strong. I don't want to lose her. But Eva... Eva is different. She's complicated, messy, and unpredictable, but there's something about her that makes me want to believe in her, even after everything she's done. Is it wrong to feel this way?"

Yuuto stopped writing and tapped the pen against the notebook. He didn't have any answers, just more questions.

---

An Undecided Heart

The next day, Yuuto found himself walking to school with a sense of unease. He hadn't spoken to Rika or Eva since the confrontation, and he wasn't sure how things would play out.

When he reached the gates, he saw Rika standing with some of their classmates, laughing at something one of them had said. For a moment, he felt a pang of guilt. She looked happy, but he knew that underneath it all, she was still hurting.

Further down the path, he spotted Eva, leaning against a tree with her headphones on. She looked lost in thought, her usual confident demeanor replaced by something softer, more vulnerable.

Yuuto stopped in his tracks, torn between the two. He wanted to talk to both of them, to make things right, but he didn't know where to start.

"Hey, Yuuto!" Rika called out, waving to him.

At the same time, Eva looked up and caught his eye. She didn't say anything, but the look on her face spoke volumes.

Yuuto felt his chest tighten as he stood there, caught between two people who meant so much to him in different ways.

In the end, Yuuto didn't move. He stood there, the morning sun casting long shadows across the schoolyard, as the weight of his indecision pressed down on him.

He didn't know what the future held or how things would unfold. All he knew was that the path ahead wasn't going to be easy.

And yet, somewhere deep inside, he hoped that maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to make things right.

For now, though, the story remained unfinished.