Night. I was lying in bed, my arm over my eyes. My chest ached. I kept thinking about Len. Had I let him slip out of my grasp? Why did it hurt?

I didn't call Miku, or Len, or anyone, for that matter. In fact, I left my phone off. I had left school late, so that I wouldn't run into anyone, not even Kaito. I wanted to know what was going on but I also needed some time alone, just to think about what had happened that day.

Rin was hurt. Kaito was gloomy. I could've kissed him. Thinking about what could've happened made me feverish. Then Len had shown up, completely distraught, venting out on me and Kaito. He was jealous, he said. He loved me, he said. I didn't love him. That was what I had said. Then why did it hurt to see him with Miku? Because they were both my best friends? Because I didn't see it happening? Because Miku never told me that she liked him?

The next morning, as I walked to school, I held my Science binder open in front of me, my eyes scanning my notes. I had to start studying, regardless of whatever was going on around me. It was hard, though. I kept thinking about Len, and him and Miku, and then Kaito.

"You're starting early," the voice behind me wasn't Len or Miku, or Gakupo. It was Oliver. He walked alongside me, peering at my notes. "They're a lot neater than mine, Gumi."

I tried to smile. "Do you think we could study together?"

"Sure," he nodded. "Say, where were you yesterday, after school? We spent twenty minutes looking for you."

Guilt hit me like a kick to the stomach. "I...I was...in the bathroom," I lied.

"We missed you," he said.

"How's Len?" I asked.

"His sister, you mean? He says she's better but it's not looking too great with his parents. Did he tell you?"

"Tell me? About Rin?"

Oliver shook his head. "I guess he wouldn't have gotten a chance, he's been so tied up with Rin...he's going out with Miku."

So it was actually happening. I blinked furiously. Why was I about to cry?

"R-Really?" I asked, swallowing and trying to get rid of the lump in my throat.

"Yeah. From what I heard, Miku had been meaning to tell him for a while now. She saw him sitting alone yesterday and talked to him, eventually telling him."

"Oh," I nodded. "I haven't spoken t-to Miku or anyone yet."

"Well, I'm sure you'll see her today," Oliver grinned. "What class d'you have?"

"Accounting," I mumbled, not really paying attention to him, which was rude of me. I couldn't help it, though.

"With Gakupo, right? I'll drop you off."

We walked upstairs and said goodbye outside my classroom. Nobody was there yet but the door was open, so I walked in and got into my seat, pulling out my notes and putting my head down.

Len said he loved me, then why did he take Miku? Did he love her, too? Was it because...

I sensed the tears coming back.

What's wrong with me? I never used to cry this often...

"You asleep?" Gakupo dropped his backpack onto the table, jolting me. I sat up straight and glared at him.

"You idiot!" I yelled. "Do you have to bother me all the time?"

He frowned, eyes wide. "Geez, I didn't think your anger issues would become so apparent overnight..." He mumbled as he pulled out his chair.

I looked around. More students had begun to pour in. Sighing, I put my chin on the table. Gakupo sat down and gently rapped his fist against my head.

"What's gotten our little princess so glum?"

"I'm not glum," I muttered, my eyes flashing over to his. "I'm confused."

"Oh? About what? Maybe I can enlighten the confused, carrot eating child."

"Stop it, Gakupo, I'm not in the mood."

"Come on, Gumi, tell me."

"Leave me alone."

He didn't reply, and instead began opening his bag and pulling a pencil and notebook out. He flipped the notebook open and slid it over to me, along with the pencil.

"What?" I frowned. He grinned.

"Write the name of the person who's bothering you."

"Why?"

"Writing it will kill them," his grin became wider. I scoffed.

"That sounds like something you'd read in a comic book or something," I replied flatly. "Besides, I don't want to kill anyone."

"Okay, fine. I was kidding. Just write your problem here. Sometimes it's easier to communicate problems when you write them down. Discussing it verbally just doesn't work."

"It's nothing much," I whispered, pushing the notebook back to him. "Just...yesterday. Yesterday bothered me. It's still bothering me. I wonder what I did wrong."

"What happened?"

I took a breath and then stopped myself from telling him. "I can't talk about it."

"Is it about Len?"

I glared at him. He laughed.

"I knew it. So, what is it? Him and Miku are..."

"Dating, I know," I choked it out.

"Well, I don't think they've gone on an official date yet, but yeah, that's the gist of it. That's a sign for guys like me, you know. It means that the girls are going to realise that there are boys other than Kaito! Anyway, is that what's bugging you? You're jealous?"

"No, not exactly, I..." I sat up and looked down at my lap. "Len said he...he liked me."

Gakupo gaped at me. I looked at him. He kept staring.

"What?" I asked.

"He told you? After all these years?" Gakupo's voice fell to a whisper.

"Years?" I squeaked. "Y-Yeah, he...he told me and..."

"You said no."

My face flushed. I hung my head. "I said no," I whispered.

"I knew it," Gakupo said. "It wasn't like Len to take Miku without hearing something from you first. Gumi, that guy was pressured somehow...he used to tell me about how he wanted to confess to you...he wanted to make it perfect. Maybe Rin's injury pushed him to tell you so suddenly?"

I didn't want to tell Gakupo about how I liked Kaito. "I said I just didn't like him like that," I looked up at the purple haired teen. "I just wanted to be friends with him...I never..."

"And now you're feeling guilty," Gakupo put a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't know what I'm feeling," I whispered.

"Well, you can't do anything about it now," he said. "Why does it hurt?"

"I told you, I don't know! M-Maybe because I said no..."

"Is it because you're jealous?"

"Huh?"

"Jealous of him and Miku?" A small smile formed on his lips. "If you're jealous, that means you like Len."

"I'm not jealous, I think...maybe I'm just sad," I said. "We'll never be the same group of friends. I hurt him, I hurt Len. Miku's healing him. She's my friend. They're both my friends..."

"It'll get better," he patted my shoulder. "It'll take time, but you have to accept him and Miku together."

"If I tell him that I like him, and he breaks up with her...that'd hurt Miku," I mumbled. "B-But I don't like him..."

"Then be happy for them," Gakupo grinned. "It'll be fine, don't dwell on it too much. If all you do is worry your little green head about this, you'll fail your exams!"

"Right," I took a deep breath and nodded. "I need to focus."

At lunch, I ran to the classroom where all the girls hung out. Except, for the first time, nobody was there. I guess I was kind of early, which explained why there was no Neru or Teto in sight, but Miku was normally early.

"Gumi!" Teto grabbed me from behind and I yelped. She held a baguette in one hand and she used it to bonk me on the head. "Where were you yesterday? We were looking for you!"

"Yeah, we even tried calling you," Neru said as she texted.

"I'm sorry, you guys," I apologised quickly. "Have you seen Miku?"

They exchanged glances and shrugged. Teto started chomping on her bread.

"She's probably outside," Neru said, refocusing her attention on her phone. "With Len. You know, don't you? He and Miku are together."

I nodded. "I know..."

"It doesn't taste like bread, it tastes like food!" Teto screamed, waving her baguette in the air and scaring me. I briskly walked towards the door.

"I'm gonna go find them," I said to nobody in particular.

Neru nodded. "Just make sure you don't walk in on them doing something," she giggled. I blushed.

"A-Are they...like that?" I watched Teto run around with her bread loaf, chanting something about 'sacred bread powers'.

"Meh," Neru shrugged. "Not really, but who knows, right?"

"Right, right..." I nodded and hurried off, heading downstairs, out to the field.

Once I was outdoors, I slowed down to a walk and started scanning the area for any signs of the two. I found them quickly enough, sitting under the tree where Len and I sat sometimes, where he had shown me the cat.

Should I run or walk? Should I wave to them? Yell their names? We're not exactly the friends we used to be...are we?

I sighed and ended up just approaching them slowly, walking. They were just sitting in the grass, talking about something. I was about twenty feet away when Miku noticed me. She said something to Len - I was out of earshot - and they both looked at me and waved. I smiled weakly and walked a bit faster.

"Gumi!" Miku got to her feet and hugged me tightly. "I was worried! I kept calling you last night but you weren't picking up."

"Sorry," I mumbled. She let go of me and beamed.

"Do you want to sit with us?" She asked. I looked down at Len. He smiled, but it wasn't his usual grin. It lacked warmth, but I didn't sense anger or anything.

"Okay," I said, sitting in the grass. Miku sat down as well. She kept looking at me.

"I guess you already know by now, huh?" She asked softly, reaching to her side and taking Len's hand. I nodded.

"Yeah, I know," I answered. "M-Miku, you never told me you liked him."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I wasn't sure myself, until yesterday."

I just nodded again, not sure of what to say. I glanced at Len occasionally, wracking by brain for things to say. I wanted to break the ice somehow.

"Hey Len," I offered a lame greeting. He nodded, still smiling.

"Hey," he replied. "Is everything alright?"

"I guess," I nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he said. "I don't want to force anything upon you. I'm happy, okay?"

"Gumi, we're still friends, aren't we?" Miku asked. I furrowed my brow.

"I guess, but...it's never going to be the same."

"I know, but sometimes change is good, right?" Miku smiled and took my hands in hers.

Is this really one of those times?

"How's Rin?" I tried to change the topic. I never could've imagined that having a conversation with my two best friends could ever be so difficult and awkward.

"She's better," Len nodded. "Physically, at least. She knows about our parents' divorce and obviously, that's hurting her."

"Do you want to come with us to the hospital later, Gumi?" Miku asked.

"I don't know, I need to study," I said. Suddenly, Len got to his feet. I looked up at him.

"Let's walk," he said. Miku nodded and got up as well. Slowly, I followed. We started to trudge away.

Len lingered slightly behind Miku, closer to me. I frowned at him.

"She doesn't know," he said quietly. "About what happened between you and me yesterday."

"I'm sorry, Len," I whispered.

"Who is it that you like?"

I shook my head and he sighed.

"Why'd you say yes?" I asked. "You said you...you liked me, but..."

"But you said no. And then she," Len paused and gestured towards Miku. "Told me that she liked me."

"D-Do you like her?"

"I do."

I looked down at my shoes. "I don't like this," I whispered.

"Think about what would've happened if you said yes. It would've hurt her, right? But at the same time, she'd be happy for us."

"But it's not like that!"

"It is," Len said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"I wanted us to stay friends."

"We're still friends."

"No, we're not. It shouldn't be this way. I feel awkward around you two."

"And wouldn't she have felt awkward around us?" Len stared at me. "Besides, there's no reason for us to fall apart."

"Len, I...I need to talk to you alone," I said. He nodded.

"I'll call you," he said, taking Miku's hand and lacing his fingers in between hers.

I kept telling myself that I liked Kaito. I did, I was pretty sure about it, but then I wondered why I sometimes felt so flustered when Len used to hug me and tickle me. I was still sure about Kaito, though. There was no changing how I felt about him, and I was going to tell him soon, someday.

I just wish Len, Miku and I hadn't fallen apart like that. I missed the old Len and the old Miku. I wasn't sure if we'd ever go back to being the way we used to be.

Sorry for the drop in quality...