The silence in Leblanc was thick with something unspoken.
Makoto leaned against the window, watching the soft morning light filter through half-drawn blinds. Below, the city moved like always—cars, chatter, life—but inside, something had shifted.
She'd noticed it in fleeting glances. How Ann's smile held more softness when Ren passed by. The way Ryuji—no, the new her—lingered near him without the usual bark of banter. And Yusuke… Yusuke's entire aura had changed after that night in the studio. She was more grounded, but somehow… glowing.
Makoto's arms were crossed, her eyes narrowed—not in judgment, but in calculation.
"I'm not jealous," she whispered to herself.
And maybe that was true.
But she was wary.
Not of Ren—at least, not entirely. But of what was happening to all of them. The transformations. The strange dreams. The raw intimacy blooming like a secret garden where trust once sat in neat rows. Everything had grown tangled.
She was a planner. A strategist. A shield.
So why did her heart race every time she thought of his touch?
Why did her breath catch remembering how Ann's voice trembled when she whispered Ren's name after waking from that dream?
Makoto pressed her fingers to her temples.
It wasn't just lust. Or confusion. It was pull. Gravity. Like the center of their universe was shifting… and Ren was becoming the sun.
Futaba shuffled in with a yawn, hoodie half-zipped. She paused when she saw Makoto by the window.
"Let me guess," Futaba said, raising an eyebrow. "Thinking about him?"
Makoto stiffened. "No. I'm thinking about everyone. This isn't normal. We should be worried."
Futaba shrugged. "Worried? Maybe. But I've never seen Ann this open. Or Yusuke this soft. Whatever's happening, it's changing us, yeah—but it's not all bad."
She paused. Then grinned.
"…Also, don't think I didn't catch how long you stared at him last night."
Makoto turned away sharply, but her ears were red.
Futaba left with a knowing smirk, leaving Makoto alone again.
She let her eyes drift shut, feeling the warmth in her chest—tinged with uncertainty, edged with desire.
They needed answers.
But they also needed to be honest—with themselves, with each other.
And with Ren.
She would find the truth.
Even if it meant uncovering parts of herself she wasn't ready to face.