"So... you and I... are lovers?"
Leo asked, his voice slightly unsteady, his expression twisted with disbelief as his eyes locked onto Sakura, who shyly nodded her head, her face blooming red with embarrassment.
Her nod was small, timid, almost like she was afraid of what that confirmation would trigger in him.
Now it made sense.
Everything—the closeness, the familiarity, the way she clung to him, the warmth in her gaze when she looked at him.
She wasn't just being forward or obsessed.
They were actually lovers.
Before the memory loss.
'Shit.'
Leo cursed inwardly, sinking further into his thoughts.
Now he was stuck... really stuck.
Just then, the waiter approached quietly and placed two tall glasses of orange juice on the table. He bowed respectfully and left without a word, leaving the two of them in the middle of a silence that suddenly felt heavy.
Sakura glanced at Leo with uncertainty written all over her face. Her voice was soft, careful.
"So... you really forgot everything?"
Leo looked down, then slowly nodded.
"I don't know... I'm sorry."
His voice was low, almost guilty. It was true. He couldn't remember anything from the past, let alone something as serious as being in a relationship.
Sakura's fingers tightened around the cold glass of juice. She bit her bottom lip hard, trembling slightly, her eyes dropping to the table.
"So that's why... you've been distant lately..."
Her voice cracked toward the end. Her words weren't angry—they were hollow, hurt. She seemed lost, as if trying to make peace with something she hadn't expected.
Seeing her shoulders shiver slightly, Leo hesitated before slowly reaching out. His hand gently landed on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.
Sakura flinched at first from the sudden touch... but then nodded, pressing her lips together.
"F-Fine... it's not like we're going to separate, right?"
She looked up at him with a fragile smile, her eyes shimmering. There was hope in her voice—but also terror. As if the idea of being abandoned was the one thing she couldn't bear.
Leo bit down on his lower lip, heart twisting.
"Junior—"
"My name..."
She interrupted quietly, voice barely above a whisper.
"My name is Sakura Valentine."
She looked at him, her eyes teary but firm.
"Senior... you always called me Sakura."
Leo fell silent, watching her eyes. The way she was looking at him... she wasn't asking for pity. She was asking to be remembered. To be known. To be loved again by someone who didn't know her anymore.
He sighed, leaning back as he ran his hand across his forehead, glancing down at the new phone resting on the table. The truth was finally setting in.
Now he understood why she was doing so much for him.
She wasn't trying to buy his affection. She was trying to hold onto something that had already started slipping away.
He gently nudged the phone back across the table toward her, a silent gesture—his way of saying maybe she should take it back.
But Sakura immediately shook her head, her throat visibly tightening as she swallowed hard and spoke again.
"I.. I don't want it."
Her voice trembled but remained firm.
"It belongs to you."
Leo stared at her, conflicted. His heart was heavy.
"But... the person you loved isn't me. I'm different now. I don't know anything about you, about us... I'm just a stranger in his body."
Sakura wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand. Her eyes glistened, but her gaze never wavered.
"No, Senior. Even if you've forgotten everything... I can see it. You're still the same person I've always admired."
Her voice trembled, but her words were full of conviction.
"...The person I fell in love with."
Her hand reached out and grabbed his—tightly. Her grip was shaking, but desperate. Her eyes bore into his with an intensity that sent a chill down his spine.
"P-Please... don't leave me."
"..."
Leo was cornered.
He didn't know what to say.
Honestly, he never expected his life to turn into this—a romance drama with a girl on the verge of breaking.
She looked so small. So afraid. Like a child who had just been told she might be left behind.
Her whole body trembled as she held onto him, her eyes screaming with fear.
Leo had seen her smiling, laughing, pouting—being playful.
But this side of her?
This side broke him a little.
She wasn't just a cheerful, clingy junior.
She was someone who had already given her heart away.
Leo closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, then slowly leaned forward and gave her a gentle hug.
"I won't leave you."
His voice was quiet, but strong.
Sakura gasped softly as her eyes widened in disbelief. Her body stiffened before her emotions burst. She flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly, burying her face into his chest.
Tears streamed down her face as she held onto him like her life depended on it.
As if letting go meant the end of everything.
Leo smiled weakly, unsure if he had made the right choice. But at that moment, he couldn't bring himself to push her away.
Not when she looked that broken.
Not when she cried like that.
After a few minutes, Sakura finally calmed down. Her cheeks still red and wet, she smiled softly and excused herself to go wash her face.
As she disappeared toward the restroom, Leo leaned back in his chair, letting out a long breath.
He stared at the table in silence.
The untouched orange juice. The empty box. The new phone.
Everything was too much. Too fast.
What the hell was he supposed to do now?
Should he go with the flow?
Pretend to be the man she loved?
Accept this new life, even if it wasn't truly his?
His mind spun in circles, confusion tightening around his chest.
He was lost in thoughts—again.
Meanwhile,
Inside the pristine restroom, water splashed gently as Sakura leaned over the sink, cupping cool water into her palms. She washed her face with a slow, careful motion, droplets sliding down her cheeks and dripping from her chin. Then, with a gentle pat, she wiped her face with a soft napkin and looked up into the mirror.
A wicked grin spread across her face.
"So... he really forgot her, huh? I can't believe it. I finally got my chance~"
She giggled under her breath, voice laced with sly satisfaction.
The way Leo had looked at her—with confusion, with curiosity—it confirmed everything.
He had truly lost his memories.
And now... there was no one standing between them anymore.
She was surprised at first.
Shocked even. But now? Now she saw it for what it was.
A golden opportunity.
She wouldn't lose him again. Not this time. She wouldn't stand in the shadows or play second to anyone.
She would have him. Body, heart, and soul.
No matter what lies she had to tell, no matter what truth she had to twist.
She loved him.
She truly loved him.
And she would make him hers.
No matter what it cost.
"For my Senior... For my one and only... Leo."
Her lips curled into a deep smirk as she stared into the mirror.
But the mirror reflected nothing—no image of her.
Just an empty space where she should've been standing.
Her grin sharpened with seriousness as she turned and stepped out of the restroom.
Walking back to the table with a shy, innocent look painted flawlessly across her face, Sakura approached Leo. Without hesitation, she slid beside him again—closer than before—almost sitting on his lap. Her soft frame leaned against him, and she pressed her cheek against his shoulder, slipping her arms around his arm and pulling it tightly into her chest.
"Don't worry..."
Her voice was hushed, gentle.
"Even if you forget everything... Our love will still come true."
She smiled softly, almost dreamily.
"In fact, I think I love this Leo even more... You're more straightforward now... bolder. So even if your memories never return, I'm fine with that."
She lowered her gaze, her cheeks flushed. Her lips parted slightly as she whispered something faintly,
"Because... I... L...y..."
Her voice trailed off, the last words swallowed before they could escape. Her eyes slowly turned toward him—her pupils flickering into narrow slits for the briefest moment.
She stared at his neck.
The soft pulse beneath his skin.
Her lips moistened with a quiet lick, and she gulped as her throat moved with an audible swallow.
But then she blinked quickly, pushing the hunger down.
Controlling herself.
For now.
Leo, meanwhile, was overwhelmed. The soft press of her body, the weight of her head on his shoulder, the warmth of her breath—it was too much.
He cleared his throat and awkwardly shifted, trying to steer the mood in another direction.
"A-Anyway... I was just wondering..."
He glanced at her, trying to sound casual.
"...What actually happened between us before?"
Not that he was jealous of the previous Leo.
Okay, maybe a little.
But more than that, he was curious.
Just what had that so-called "good boy" done to make this girl fall so deeply?
Sakura tilted her head with a sly, teasing smirk.
"You pervert~"
She giggled and gave him a gentle shove, her expression shy yet mischievous.
'...Fu!!'
****
Back at the school...
The late afternoon sun bathed the school building in a warm, golden hue.
Atop the school's outer walls, a group of painters dangled from thick ropes, carefully repainting the outer facade with fresh white and blue strokes.
"Hey, painters! Why don't you take a short break?"
An elderly woman—the janitor—called out from below, cupping her hands around her mouth.
The painters glanced down and nodded. One by one, they began pulling themselves up the ropes, returning to the rooftop where a small table was set up.
The old janitor and a few staff workers had already placed trays of snacks and cool drinks on the table.
"You guys are doing great work out here," the woman said warmly, offering them a proud smile.
The painters nodded and grabbed their refreshments, chatting lightly as they wiped sweat from their brows.
Just then, a younger man, holding a large cardboard box, shouted from the ground level.
"Supervisor! Where do I put these firecrackers?"
The old woman leaned over the edge and pointed toward the left side of the school building.
"Store them in the back storage room! Be careful not to mix them with the paint supplies."
"Haha... Looks like this year's sports festival is going to be lit... literally!"
"Everyone's hyped about it. We're going all out this time!"
Excitement buzzed lightly in the air.
But nearby... hidden in the shadows behind the rooftop door...
A pale hand slowly emerged.
The figure held a delicate glass tube filled with a yellowish liquid. Without making a sound, they moved toward the large paint tubs.
One drop.
Then another.
The yellow substance was quietly, skillfully dripped into the open buckets—every single one of them.
No one noticed.
No one saw.
No one even knew they were being watched.
And as the hand disappeared back into the shadows... the yellow liquid slowly mixed into the paint under the sunlight.
The festival was coming.
And so was something else.