Sena, Another Sky: On the Road You Didn't Take - A Love Square Begins — The Villainess Falls in Love Twice
The Hakosuta studio at dusk. It was just past five in the evening when filming in Studio C wrapped up.
"Great work, everyone!"
The staff's voices echoed through the empty set.
Shirosaki Haruto rolled his neck. He'd managed to get through today's shoot somehow. But in the corner of his mind, that double-exposed scene he'd witnessed on Marina Street still clung stubbornly. Two evenings ago, at sunset—that moment when he'd seen two of Ren.
*(Just a little more and filming will be over.)*
The thought drifted through his mind.
The movie version of the drama *Aoharu Refrain*. Filming was progressing smoothly. The protagonist Haruto played would ultimately end up with the heroine Sena portrayed. A happy ending. A grand finale.
And yet.
*(I have to choose, don't I.)*
Kapimaru's words kept spinning around in his head.
The canon world where Sena existed. Or the if-world where Ren and Akira were.
One or the other.
"—Shirosaki."
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.
He turned to find Shiraishi Akira standing there.
In the drama, she played the student council president. In other words, the antagonist who opposed the protagonist. Akira was tall, her back always perfectly straight. Her straight black hair was trimmed neatly at her shoulders, and her narrow, sharp eyes always held a glint that seemed to test people. Deep crimson rouge was flawlessly applied to her lips.
" Today's shoot wasn't bad."
Akira said this, the corner of her mouth lifting just slightly.
"Akira-senpai...?"
Haruto was a little surprised.
Shiraishi Akira was a senior actor from the same agency. But she rarely approached him normally. Just like in the drama, she had an aura that made her somewhat unapproachable.
" Come with me. How about dinner?"
"Huh?"
"Food. You're hungry, aren't you?"
Akira spoke in a tone that brooked no argument, then briskly started walking.
Haruto hurriedly gathered his belongings.
*(Why so suddenly?)*
But he had no reason to refuse. Besides—watching Akira's back, he felt strangely unable to defy her.
The two left Hakosuta and climbed into a taxi Akira had apparently arranged.
The car drove along the harbor road, eventually stopping in front of a small, cozy establishment. The sign read "La Mer." It seemed to be a French restaurant. The exterior was simple, but the door handle was made of brass, and it looked incredibly expensive somehow.
" Isn't this place, like, insanely pricey?"
"My treat. Don't worry about it."
Akira said it casually, then promptly entered the restaurant.
The interior was quiet, with pure white tablecloths. Abstract paintings hung on the walls, and candlelight flickered gently. There were only two other parties, all speaking in hushed whispers.
They were led to a window seat. Outside, it was already completely dark, and the lights of ships floating in Tokyo Bay were visible here and there.
" Have you ever been to a place like this?"
"N-not really... no, never."
Haruto answered honestly.
Akira gave a short, derisive laugh through her nose and picked up the wine list.
"Then order whatever you like. However, I'll decide the food."
"Uh, okay..."
Akira began ordering in fluent French. Haruto could only watch, dumbfounded.
*(She's amazing, Akira-senpai... She's exactly like her villain role in the drama.)*
Soon, the appetizers were brought out. Dishes he'd never seen before sat daintily on enormous plates.
As Haruto hesitated, wondering how to eat them, Akira tilted her wine glass and suddenly spoke.
" —I also have memories of the if-world."
"...What?"
He nearly dropped his fork.
"What do you—"
"Exactly what I said."
Akira took a sip of wine and swallowed slowly. The candlelight flickered in her narrow eyes.
"At Kaisei High in the if-world, I was the student council president. The real one."
"The real...?"
"Not a drama role. I actually wielded power in the student council room. I embezzled money, spread false rumors about teachers I didn't like to force them out. I was a terrible person."
Akira spoke matter-of-factly. As if talking about someone else entirely.
"But one day, I was found out."
"B-by what?"
"By you."
Akira's eyes captured Haruto directly.
" You stormed into the student council room alone. 'Akira-senpai, what is this?' you said. You slammed the evidence documents onto my desk, and even though you were trembling, you absolutely refused to look away."
*(I... in the if-world?)*
Haruto swallowed hard.
" That's when I understood."
Akira's voice softened just a little.
"I had wanted someone to tell me 'No.' No one ever stopped me. My parents, my teachers, the students—everyone just bowed their heads to me obsequiously. But you were the only one who was different."
Akira set down her wine glass. The red liquid slowly trickled down the inside of the glass.
"You said, 'Let's stop doing this already.' And then, 'I'll help you, so let's start over.' Stupidly earnest, stupidly passionate—"
There, Akira paused for a moment.
Her deep crimson rouge glistened in the candlelight, as if wet.
" Ever since that day, when you saved me—I've been watching only you."
Haruto was speechless.
His heart pounded furiously, and his palms were damp with sweat.
"That's—"
"I love you."
Akira said it plainly.
"That stupidly earnest part of you. How you're kind to everyone, how you don't want to hurt anyone, how you grin and bear it even when you're the only one getting hurt."
"A-Akira-senpai..."
Haruto didn't know what to do.
He hadn't even sorted out his feelings about Sena or Ren yet. And now, on top of that, even Akira-senpai.
" —However."
Akira's voice suddenly turned cold.
"Your kindness is cruel."
"...Huh?"
"Being kind to everyone means you're not serious about anyone. You'll keep taking half-hearted stances with Sorazumi, with Kurose, and probably with me too. Because you can't choose. Because you're afraid of hurting someone—and as a result, you're hurting everyone."
Akira's words were sharp as a blade.
They stabbed deep into Haruto's chest, relentlessly.
*(She hit the nail on the head.)*
He was taking half-hearted stances with both Sena and Ren.
No matter which he chose, the other would be hurt.
He'd been running away from that reality all along.
" I don't mind if you don't choose me."
Akira stood up.
She placed a single credit card on the table.
"But I won't forgive you for 'not choosing' at all."
With that, Akira left the restaurant without looking back.
Haruto stared at the wine glass left on the table.
On the rim, a faint trace of Akira's deep crimson rouge remained.
*(Three people's feelings—)*
It was heavy.
Too heavy.
Haruto covered his face with both hands.
It was past eight at night when he returned to Hakosuta.
Haruto trudged down the quiet hallway. Only his footsteps echoed, unnaturally loud.
*(What should I do?)*
Akira's words kept echoing in the depths of his ears.
*'I won't forgive you for not choosing at all.'*
Well, of course.
But—how was he supposed to choose?
Sena, Ren, Akira—they were all precious to him.
" —Haruto-kun!"
Suddenly, a voice rang out.
When Haruto looked up, Sena was standing in front of Room 205, her flaxen hair soft and fluffy. In her hands, she carefully cradled a cute paper bag.
"Sena...?"
" You see, you seemed really tired today, so I... bought some sweets. I wanted you to eat them between shoots."
Sena said this, smiling a little shyly. The beauty mark under her left eye shifted slightly beneath the fluorescent lights.
"O-oh, thanks—"
" —After the shoot, I need to talk to you. Keep your schedule open."
Another voice spoke.
He turned to find Ren standing there, as if he'd appeared out of nowhere.
Short black hair. Sharp, indigo eyes. He was wearing his *dougi*—maybe he'd had karate practice today. The area around his right knee was slightly frayed.
"Ren!"
Ren stared intently at Haruto, then briefly glanced at Sena.
Sena, too, looked back at Ren directly.
No words passed between them.
But that silence was intensely strained.
The air in the hallway crackled, and Haruto involuntarily took a step back.
" Uh, um, both of you, maybe some other time—"
At that moment.
*Bzz bzz.* His smartphone vibrated.
Haruto hurriedly pulled it from his pocket.
On the screen, two LINE notifications.
From Sena: *'Can you spare a little time later?'*
From Ren: *'Tonight. Keep it open.'*
Received simultaneously.
" W-wait just a second—!"
Haruto panicked, nearly dropping his phone.
Just then,
*Yoink.*
A small white hand caught the phone from below.
" Fufufu, you're quite popular, Singularity-kun."
Before he knew it, Kapimaru was at Haruto's feet. His perfectly round black eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Kapimaru! You, at a time like this—"
" My, my, is this what they call a love triangle? Or is it a love square since there are three people? Humans are so troublesome."
"This is no laughing matter!"
Sena and Ren didn't notice Kapimaru.
But because Haruto suddenly started shouting at his own feet, both of them looked a little bewildered.
"Haruto-kun, are you okay...?"
"Nothing's wrong! I'm fine! Later!"
Haruto snatched his phone and practically fled down the hallway.
The night wind was cold.
Haruto sat on a bench on Marina Street, staring blankly at the sea.
Tokyo Bay was pitch black, with only the distant lights of ships shining sporadically.
The bench was famous as a filming location for the drama—this third one was the spot where the protagonist had confessed to the heroine.
*(Though right now, it's become my place for escaping reality.)*
Haruto gave a wry smile.
The LINE message from Sena. The LINE message from Ren.
Both of them had something they wanted to talk about.
*(But I—)*
Akira's words resurfaced again and again.
*'Being kind to everyone means you're not serious about anyone.'*
That wasn't true.
He was serious.
About Sena, about Ren—he was serious.
But—maybe he was just using that to justify his own indecisiveness.
" —Haruto-kun!"
Hearing his name called, Haruto looked up.
Sena was running towards him, out of breath.
Her flaxen hair was disheveled by the sea breeze, and her sky-blue eyes were faintly glistening.
"Sena... how did you know I was here?"
"I don't know... but I just felt like you'd be here, Haruto-kun."
Sena sat down lightly beside him.
That familiar, soft, pleasant scent of hers.
" You know, I knew you've been suffering all this time, Haruto-kun."
Sena spoke while gazing at the sea.
"About Ren-kun, and about Akira-san too."
"Sena..."
" I love you, Haruto-kun. I don't want to give you up to anyone. But—"
Sena's voice trembled.
"Because your happiness is my happiness."
A single tear traced its way down Sena's cheek.
" So... it's okay if you choose Ren-kun."
"—Don't say that!"
Haruto stood up.
His chest felt like it was going to burst.
Sena was saying that, knowing full well she would be the one hurt.
" Why, why would you say something like that?! Are you really okay with that, Sena?!"
" Of course I'm not okay with it..."
Wiping her tears, Sena still tried to form a smile.
"But, you know... seeing you suffer, Haruto-kun, is so much more painful."
"Sena—"
Haruto tried to embrace her.
But his hands trembled and wouldn't move properly.
He felt so pathetic.
" Sorry to interrupt the romantic moment."
Suddenly, Kapimaru's voice echoed inside his head.
"The distortion at the shrine's torii gate is getting bigger again. And this time, I can kind of see something like a human figure."
"...A human figure?"
" Yeah, it's scary. At this rate, things might get seriously bad."
Sena noticed the change in Haruto and peered at him worriedly.
"Haruto-kun, is it... that fluffy thing again?"
"Ah, yeah..."
As if to protect Haruto, Sena clung tightly to his arm.
Haruto walked Sena back to Kounan Station.
" See you later, Haruto-kun."
"Yeah, take care."
Sena's back as she passed through the ticket gate look
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