The Things She Shouldn't Know

The morning air felt unusually heavy.

Sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, painting golden patterns across the desks of Class 2-B. Students chatted as they always did, filling the room with the familiar sounds of another ordinary school day.

Yet nothing felt ordinary to Yuna Tachibana anymore.

She sat quietly at her desk, staring at her phone.

The anonymous message from last night remained open on the screen.

Not everyone who smiles at you is kind.

Yuna slowly locked her phone.

Ever since Akane Hoshizaki appeared, an uneasy feeling had taken root inside her heart.

A feeling she couldn't explain.

A feeling that seemed to grow stronger every day.

Suddenly, the classroom door slid open.

Yuna looked up.

Ren Kurokawa entered.

The same calm face.

The same quiet presence.

The same cold expression she had known for over a year.

He looked normal.

Completely normal.

And yet...

Yuna couldn't stop questioning it.

This was the Ren she knew.

The quiet Ren.

The distant Ren.

The boy who rarely expressed his feelings.

As Ren approached his desk, he caught her staring.

Their eyes met briefly.

"Why do you look nervous?"

Yuna immediately looked away.

"I'm not."

For a moment, Ren simply stared at her.

As if he didn't believe her answer.

---

Classes began.

The teacher's voice echoed through the room while students filled their notebooks with notes.

But Yuna couldn't focus.

Her mind wandered back to that night.

Back to the riverside.

Back to the boy who looked exactly like Ren.

"I wish it were me instead."

The memory replayed endlessly.

Those words.

That smile.

That warmth.

Her fingers tightened around her pen.

What did he mean?

Why did it feel like she had met an entirely different person?

"Ms. Tachibana?"

Yuna nearly jumped out of her seat.

"AH—?!"

The entire class turned toward her.

Heat rushed to her face.

The teacher sighed.

"Please pay attention."

Embarrassed, Yuna quickly sat back down.

But her thoughts remained elsewhere.

---

Lunch break arrived.

The hallways buzzed with students moving between classrooms and cafeterias.

Yuna walked alone.

Then suddenly—

A hand landed on her shoulder.

"Yunaaa~"

Yuna nearly screamed.

She turned around.

Akane stood there smiling brightly.

Her long dark hair swayed gently as she tilted her head.

"Akane..."

The girl held up a cup of milk tea.

"Come with me."

Yuna hesitated.

For some reason, refusing Akane always felt difficult.

Almost impossible.

---

The convenience store near the school was crowded with students buying snacks and drinks.

Akane walked beside her casually.

"So..."

She glanced at Yuna.

"You and Ren have been together for a long time, huh?"

Yuna nodded.

"One year."

"Wow."

Akane smiled.

"You're really patient."

Yuna blinked.

"...Huh?"

Akane laughed softly.

"I mean, he's difficult to understand sometimes."

Yuna's footsteps slowed.

The way Akane said it sounded strange.

Too familiar.

Almost as if she knew Ren personally.

Yuna studied her carefully.

"Were you two close before?"

Silence.

For a brief moment, Akane's smile faded.

Then it returned.

"Hmm..."

She shrugged.

"You could say that."

The answer only made Yuna more uneasy.

---

As they continued walking, Akane suddenly spoke again.

"But lately..."

Her eyes shifted toward Yuna.

"He seems different, doesn't he?"

Yuna froze.

Images flashed through her mind.

The riverside.

The hand holding hers.

The unexpected smile.

"I miss you."

Her heartbeat quickened.

"...Why do you say that?"

Akane looked innocent.

"Oh, nothing."

She leaned slightly closer.

"He's sweeter to you now, right?"

The world seemed to stop.

Yuna stared at her.

How did she know that?

Nobody knew about those moments.

Nobody.

"How do you know...?"

Akane blinked.

Then laughed softly.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Her smile remained perfect.

But her eyes were cold.

Empty.

And for the first time, Yuna realized something.

That smile didn't feel real.

---

After school, the hallways were nearly deserted.

The orange glow of sunset stretched across the floor.

Yuna opened her locker.

Something slipped out.

A folded note.

Confused, she picked it up.

The message written inside made her blood run cold.

Ask him about the scars.

Yuna froze.

Slowly, she looked around.

The hallway was empty.

No footsteps.

No students.

Nobody.

Only silence.

Her hands trembled.

Scars?

A memory surfaced.

A faint scar on Ren's back.

She remembered seeing it once before.

Then another memory followed.

The anniversary hug.

The boy who looked exactly like him.

Yuna's heart pounded.

Did he have scars too?

Or...

Was there a difference?

---

Outside the school gates, the sky glowed with the colors of sunset.

Ren waited quietly with his hands in his pockets.

When Yuna approached, he immediately noticed her expression.

"What's wrong?"

She forced a smile.

"Nothing."

The lie felt weak.

As they walked home together, silence stretched between them.

Yuna stole glances at him.

She wanted to ask.

She wanted answers.

But fear held her back.

What if she didn't like what she discovered?

Suddenly, Ren spoke.

"Do you want to ask me something?"

Yuna nearly tripped.

"AH— No!"

Ren stopped walking.

The wind brushed through his dark hair.

His eyes remained fixed on her.

"...You've been acting strange lately."

Yuna swallowed.

Then replied quietly.

"You too."

For a moment, neither moved.

The air between them felt tense.

Heavy.

Dangerous.

Ren's expression darkened slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Yuna stared at him.

At the familiar face she had known for a year.

Then another image appeared in her mind.

The smiling version.

The affectionate version.

The version who held her as if she meant everything.

And suddenly, one question echoed inside her heart.

Which one is the real you?

---

That night, Yuna sat alone in her room.

The mysterious note lay on her desk.

Her thoughts refused to settle.

Then her phone vibrated.

A new message.

Unknown Sender.

Haven't you noticed yet?

Yuna's breath caught.

Another message appeared.

They're different.

Her eyes widened.

Her hands trembled.

As darkness filled the room, two identical figures appeared in her imagination.

Standing side by side.

One carried scars across his back.

The other did not.

Both wore the same face.

Both shared the same voice.

But only one of them could be Ren.

And Yuna was running out of time to discover the truth.

End of Episode 3

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