As the weeks passed, Takumi found himself growing closer to Mika. She was intelligent, perceptive, and had a depth to her that fascinated him. She seemed to know just what to say to him when the rage consumed him, and her mysterious air made him both suspicious and drawn to her.
But there was something else. Haruka, his closest friend, had always been by his side. She had been with him since the beginning—since before the Maze, before Ryo's death. They had shared everything, from their darkest fears to their brightest hopes. Takumi could feel the shift in their relationship now, though. Haruka had been distant, perhaps mourning Ryo's death in her own way, but also, perhaps, hurt by something deeper—by the closeness that Takumi was starting to share with Mika.
Haruka's feelings were complicated, torn between the friendship they'd built and a growing, unspoken attraction to Takumi. She tried to hide it, to bury it beneath her anger and sadness, but it was there. And Takumi could feel it every time she looked at him—there was something more than friendship in her eyes.
Mika, on the other hand, was more forward. She didn't hide her interest in Takumi, and as they spent more time together, their connection deepened. She saw in him a kindred spirit, someone who understood the pain of losing someone close, someone who wasn't afraid to go to extreme lengths for revenge.
And yet, Takumi's heart wavered.
The tension between Mika and Haruka became palpable. Who would he choose? The long-time friend who had shared his pain, or the mysterious woman who seemed to understand his quest for vengeance like no one else?