The rains came suddenly that week, drenching the school grounds in cool, silvery sheets. Umbrellas dotted the pathways like bright blossoms, and the air smelled of wet earth and something cleaner, something washed new. It felt, to Nina, like a sign — that maybe, if they let it, everything could start again.
Classes seemed to move in slow motion, voices hushed, students focused on midterms and soaking uniforms. But beneath the normal chaos, Nina felt a tension brewing, heavy like thunder in the sky. She saw it in Pim's eyes, how they darted away when she looked too long, and in Fah's small, tense smiles.
---
The Classroom Storm
It was Wednesday when everything cracked open. The teacher had dismissed them early from literature class, the storm outside pounding on the windows so hard it felt like it might break through. As soon as the final bell rang, Nina tried to catch up with Pim, but she hesitated by the doorway, her heart pounding.
"Pim," she called.
Pim turned, eyes a swirl of confusion and exhaustion.
"Can we talk?"
Pim nodded, but her hands trembled as she clutched her bag tighter.
They slipped into an empty music room, the piano silent in one corner, echoes of long-faded songs clinging to the walls.
---
Words Left Unspoken
Nina took a breath, searching for the right words. "Are you... mad at me?"
Pim shook her head, tears threatening. "No, I'm just... I don't know how to handle this, Nina. You, me, and Fah — it's like I'm walking on a glass bridge that could shatter any moment."
Nina stepped closer, the distance between them sparking. "We don't have to break, Pim. We can talk through it."
Pim looked down. "But what if the more we talk, the more we hurt each other?"
Nina's heart cracked a little at that. "Then we figure it out together."
---
Fah's Burden
Meanwhile, Fah sat in the art room alone, trying to draw. The paper stayed blank. Her pencil hovered, but nothing came. Guilt chewed at her ribs, gnawed until it was hard to breathe.
I'm the one pulling them apart, she thought bitterly.
She remembered Pim's kindness, the way Nina's protective energy made her feel safe — how could she want them both, yet not be able to choose?
Mint walked in quietly, holding two cans of soda. "You look like you're fighting a war," Mint joked gently.
Fah tried to laugh but failed. "It feels like one."
Mint handed her a soda, eyes sympathetic. "Then don't fight alone."
---
The Bridge Wobbles
That evening, the three gathered on the rooftop, their refuge from the world. But tonight the rain had left everything slick and dangerous. They sat under the concrete overhang, sharing the silence, each afraid to speak first.
Finally, Fah broke.
"I can't pretend anymore," she said, voice shaking. "I like you both. And I don't know what to do about it."
Pim flinched. Nina's breath caught.
Pim spoke first. "Fah, I don't want you to lie about your feelings. But I also don't want to be trapped in something that will only break us."
Fah's tears slipped free. "I don't want to lose either of you."
Nina clenched her fists. "Then we have to be honest. All the way honest. Even if it hurts."
---
Flames of Jealousy
The air turned sharp, cold.
Nina felt something inside her twist — jealousy, raw and fierce. She couldn't bear to think of Fah's soft looks toward Pim, the way Pim seemed torn between them.
"Pim," Nina said, unable to keep the tremor out of her voice, "I love you. I don't want to share you."
Pim gasped, eyes wide, stunned by Nina's confession.
Fah buried her face in her hands. "Then what am I supposed to do? Just... vanish?"
Nina's shoulders sagged. "I don't want to lose you either, Fah. But I can't share this."
---
The First Shatter
It was too much. Pim stood abruptly, stepping away from both of them, voice breaking.
"This is destroying us!" she cried. "I can't take this pressure!"
Rain began again, soft at first, then pounding harder, matching the tears that fell down Pim's face.
Nina rose, wanting to go after her, but her legs wouldn't move.
Fah just watched, eyes empty.
Pim turned away, the pain of too many choices splitting her heart apart. "I need time," she said finally, barely above a whisper, before running down the stairs.
---
Aftermath
They were left there, in the cold and the rain, silent and stunned.
Nina finally collapsed onto the damp bench, head in her hands.
"She hates me," she whispered.
Fah shook her head, tears falling. "No, she doesn't. But she's breaking, Nina. And so are we."
The storm outside raged on.
---
A Message in the Night
That night, as Nina lay awake staring at her ceiling, her phone buzzed.
Pim: I don't hate you. I just... need to breathe. Please give me space.
Nina exhaled shakily, typing back: I'll wait for you. I promise.
She put the phone down and curled into herself, wishing things could go back to that first gentle spark — before they knew how messy love could be.
---
A New Resolve
The next morning, the rain had stopped, leaving the city scrubbed clean.
Fah approached Nina in the corridor, voice raw. "We have to fix this, Nina."
Nina nodded, determination in her eyes. "We will. Together."
They didn't know how yet, but they refused to give up.
---
The Future Unknown
Pim, meanwhile, stood in the empty art room, sketchbook pressed against her heart. She closed her eyes, trying to remember why she had ever been afraid to love in the first place.
Because loving means breaking, she thought, but maybe breaking means growing too.
She opened the sketchbook and began to draw — the outlines of two hands reaching for each other, a fragile bridge growing between them.
A bridge worth crossing.