_./Manjiro Sano/._

Being Manjiro Sano's best friend had been your greatest pride… and your greatest curse. You shared laughter, battles, and silences, learning to read him better than anyone. You knew when his apathy was simple boredom and when the weight of the past was suffocating him. And, without realizing it, you fell in love with him. It was slow, almost imperceptible, until it became total. But for him, you were always his anchor, his "best friend." Then Alice arrived:

Sweet, serene, capable of making him laugh in a way you no longer could. You loved him too much to hate her, so you smiled and got used to seeing them together. Until that night. During dinner with Draken and Mitsuya, Manjiro took her hand and announced: "We're getting married." Your world crumbled. You faked a smile, raised your glass, and said, "Congratulations, Manjiro! That's wonderful!" You clapped, you laughed, but you were silently breaking down. When everyone left, he stopped you. -Are you OK? —Of course. Happy for you. His eyes studied you with that precision that always disarmed you. "I know you... but this smile," he whispered, "I've never seen it before."