After Maru rejected Leo’s confession, an awkward distance grew between them. Leo felt deeply hurt, convinced that Maru had lied about her feelings. It frustrated him, especially since Maru stubbornly believed she was making the best decision for everyone. Maru, on the other hand, felt the weight of his words. She knew he was right—they both truly loved each other. But by rejecting him, she had caused him pain. Now, she found herself at a loss, unsure when or how to approach Leo and fix what had been broken between them.

Leo’s hurt was obvious to those around him. Whenever his comrades tried to bring up Maru, he would change the subject, unwilling to discuss her.

Meanwhile, Maru couldn’t help but notice Leo’s absence from ES. Curious, she learned that he had gone away on a work trip for a few months. Her concern didn’t go unnoticed, and Natsume approached her. Encouraging her to open up, he listened as she hesitantly shared what had happened between her and Leo. Natsume didn’t hold back, pointing out that both she and Leo were at fault. He scolded Maru for making a one-sided decision and failing to consider how it would affect Leo, forcing her to reflect on her mistakes.

A few days later, Arashi offered similar advice.

“Feelings aren’t a burden, Maru-chan,” Arashi began. “They’re a part of life, and they’re a part of Leo-kun’s life too, whether he admits it or not. By bottling up your feelings, you’re denying him the chance to truly know you. That’s not fair—not to him and not to you.”

She continued, “You’ve got nothing to lose by confessing how you really feel. If you don’t take the chance, you’ll carry that regret forever. And what if he feels the same? You’ll never know unless you try."

“I get it. No one likes getting hurt. It’s scary. But don’t you hate how the fear of it keeps holding you back? Sometimes, taking risks is the only way to move forward. Don’t you think it’s time to stop playing it so safe?”

Maru was stunned. Once again, she realized that instead of growing into a better person, she had repeated the same mistakes as before. Her selfishness—thinking her decisions were best for everyone—had led to this mess.

In truth, Maru was hurting herself just as much as she was hurting Leo. By rejecting him and shutting him out, she had left him with no choice but to accept her rejection, even though it went against both their hearts. She also began to see that her plan to resign from Knights without discussing was another one-sided decision that would only hurt the group she cared so much about.

Maru’s habit of undervaluing herself had led her to believe she could simply walk away from people, thinking it was the right thing to do. But she realized now how wrong that was.

Leo and Maru had both made mistakes, but Maru knew she was the one who needed to apologize first.

Determined to set things right, Maru made up her mind. She decided to find Leo, even if it meant following him all the way to Florence.

It reminded her of the past—when she had chased after Leo to Yumenosaki, stood by Knights, and waited for Leo to come back. Just as she had done before, she resolved to be the one to bridge the gap between them.

Maru decided she would apologize to Leo, reconcile with him, and finally tell him the truth she had been holding back. She was deeply in love with him, and this time, she wouldn’t let her fears stand in the way.