Shattered Hearts

Teá Gardner had always known her feelings for Seto Kaiba were a long shot. He was cold, calculating, and often seemed too distant for anyone to reach. But there was something about him, a spark beneath that icy exterior, that drew her in. She couldn’t shake the hope that maybe, just maybe, there was more to him than he let on.

For years, Teá had been by Yugi’s side, watching Kaiba from afar. But recently, her heart had started betraying her—every glance from Kaiba, every duel they shared, felt like a deeper connection was building. She had convinced herself that if she could just reach him, she could help him see the warmth he kept hidden. She thought she was the only one who cared enough to try.

That was until Sakura Haruno appeared in Domino City.

Sakura had arrived from another world, an interdimensional traveler drawn by some strange force. She had her own goals—her mission to grow stronger as a ninja and protect those she loved. But when she crossed paths with Seto Kaiba, something unexpected happened. The sharp, powerful duel master intrigued her. His strength and ambition reminded her of the ninja she had fought alongside, but there was something else, something that mirrored the broken pieces of her own heart.

Teá noticed immediately how Kaiba seemed to respond to Sakura. It wasn’t the same cold dismissal he gave most people. He seemed… interested. As the days passed, Teá watched in growing frustration as Kaiba and Sakura interacted, an unspoken bond forming between them. It was clear Sakura was captivated by Kaiba’s intensity, and Teá’s worst fear began to manifest: she wasn’t the only one who saw through his icy shell.

The rivalry between Teá and Sakura started quietly at first. A few sharp glares, a snide comment or two, but it soon escalated. Teá could no longer pretend that Kaiba didn’t matter to her, and Sakura, for all her ninja training and self-control, couldn’t deny that she had started to feel something real for the stoic duelist. Neither girl wanted to back down.

It all came to a head one evening at KaibaCorp, where Kaiba had summoned them both. He didn’t know about the growing tension between Teá and Sakura—he only wanted to discuss the upcoming tournament he was organizing. But the atmosphere was thick with emotion. Teá’s heart raced as she stood before him, her fingers trembling, knowing she had to confess what she felt, or risk losing him forever.

As Kaiba spoke about strategy and dueling, Teá couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Seto,” she interrupted, her voice wavering slightly. “There’s something I need to say.”

Kaiba stopped, surprised by the emotion in her voice. He raised an eyebrow, folding his arms. “What is it, Gardner?”

“I… I care about you,” Teá blurted out, her face flushing. “I’ve cared about you for a long time. I know you think no one understands you, but I do. I see who you really are.”

Kaiba’s expression didn’t change at first. He was used to people expressing admiration for him, but something in Teá’s voice was different. He stared at her, as if weighing her words, but before he could respond, Sakura stepped forward.

“I feel the same way,” Sakura said quietly, her gaze steady on Kaiba’s face. “I didn’t plan for this to happen, but I can’t ignore it. You’re strong, Kaiba. You remind me of someone I once loved, someone I lost. And I see in you the same strength and loneliness I saw in him.”

Teá’s heart sank. Sakura’s words cut deep, and she could see the way Kaiba’s eyes softened just slightly as he listened to her. It was a side of him Teá had never been able to reach. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.

Kaiba looked between the two women, his expression unreadable. He wasn’t used to emotions, least of all his own, but this situation was something even he hadn’t anticipated. He had spent his life building walls, keeping people at a distance. Yet, here were two women who had managed to breach those walls, both of them offering him something he had always rejected—love.

For a moment, Kaiba felt torn, a rare and uncomfortable feeling for him. But ultimately, Kaiba was Kaiba, and his heart belonged to his ambitions, to his brother Mokuba, to the world of dueling. He wasn’t someone who could give his heart away easily.

“I didn’t ask for this,” Kaiba said finally, his voice cold but tinged with something almost vulnerable. “I have no room in my life for distractions. My focus is on winning, on KaibaCorp, and nothing else.”

Teá’s breath caught in her throat. She had expected it, but hearing the rejection still stung deeply. Sakura’s face remained stoic, but there was a flicker of pain in her green eyes as she heard Kaiba’s words.

Teá took a shaky step forward. “But, Seto—”

“No, Gardner,” Kaiba interrupted, his gaze hardening again. “I’m not the man you think I am. I don’t need anyone.”

The finality in his tone left no room for argument. Teá’s heart shattered, the weight of unspoken dreams and hopes crashing down around her. Sakura, ever the warrior, held herself together, but even she couldn’t fight the overwhelming sense of loss that washed over her. For once, her strength wasn’t enough to shield her from the heartbreak.

Kaiba turned his back to both of them, walking toward the massive glass windows of his office. The city lights flickered below, a world he ruled with cold precision. He didn’t look back. He couldn’t. Emotions were a weakness he refused to entertain.

As Teá and Sakura left KaibaCorp that night, both walking in opposite directions, they knew their battle had ended in defeat. Neither of them had won, and the man they loved remained as unreachable as ever. Under the cold, indifferent starlight, their hearts bled quietly into the night.

Some love stories, they realized, were never meant to have a happy ending.