episode 9
1265 Words
The next day didn’t begin with excitement.
It began with hesitation.
Aru woke up at the same time, followed the same routine, stood in front of the same mirror—but something inside him refused to move the same way. The energy from before, the quiet anticipation of seeing Rei, wasn’t as simple anymore. It was still there, but now it carried something heavier.
A question.
A doubt.
A feeling he couldn’t ignore anymore.
He adjusted his hair slowly, his fingers pausing midway as his own reflection looked back at him.
“…Why did that bother me so much?” he whispered.
The memory from yesterday replayed in his mind—Rei standing there, talking to someone else, completely normal, completely unaffected. There was nothing wrong with it. Nothing at all.
So why did it feel wrong?
Aru frowned slightly, looking at his own eyes more carefully now. They looked more tired than usual. Not physically—but emotionally. Like he had been thinking too much about something he couldn’t solve.
“Aru.” His mother’s voice came from outside. “You’re taking too long again.”
“I’m coming.”
He stepped away from the mirror, but the question didn’t leave.
At school, he didn’t rush.
For the first time in days, he didn’t search immediately.
He walked normally. Slower. Letting his friends find him instead.
“Aruuu!” they called, running toward him. “You look dead today.”
“I’m fine,” he replied.
“No, you’re not,” one said, narrowing her eyes. “You’re thinking again.”
“…Maybe.”
They exchanged looks but didn’t push. They never did. They trusted him, and that trust made everything quieter around him—even when his thoughts were loud.
“…You’re not going to look for him?” one asked casually.
Aru paused.
“…No.”
The answer surprised even him.
But he stuck with it.
Class started.
And for the first time—
He forced himself not to look.
Not toward the window.
Not toward the door.
Not toward Rei.
Every instinct told him to.
But he didn’t.
“…I don’t need to,” he told himself.
“…It doesn’t matter that much.”
But the more he tried not to look—
The more aware he became.
Of everything.
Of every sound.
Of every movement.
Of the one presence he was avoiding.
“You’re acting weird,” one of his friends whispered during class.
“I know,” Aru muttered.
“Did something happen?”
“…No.”
But that wasn’t true.
Something had happened.
Something small.
Something invisible.
Something that changed everything.
When lunch came, Aru didn’t move.
His friends looked at him.
“…You’re staying?” one asked.
“…Yeah.”
They didn’t question it.
They just smiled.
“Good.”
For a moment, everything felt normal again.
They talked.
They laughed.
They shared food.
Aru smiled.
Responded.
Acted like everything was fine.
But it didn’t last.
Because even when he tried to stay—
His mind didn’t.
“…This is stupid,” he thought.
“…Why am I thinking about him again?”
He looked down at his hands, gripping his food slightly tighter.
“…I said I wouldn’t.”
But the feeling didn’t listen.
“…Go,” one of his friends said softly.
Aru looked up.
“…What?”
“You’re doing it again.”
“…Doing what?”
“Thinking somewhere else.”
Aru stayed silent.
“…It’s okay,” she smiled gently. “We trust you.”
That word again.
Trust.
It made things easier.
And harder at the same time.
“…Okay,” Aru said quietly.
And he stood up.
This time—
He didn’t rush.
He walked slower.
Almost like he was giving himself time to turn back.
But he didn’t.
When he reached the tree—
Rei was already there.
Aru stopped.
For a second—
He didn’t move.
Rei looked up.
Their eyes met.
“…You came,” Rei said.
“…I always do,” Aru replied.
The words slipped out naturally.
But they felt different now.
Aru sat down beside him.
The space between them—
Felt bigger today.
“…You didn’t come yesterday,” Rei said.
Aru blinked.
“…I did.”
“Late.”
“…Oh.”
A small silence followed.
Not comfortable.
Not uncomfortable.
Just… present.
“…You didn’t look for me today,” Rei said suddenly.
Aru froze slightly.
“…What?”
“You didn’t look.”
“…How do you know?”
“I noticed.”
Aru looked away.
“…I just didn’t feel like it.”
“…Why?”
“…I don’t know.”
That answer again.
But this time—
It felt weaker.
Rei watched him carefully now.
“…You’re avoiding something.”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
Aru clenched his hands slightly.
“…Why does it matter?”
Rei didn’t answer immediately.
He just looked at him.
Then said quietly—
“…Because you matter.”
Silence.
Aru’s breath caught slightly.
Not loud.
Not obvious.
But enough.
“…That’s not fair,” Aru said softly.
“…What isn’t?”
“…You saying things like that.”
Rei tilted his head slightly.
“…Why?”
“…Because I don’t understand them.”
That was the most honest thing he had said.
Rei didn’t smile.
Didn’t react much.
Just nodded slightly.
“…Me neither.”
That answer surprised Aru.
“…You don’t?”
“No.”
For a moment—
They were both quiet.
Not because they had nothing to say.
But because they had too much.
“…Yesterday,” Aru said slowly, “when I saw you with someone…”
He stopped.
“…It felt strange.”
Rei listened.
Didn’t interrupt.
“…I didn’t like it,” Aru admitted.
Silence.
“…Okay,” Rei said.
That was it.
No teasing.
No questioning.
No judgment.
Just acceptance.
And somehow—
That made it heavier.
“…You’re not going to ask why?” Aru asked.
“…You said you don’t know.”
“…Yeah.”
“…Then asking won’t help.”
Aru looked at him.
“…You’re really calm about everything.”
“…Not everything.”
Aru didn’t ask further.
But he wondered.
The wind moved around them again.
Gentle.
Quiet.
Like always.
But today—
Everything felt louder.
After school, they walked together.
Again.
But the distance between them didn’t close.
Not like before.
“…You’re thinking again,” Rei said.
“…I know.”
“…About me?”
Aru paused.
Then nodded slightly.
“…Yeah.”
Rei didn’t react much.
But his steps slowed just a little.
“…Same,” he said quietly.
Aru looked at him.
“…You are?”
“…Yeah.”
That made something shift again.
Not easier.
Not harder.
Just… different.
They reached the crossing.
Stopped.
Like always.
But this time—
Neither of them spoke immediately.
“…Tomorrow?” Aru asked.
“…Yeah.”
Same words.
Same routine.
But now—
They meant something more.
That night, Aru lay in bed, staring at the ceiling again.
But this time—
He didn’t try to stop his thoughts.
“…I didn’t like it.”
“…I avoided him.”
“…I still went to him.”
He closed his eyes slowly.
“…What is this?”
No answer.
Across the city, Rei sat by his window again.
“…He’s confused,” he murmured.
He looked down slightly.
“…So am I.”
Two lives.
Still hidden.
Still unchanged.
But now—
Even silence between them felt loud.
And neither of them could ignore it anymore.
- Writer
