episode 17
1328 Words
By now, it wasn’t a secret anymore. Not that it had ever really been one—but whatever quiet routine Aru and Rei had built around that tree was officially gone. Replaced. Expanded. Claimed. Aru realized it the moment he walked into school and saw his friends already looking at him like they were waiting for something. “…No,” he said immediately. “We didn’t even say anything yet,” one of them replied. “You were about to.” “Maybe.” “Definitely.” Another friend leaned forward. “Today we sit with you.” “…No,” Aru repeated. “Yes.” “No.” “Yes.” “No.” “Majority wins.” “…That’s not how this works.” “It is now.” Aru dropped into his seat, sighing lightly. “You all are ruining a perfectly normal routine.” “We’re improving it,” someone corrected. “You’re making it loud.” “Exactly.”
Across the room, Rei sat like always—unaffected on the surface. But when Aru glanced at him briefly, Rei already seemed to know. Just a small look. A small understanding. Then back to normal.
Classes passed with the usual rhythm, but now Aru’s friends were more active than ever. Notes passed. Small whispers. At one point, a folded paper landed on Aru’s desk. He opened it.
“We’re coming.”
He looked back slowly.
They all smiled.
“…No,” he mouthed.
They nodded.
“…Yes.”
Aru looked forward again. “…This is not happening,” he muttered.
Lunch break.
Aru stood up.
Paused.
Looked back at his friends.
“…Don’t,” he said.
“We’re already up,” one of them replied.
He looked at Rei across the room.
Rei stood up too.
No hesitation.
“…Traitor,” Aru muttered.
“…You knew,” Rei replied calmly.
“…I hoped,” Aru said.
“…That was your mistake.”
And just like that—
They all walked out together.
Under the tree—
It was no longer quiet.
“Wow, this place is actually nice.”
“Good shade.”
“Peaceful.”
“Was peaceful,” Aru corrected.
His friends dropped down around them like they belonged there. No hesitation. No asking. Rei sat in his usual spot. Aru sat next to him, a little less space than before—mostly because there wasn’t much left.
“…You expanded,” Rei said quietly.
“…I didn’t,” Aru replied.
“…Your influence did.”
“…Stop saying things like that.”
“…Okay.”
Aru opened his lunch. “You all better not make this weird.” “We’re not making it weird,” one of them said. “You already did that.” “How?” “You sit here every day with him.” “…That’s normal.” “Not like this.” “Like what?” “Like this.” “…That explains nothing.” “Exactly.”
Rei continued eating like usual, completely unbothered. One of the girls turned toward him. “You really don’t react to anything.” “…I do.” “We don’t see it.” “…That’s because it’s not loud.” “So you’re reacting right now?” “…Yes.” “…To what?” “…You.” She paused. “…That’s actually kind of cool.” “…Okay.” Aru looked at her. “Don’t encourage him.” “Too late,” she smiled.
Another friend leaned closer to Aru. “You’re quieter here.” “…I’m eating.” “You talk while eating all the time.” “…Not always.” “Now you’re selective.” “I’ve grown.” “In one day?” “Yes.” “Impressive.” “Thank you.”
A moment passed, and then one of them suddenly pointed again. “You did it again.” “…What now?” Aru asked. “You moved closer.” “…I didn’t.” “You did.” Aru looked down. Maybe slightly. “…There’s no space,” he said. “There’s space over there,” she pointed again. “…Then go sit there.” “We like it here.” “…Of course you do.”
Rei glanced at them briefly. “…You’re all very focused on small details.” “Because small details are important,” one of them replied. “…Not these ones.” “Especially these ones.” “…Why?” “Because they’re interesting.” Rei paused for a second. “…That makes sense.” Aru looked at him. “…Stop agreeing with them.” “…They’re not wrong.” “…You’re both wrong.”
The conversation drifted again after that—random topics, small jokes, complaints about school, who forgot homework, who blamed who. It felt less like an interruption now and more like a new version of something that used to be quiet.
“…This is loud,” Aru said at one point.
“…You’re loud,” one of his friends replied.
“…Not like this.”
“…You’ll get used to it.”
“…I don’t want to.”
“…Too late.”
Rei spoke quietly, just enough for Aru to hear. “…It’s not that bad.” Aru glanced at him. “…You’re used to quiet.” “…And this isn’t unbearable.” “…That’s a low standard.” “…It works.” Aru paused. “…Yeah.”
Back in class, the energy stayed higher than usual. Aru’s friends weren’t done. “Group study after school?” one of them suggested. “…No,” Aru replied instantly. “Yes,” they all said. “No.” “Yes.” “I’m not coming.” “You are.” “I’m not.” “He is,” one of them pointed at Rei. Rei looked up. “…I didn’t agree.” “You just did.” “…I didn’t.” “You’re coming.” “…Okay.” Aru turned to him. “…What.” “…It’s easier,” Rei replied. “…You betrayed me again.” “…You’ll survive.” “…Barely.”
After school, instead of just two—
It became five.
Walking together.
Louder than usual.
“Wow, this feels different.”
“It’s because we’re here.”
“Obviously.”
“…Unfortunately,” Aru added.
“You like it,” one of them said.
“I don’t,” Aru replied.
“You do.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
“…Okay, a little,” he admitted.
“See?”
“…Don’t make it a thing.”
“Too late.”
Rei walked beside him, quiet but present. Same as always. At one point, one of the girls moved ahead, turning around while walking backward. “So,” she said, “when are you two going to admit it?” “…Admit what?” Aru asked. “That this is not just ‘normal.’” “…It is normal.” “Not like this.” “You keep saying that.” “Because it’s true.” “…You don’t even know what you mean.” “We don’t need to.” “…That’s the problem.”
Rei spoke again, calm as ever. “…It’s just routine.” “You said that before,” she replied. “…And it’s still true.” “We’ll see,” she smiled.
They reached the crossing.
This time—
More people.
More noise.
“Bye,” one of the friends said.
“Bye,” another echoed.
“See you tomorrow.”
“…Yeah,” Aru replied.
Rei looked at him briefly. “…Tomorrow,” he said.
“…Tomorrow,” Aru repeated.
That night, things were still simple.
No heavy thoughts.
No big realizations.
Just a shift.
A small one.
From quiet to shared.
From private to open.
The tree was no longer just theirs.
But somehow—
That didn’t remove anything.
It just changed the shape of it.
- Writer
