Chapter 13: You Left, but Your Absence Stayed
Three days.
That's how long they didn't speak.
Three days of walking past each other in the halls like ghosts.Three days of Akiro staring at his phone without touching it.Three days of Yumi holding tears behind her teeth and pretending nothing was cracking under her skin.
The photo was still circling.
The rumors had died down — mostly.
People got bored.
But silence?
Silence lingers.
Reiko found Yumi under the stairs, lunch tray untouched.
"You can't keep doing this," she said.
Yumi didn't look up.
"Doing what?"
"Waiting for a boy who's too broken to reach for you."
Yumi flinched.
"I slapped him."
"Good."
"I didn't mean to."
"I know."
"…But I meant everything else."
Reiko sat beside her.
"You love him."
"Yeah."
"And he's scared."
Yumi's voice cracked.
"Then why do I feel like I'm the one being punished?"
Elsewhere, Akiro sat in the back of an empty classroom.
Knuckles wrapped in gauze. Phone glowing with her name in the inbox. Her last message still unread.
He wanted to reply.
God, he wanted to.
But something inside him whispered:
She deserves someone who doesn't explode.
Someone who doesn't need to be fixed just to be held.
He leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling.
Maybe he should disappear again.
He was good at that.
Too good.
But fate doesn't let go that easily.
After school, Yumi walked the long way home.
She needed air.
No umbrella.
Let it rain again.
Let it soak her until she couldn't tell if she was crying or not.
But when she turned the corner—
There he was.
Akiro.
Standing in the same spot she first gave him that cream bun.
Holding something in his hand.
Waiting.
She stopped.
They stared at each other like strangers with a history too heavy to lift.
Then he held out the object.
It was the keychain.
The silver cat.
Same bent ear.
But this time… it was clean. Polished. Glued back together.
He said nothing.
Just held it out.
Like a peace offering.
Or maybe a confession.
Yumi stepped closer.
Looked at it.
Then at him.
And whispered:
"You still don't get it."
He blinked.
"I never wanted you perfect. Just present."
He didn't speak.
Didn't cry.
Didn't kiss her.
But his fingers grazed hers as he gave the keychain back.
And for the first time in days…
They didn't feel like strangers anymore.