The bus ride back to Tokyo should have been loud.
Should have been Rika teasing everyone from the back row.
Should have been Yui yelling "Don't touch me!" every time Ren brushed her arm.
Should have been Haruka sighing about the noise while secretly enjoying it.Should have been Emi offering snacks.Should have been Mei watching the clouds in quiet peace.
Instead, it was quiet.
Ren sat by the window. His reflection looked tired. Older. Like someone who'd just walked through a storm barefoot.
Behind him, Yui had her earphones in.
Next to her, Rika stared out the window, not smiling for once.
Haruka rested her chin on her armrest, eyes closed, pretending to sleep.
Emi sat two rows ahead, not turning back once.
And Mei?
She was in the front row, reading a book that wasn't moving past the same page.
They weren't angry.They weren't cold.They were just... distant.
Ren hated this kind of silence the most.
When they arrived back at the station, everyone grabbed their bags. Normally, this was the part where someone tripped, someone yelled, and someone laughed so hard she had to sit on her suitcase.
But this time, it was just quick goodbyes.
"See you tomorrow.""Take care.""Thanks for the trip."
Polite.
Distant.
Like classmates.
Not… them.
Rika didn't even wink.
Yui didn't even punch his shoulder.
And Emi…
She looked at him for a moment.
Then turned away.
Ren walked home alone. It started to drizzle.
Not a storm. Not even rain. Just soft, wet air that made the world feel heavier.
His apartment was cold when he stepped inside.
No texts.
No calls.
No chaos.
Just quiet.
He collapsed onto his bed without changing.
Stared at the ceiling.
And whispered into the stillness:
"What if I've already broken everything……by trying to keep it all together?"
Later that night, his phone buzzed.
Mei: "Check your balcony."
He blinked.
Got up. Opened the sliding door.
There, hanging on the railing—
A small paper bag.
Inside:
A juice box
A hard-boiled egg
And a note:
"You still looked tired this morning."
He stood there a long time.
Holding that small, familiar kindness.
Remembering the girl who always noticed… even when she stopped chasing.
Next morning, at school...
Everyone acted normal.
Too normal.
But one glance around the room told him everything:
Yui avoided his eyes
Emi looked calm, but had erased something from her planner
Haruka's desk was spotless — a sign she'd been thinking too hard
Rika had stopped humming
Mei didn't bring juice today
Ren realized something chilling.
They were all waiting for him to make a move.And if he didn't…
This silence might never end.