— Haru's POV
She didn't text me after the fight.
Didn't look back as she left the warehouse, hoodie soaked in sweat and pride.Didn't check to see if I was watching.
But I was.
Of course I was.
I sat in the dark that night, alone in my apartment, staring at my phone like it owed me something.
No messages.
No missed calls.
Not even a "thank you."
Not that I wanted one.
Not really.
But I'd gotten used to the sound of her voice.
Used to the way she'd glare at me like I was something she hated but couldn't quite walk away from.
It made me feel real.
It made me feel necessary.
And now?
Now she didn't need me anymore.
That scared the shit out of me.
Most people look at me and see power.
They see the money, the name, the fear I wrap around myself like armor.
But inside?
I'm a fuse.
Burning slow. Loud. Constant.
And she was the only one who didn't flinch when she heard the hissing.
The first time I followed her home, it wasn't to stalk her.
It was to protect her.
That's what I told myself.
But the truth?
I didn't trust the world with her.
Didn't trust anyone to see the cracks in her and not try to break her open.
Only I was allowed to touch those pieces.
Only I had earned that pain.
But now, she was walking on her own again.
Now, she was choosing her fights.
Now, she was healing — and it wasn't because of me.
And that…
That hurt more than it should've.
I sat in the back row of class the next morning, arms folded, watching her from behind my lashes.
She didn't look back.
She always used to.
Even if just once.
But now?
Her focus was forward.
Her notebook was out. Her pen was steady. Her face unreadable.
Like I was just another student.
Just another boy.
Like the past month hadn't happened.
Like she hadn't slept on my jacket.Like I hadn't wiped her blood.Like I didn't make the world bleed for her.
I clenched my jaw so tight my teeth ached.
This wasn't jealousy.
It was panic.
A slow, rising dread that whispered:
"If she stops needing you, she'll leave you.""If she heals, she won't love you.""If she grows, you'll be left behind."
After school, I cornered her by the vending machines.
Not violently.
Not dramatically.
Just enough to remind her that I was still here.
Still watching.
She didn't flinch.
Didn't smile.
Didn't soften.
"Do you need something?" she asked, tone flat.
I wanted to scream.
Instead, I said, "You've been quiet."
"I've been busy."
"Too busy to talk to me?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking, or accusing?"
I took a breath.
Control.Control.Control.
"You used to let me in," I said quietly.
"You used to push your way in."
That hurt more than it should've.
She turned away.
But I couldn't let her go. Not like this.
So, I said the only thing that might stop her:
"I don't know who I am without you."
She froze.
Didn't turn back.
Didn't speak.
Just… stood there.
Like she didn't want to hear it.
Like hearing it made her responsible for something she never asked to carry.
And then, quietly:
"You need to figure that out, Haru. Because I can't be your everything."
Then she walked away.
And for the first time in my life…
I didn't follow.
That night, I stood outside her apartment.
Didn't knock.
Didn't call.
I just watched the light under her window.
And I realized…
Maybe I didn't want her to be mine.
Maybe I just didn't want to be nothing without her.