Part 10 — So I Know You're Still There
Ayame watched him quietly for a long moment.
Then her fingers slowed.
"…Haruto."
He hummed faintly.
"…Why do you always do this?"
He shifted slightly. "Do what?"
"Rest your head on someone's lap whenever they sit next to you."
A pause.
"You don't ask. You just… do it."
Haruto stared at the ceiling silently.
For a few seconds, he didn't answer.
Then his voice came out quiet.
"…Mom used to do this."
Ayame's hand stilled.
He kept looking upward, eyes unfocused — like he wasn't seeing the room anymore.
"When she called me to sit beside her… she'd pull me down and put my head on her lap."
His fingers curled slightly.
"She'd brush my hair slowly… like this."
Ayame swallowed gently… but kept her hand moving.
"She always said my hair was soft… and that I should take care of it."
A faint breath left him.
"…That's why it's important to me."
Silence wrapped around them.
"…That's why I don't like people touching it," he added softly.
Ayame's voice came out barely above a whisper.
"…So that's why."
He nodded faintly.
Another quiet pause.
Then he added something smaller.
"…And when someone's lap is under your head… they can't leave without waking you."
His voice dropped even more.
"So I know… they're still there."
Ayame's chest tightened.
Her fingers moved slower now… gentler.
More careful than before.
After a while, she spoke again.
Softly.
"…If I'm not here someday… who will brush your hair then?"
Everything stopped.
Haruto's eyes opened instantly.
He pushed himself up and sat beside her, sudden and sharp — like something had grabbed his chest from inside.
"Don't say that."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it was firm.
Almost scared.
Ayame looked at him quietly. "…I was just asking."
"No," he said immediately. "Don't say things like that."
Silence stretched between them.
She didn't look away.
"…Then answer me."
His jaw tightened.
"…I don't know," he admitted quietly.
That answer sounded small.
Helpless.
Honest.
Ayame watched him quietly for a long moment.
Not studying him.
Not thinking.
Just… looking.
Like she was memorizing his face.