"You've been ignoring me." Akira's message popped up on Mika's phone late at night."I haven't," Mika typed back, then paused, deleting it once… twice… before sending it anyway."Then why do you feel so far away?"Mika stared at the screen for a long moment. "I'm just tired, Akira.""You're always tired now," Akira replied almost instantly. "Ever since you started acting like everything is falling apart."Mika's fingers hovered over the keyboard. "It does feel like that sometimes."There was a pause. Then—"You're overthinking again."Mika let out a slow breath. "Maybe.""Not maybe. You are. You always do this. You make things bigger than they are."Mika read the message again. And again. "Maybe it's not big for you," she typed slowly, "but it is for me."Another pause. Longer this time."Whatever," Akira finally replied. "Do what you want."The chat went silent.Mika stared at the last message until the screen dimmed."Whatever…" she whispered, placing the phone beside her. "Why does that word hurt so much?"
The next day, Mika walked into school feeling heavier than usual, like even her steps were tired."Hey," San appeared beside her suddenly, walking backward with his usual grin. "You look like you didn't sleep at all.""I didn't," Mika admitted quietly."Bad dreams?" he asked lightly."Bad thoughts," she replied.San slowed down for a moment, his smile fading just slightly before returning again. "Those are worse."Mika gave a small nod."Then today we fight them," he said, trying to sound energetic. "Step one—eat something. Step two—stop looking like the world ended."Mika almost smiled. Almost."See? Progress," San said quickly, catching it. "We're winning already."Mika looked at him for a second. "You make it sound so easy.""It is easy," he shrugged. "Just don't think too much."Mika looked away. "I wish I could."San opened his mouth to say something… then stopped."Yeah," he said quietly. "Me too."
"Did you tell people I'm jealous of you?" Akira's voice came suddenly from behind, sharp enough to make Mika turn immediately."What?" Mika frowned. "No. Why would I say that?""I heard it," Akira crossed her arms. "People are talking.""I didn't say anything, Akira. I swear," Mika said quickly, her chest tightening."Then why does it sound so believable?" Akira shot back.Mika froze. "What does that mean?""It means," Akira stepped closer, her voice lower now, "maybe it's true. Maybe I am jealous of you."Mika's breath caught. "Akira…""You always get everything without even trying," Akira continued, her voice shaking slightly. "People care about you, worry about you… even when you're just sitting there doing nothing.""I don't want that," Mika said, her voice breaking. "I don't want to feel like this.""But you still get it!" Akira snapped. "And I'm always the one trying, always the one smiling, always the one staying strong. Do you even know what that feels like?""I never asked for this!" Mika said, tears forming in her eyes. "I never asked to feel broken all the time!""Yeah, well maybe I'm tired of fixing you!" Akira's voice cracked as she turned away. "Maybe I'm tired of being second all the time."She walked away quickly, leaving Mika standing there, completely still.
Mika didn't move for a while.The hallway felt too loud… then suddenly too quiet."Second…" she whispered. "Was I really making her feel like that?"Her chest tightened again, but this time it wasn't just sadness.It was guilt.Confusion.Loneliness.All at once.
"Mika?" San's voice came softer this time as he found her sitting alone outside. "Hey… what happened?"Mika looked up at him, her eyes red. "Akira hates me.""What? No, she doesn't," San sat beside her quickly."She said she's tired of me. That I make everything about myself. That she feels second because of me."San stayed quiet for a moment.Then he sighed softly. "People say things when they're hurt.""So she's hurt because of me," Mika said."Or because of herself," San replied quietly.Mika shook her head. "I don't understand anything anymore."San looked at her, really looked this time. His usual smile didn't come."You don't have to understand everything right now," he said. "You just have to get through it.""How?" Mika asked, her voice small.San hesitated.Then forced a small smile. "Same way as always… one bad day at a time."Mika let out a weak breath."You're always smiling," she said suddenly. "Do you never feel like this?"San froze for just a second.Then laughed lightly. "Me? I'm built different."But his eyes didn't match his smile.Not this time.
"You seem more distracted today." Leo's calm voice broke through Mika's thoughts in the library."Everything feels messy," Mika admitted. "My friend… my thoughts… everything.""Did something happen?"Mika hesitated. Then nodded. "Akira and I fought. She said… she said she's tired of me."Leo closed his book slowly. "And what do you feel?""I feel like I'm losing everything," Mika whispered. "First him… now her."Leo's gaze stayed steady. "Sometimes when things fall apart, it's not loss. It's exposure."Mika frowned slightly. "Exposure?""It shows you what was already fragile," he explained. "Not everything that breaks was strong to begin with."Mika looked down at her hands."Then what am I supposed to do?""For now," Leo said softly, "don't run from how you feel. Sit with it. Even if it hurts."Mika nodded slowly.It did hurt.A lot.
That night, Mika sat on her bed, staring at her phone again.No new messages.Not from Akira.Not from anyone.
She opened their old chats.Scrolled.Stopped at a message—"I'll always be here for you."
Mika smiled weakly.Then whispered into the quiet room—
"Why does 'always' never stay?"