Chapter 92: "The Distance Between Us"
Setting: Hoshikawa High School Rooftop, Lunchtime
The warm midday sun poured across the rooftop, painting the city in hues of gold and blue. Rika Hayato stood alone by the fence, her hands tightly gripping the metal bars as if trying to hold on to something slipping through her fingers. Behind her, the door clicked open gently.
"You're hiding again," Souta Aizawa's voice broke the silence, carrying with it a softness that only he seemed to reserve for her.
Rika glanced over her shoulder but didn't speak. She turned her face back to the horizon, eyes narrowed at the line where the sky met the sea of buildings.
Souta walked to her side, a can of juice in each hand. "Apple or grape?"
"...Grape," she replied after a pause, taking it with a small nod of thanks.
They stood in silence, the only sound being the faint hum of the city below. After a while, Souta broke the quiet.
"He's back in class. Naoto."
Rika's grip on the can tightened.
"Did you visit his mom?" she asked, barely above a whisper.
"Yeah," Souta replied. "She's recovering better than expected. They're saying she'll be discharged in a few weeks."
Rika let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "That's good. That's... really good."
But her smile didn't reach her eyes.
Flashback: Two Weeks Ago, Hospital Corridor
Rika stood outside the room, watching from a crack in the door. Naoto was inside, holding his mother's hand. His expression—relieved, overwhelmed, so filled with love—etched itself in her heart. Beside him stood Himari Shirosaki.
She didn't enter. She turned and walked away, silently.
Present
"Why didn't you go in?" Souta asked gently, catching her thoughts without needing to be told.
"Because... because it wasn't my place. Not at that moment."
She sighed and turned to him, finally letting herself look vulnerable.
"Souta... do you think I've always been just someone in the way?"
He looked surprised. "No. Not even once. You were someone important. You still are."
She laughed softly, the sound laced with sadness. "Then why does it hurt this much to see him smile with someone else?"
Souta didn't answer. Instead, he stepped closer and said, "Because your feelings are real. And even if they're unspoken, they don't disappear."
Meanwhile: Classroom 3-B
Naoto sat by the window, his eyes half-lidded, drifting outside to the same rooftop he once stood on with Rika. Himari leaned closer, whispering something that made him smile. Yet, there was a hesitation in his joy.
"Naoto," Himari said, placing a hand over his. "You're here, but a part of you is still somewhere else. With her."
He didn't deny it. He couldn't. "It's not like that."
"It is," Himari replied gently. "And it's okay. Just... don't lose yourself trying to make everyone else happy."
Naoto looked at her, eyes wide.
"We're not the same people from back then," she said. "You're allowed to feel lost. Even with me."
Later That Evening: Riverbank
Rika and Souta sat side by side under the cherry blossom trees, petals drifting down like silent snow. She handed him her notebook.
"What's this?" he asked.
"A story," she said. "My story. I started writing it back when this all began. When I first met Naoto."
Souta flipped through the pages, eyes scanning her words—filled with heartache, quiet hopes, and longing stares.
"Rika... this is beautiful."
"But it doesn't have a happy ending," she whispered.
He closed the book gently, holding it close to his chest. "Maybe not the one you imagined. But that doesn't mean it's not meaningful."
She looked at him, surprised.
"You're not alone. Even if he doesn't choose you. I'm still here. And I'm not going anywhere."
She blinked back tears.
"Thank you... Souta."
He smiled. "Anytime."
Closing Scene: Naoto's Room
Naoto stared at a small photo of his childhood—him and Himari, holding hands, the sea behind them.
He whispered, "Am I doing the right thing?"
His mother's voice echoed in his memory. "Follow the person who makes you feel alive, not just safe."
And for the first time in weeks, he began to write again—a letter.
To Rika,
There are things I never said, moments I let slip, and feelings I couldn't explain. Maybe this letter is too late... but if I don't write it now, I'll carry it forever.
End of Chapter 92