Chapter 93 — Words I Wasn't Ready For
The pages in Rika's hand trembled.
Her eyes remained fixed on the letter Naoto had left behind, each word branding itself into her memory. The paper, already slightly crumpled from how tightly she gripped it, seemed heavier than it should've been—like it carried the full weight of an emotion she didn't want to name.
> "If this were a perfect world, maybe… I would've turned around. Maybe, I would've chosen you. But this world isn't perfect, and neither am I."
Her fingers slowly curled into fists around the paper.
The silence in her room screamed.
"Rika…" Souta's voice was gentle as he sat near the windowsill, watching her from a respectful distance.
She didn't look at him. "I wasn't ready to read that," she whispered.
"I know."
"I thought I hated him," she muttered. "When I first met him, I really thought I'd never forgive him for stepping into my life like that."
Souta didn't interrupt. He just listened.
"But he wormed his way in anyway. With his annoying kindness. With his calm voice. With his stubbornness. And somewhere along the line, I—" Her voice cracked. "I let him in."
Souta slowly stood and walked toward her, kneeling beside her chair.
Rika turned her head away, quickly wiping her cheeks.
"You don't have to be strong right now," he said. "Not in front of me."
"I'm not strong. I'm just tired." She let the tears fall now. "Tired of feeling like I was never chosen. Like no matter how much I loved… it was never enough."
Souta reached out but didn't touch her. Not until she gave him a tiny nod.
Then he placed a hand over hers, warm and steady.
"You were more than enough, Rika. You are more than enough."
---
FLASHBACK — 2 Years Ago
It was the first time Naoto visited their mansion. Rika had thrown a full-on tantrum, shouting that she didn't need a tutor, especially not him.
Souta remembered peeking from behind the corridor, quietly laughing to himself as Naoto calmly handled her rage.
"She hates you," Souta said bluntly after Naoto left the room.
Naoto smiled. "She doesn't. Not really. She's just scared."
"Scared of what?"
"Of letting someone close enough to hurt her."
Souta didn't understand it then. But now… watching Rika cry in silence years later, he finally did.
---
PRESENT
"I'm not asking you to forget him," Souta said, voice barely louder than a whisper. "But I do want you to remember you're not alone."
Rika gave him a faint smile. "I know."
They sat like that for a while, the letter between them, the unspoken past curling into the air like the first signs of autumn wind.
---
Meanwhile — Naoto's Perspective
He stood by the window of his modest apartment, staring out at the setting sun.
The photograph on his table was slightly faded — a snapshot of him, Himari, and Rika from a school festival. Rika's face was bright, full of laughter. Himari stood behind them, arm wrapped tightly around Naoto's shoulder.
He sighed, lifting the photo. "I wonder if I made the right choice."
From the kitchen, Himari's voice called out, "Dinner's ready."
Naoto turned.
Their daughter, Hikari, peeked from behind Himari's leg, waving a chubby hand. "Papa!"
He knelt down and scooped her up.
Maybe… just maybe, his choice wasn't perfect.
But it was honest.
---
Later That Night — Rika's Room
She lay on her bed, clutching the same photograph in her hand. The one Naoto had taken with her during the riverside outing two summers ago.
Her voice was low, almost inaudible. "I loved you, Naoto."
A knock on her door.
"Come in," she said.
Souta entered, holding a cup of warm milk. "You looked like you needed this."
"I did."
She took the cup and sat up.
"You planning to write another letter?" Souta asked.
"I might."
"To him?"
She shook her head. "To myself."
---
The Next Day — School Grounds
Their friend group had slowly changed. Aiko and Kenta had grown closer, and Haruto had become surprisingly good at making everyone laugh again.
But Rika?
She was different.
Still present, still bright… but calmer.
After lunch, she found a quiet spot behind the school building, where an old tree swayed gently. Souta followed her there without asking.
They sat under the branches, the silence peaceful this time.
"I think I've accepted it," Rika said suddenly.
"Naoto?"
"Life." She chuckled. "Things don't always go how we want. But that doesn't mean we stop living."
"You're really strong," Souta said.
"No." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm just trying."
And he leaned his head back gently. "Trying is enough."
---
Mini Time Skip — A Week Later
A letter arrives at Naoto's new home.
It's not signed, but he knows the handwriting instantly.
> I'm letting go.
But that doesn't mean I didn't love you.
It just means… I love myself enough to move forward.
Thank you—for the smiles. For the pain. For being you.
Naoto reads it thrice.
Then quietly places it in the same box as all their memories.
---