Chapter 98 – The Letter I Never Gave You
[Setting: Rika's Apartment – Rainy Afternoon]
The rain tapped lightly against the glass of the sliding door.
The world outside was soft and gray. Blurred like a distant memory.
Rika sat on the floor, her back against the couch, legs drawn up to her chest. A stack of old notebooks lay beside her—some half-filled, others untouched.
Her phone screen blinked once.
A photo.
The group. Their old group. It had come up in the memories feed.
She tapped it once and stared.
Naoto's smile. The one that had taken years to understand. It wasn't a carefree smile—it was always full of responsibility, full of quiet pain.
And behind him—Himari.
Rika's hand trembled slightly as she closed the photo.
She opened her drawer and pulled out a faded letter. The one she wrote on the night of the festival.
The one she never gave him.
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[Letter – Never Delivered]
Naoto,
I know you'd never expect a letter from me. I hated you, remember? I fought you, challenged you, mocked you… But you stayed. You never ran, even when I wanted to break you.
And that's when I realized—
You weren't a wall.
You were the mirror I refused to face.
I've always been selfish. I demanded, cried, exploded—because deep down, I thought no one would ever stay. But you did.
And when you looked at me… it was like you saw every version of me I tried to hide.
But you don't belong to me.
And maybe you never did.
Still, I wanted to say it—just once.
I love you.
But I never did say it.
Because I knew you had already said it to someone else—with your heart.
—Rika
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Rika blinked hard and swallowed. She folded the letter again, pressed it to her chest.
And that's when she heard the knock.
"Souta," she said softly, opening the door.
He held two cups of hot cocoa and a bag of snacks. His hair was damp from the rain.
"Thought you might need some warmth," he said, stepping in.
She smiled faintly. "You always come without asking."
He shrugged. "You never tell me to leave."
They sat together on the floor, the lights off, the soft rhythm of the rain filling the room.
---
[Mini Inner Monologue – Rika]
He never tried to replace Naoto.
Never tried to force smiles or promises.
Souta just… stayed.
---
"You okay?" he asked after a long silence.
"No," she said honestly. "But I think I'm… starting to understand."
He sipped his drink quietly.
Rika looked at him.
"Souta… why didn't you leave?"
He blinked. "Because I knew if I did, you'd have no one to fall apart in front of."
Her throat tightened.
"And now?"
"I'll stay," he said. "Not because I want to be Naoto. But because I want to be… your today. Even if I'm not your yesterday."
She reached over and placed the letter in his hand.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Read it," she whispered. "It's everything I never said."
He read it slowly. His hands never shook. His eyes never widened. He just… understood.
When he finished, he folded the letter gently and returned it to her lap.
"I get it now," he said. "You weren't just in love. You were willing to break silently… so he could be whole."
She nodded. "Is that stupid?"
"No," he said. "That's love."
---
[Flashback – Group Days, Chapter 28 Era]
Naoto had offered her his umbrella. She threw it back at him.
"I don't need saving," she'd snapped.
"I know," he had said. "But I'll walk with you anyway."
---
"I think…" Rika said softly, "I want to write this all down. Not for him. For me."
Souta smiled. "Then let me help."
She looked at him—really looked.
His presence didn't demand. It didn't echo Naoto. It was simply… here.
Solid. Gentle. Real.
And maybe, that was enough.
---
[Final Scene – Rika's Journal Entry]
Some stories don't end with the one you love. Some end with the one who stays when the love fades into memory.
I once believed love was about winning someone.
But maybe love is… letting go without breaking apart.
This is my story now.
And I'm still writing.
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