The image on the screen was still. Soft. Painful.
Lena was collapsed just inside her doorway, her body trembling as her sobs filled the silence. She hugged herself tightly, rocking with the kind of grief that broke through even the strongest hearts.
And somewhere, in a dimly lit room where the only light came from that screen, someone watched.
He sat there motionless, his face mostly lost in the shadows, eyes fixed on the footage on her. Every quiver of her shoulders, every broken breath, reached through the glass and slammed into his chest like a weight he couldn't carry.
Then her voice came, soft and full of surrender:
"I can't get you back…"
The sound crushed something inside him. His jaw clenched as his hand twitched helplessly on the desk, reaching halfway to the screen before stopping midair, knowing he could never cross the distance between them.
His eyes burned. His lips parted. And in the smallest, most cracked whisper, he spoke:
"I wish I could…"
He swallowed hard, forcing the rest out with trembling breath:
"Just look at me, Lena… and you'll find someone better than him."
"I swear… you'll never feel pain with me. Never again."
But she couldn't hear.
She stayed there on the floor, sobbing into the silence of a place that felt emptier than ever. Her pain soaked through the screen like cold rain, and he couldn't do a thing.
His fist pressed against his mouth, biting down on the knuckle to hold back the ache. Because watching her like this, crying, shattered, alone was a kind of punishment.
And maybe he deserved it.
Still, he didn't look away.
Not even once.
Because for him… she was the only light in that dark room.
The door creaked open behind him, spilling a sliver of hallway light into the dark, silent room.
"Yo?" a voice broke through the quiet. "You in here again?"
The figure at the desk didn't flinch. His eyes were still glued to the screen, watching her curled on the floor, her sobs muted now, but still painfully visible. Her name echoed in his chest like a ghost.
A shape stepped into the room, a boy about his age, a bit taller, with messy hair and an annoyingly curious nature. His name was Kyle. Always showing up uninvited. Always asking the wrong questions.
Kyle's brow furrowed as he saw the faint light of the monitor against the figure's face. "Are you seriously watching girls again?"
A beat of silence.
Then, coldly:
"She's not just any girl. And it's not your business."
Kyle raised an eyebrow, stepping a little closer, squinting at the screen. "Well, excuse me for thinking you were just.."
He stopped.
The image had shifted , Lena was wiping her face, still trembling. Her pain was unmistakable.
"…Wait a second," Kyle blinked. "Isn't that.."
Before he could say another word, the figure slammed his palm over the screen, tilting it away and muting the sound in one swift move.
The room tensed.
Kyle stared at him.
The figure stood slowly from the chair, turning his head just enough so the side of his face caught the dim light. His voice was low. Dangerous.
"If you open your mouth about this…"
"I swear, I'll cook your meat and feed it to the dogs outside."
Kyle blinked. His mouth opened like he might speak… then closed again.
Silence.
Finally, he held up his hands in surrender, backing toward the door.
"…Right. None of my business."
And just like that, he slipped out the door and disappeared down the hall.
The boy turned back to the screen slowly. His eyes settled once again on Lena, still lost in her storm of tears. His jaw clenched, his hand trembling over the keyboard , but he said nothing.
He just watched.
Because even if he couldn't reach her… he couldn't look away.
The boy stepped out of the dim room, closing the door behind him with a soft but final click. His expression stayed unreadable, the glow from the screen still flickering faintly under the door like a ghost he refused to face again.
Down the hallway, a voice broke through the quiet.
"Yo, Daiki!" came Travis, hoodie half-zipped, walking with his usual restless energy. "I'm telling you, I'm done with this hostel. You can't have five minutes of peace in here without someone sniffing around your stuff."
Daiki didn't answer, just walked forward, eyes ahead.
Travis jogged a bit to catch up, still venting.
"Man, I swear, if I had a house to myself, I'd lock the whole world out. Do whatever the hell I want. No nosy roommates. No secrets getting poked at."
As they passed the door Daiki had just exited, Travis glanced at it—noticed the faint light still glowing from under the edge.
He paused, frowned.
"…What were you watching in there?"
Daiki stopped walking. He turned slightly toward Travis.
Just a look.
No words. No explanation.
But it was enough.
Travis raised his hands with a half-smirk.
"Yeah, yeah… I get it. Not my business."
He backed off and wandered down the corridor, muttering under his breath.
Daiki stood still for a moment. His hand twitched slightly at his side, like part of him almost turned back.
But he didn't.
He drew a slow breath, then continued walking leaving the screen, the room, and the girl's tears behind the door he'd closed.
And though his face was still calm, something in his eyes looked like it had cracked quietly.
Daiki's steps echoed softly down the corridor, the hallway mostly empty this early in the day. His mind was heavy, clouded with the image still burned into his thoughts , Lena on the floor, crying like something inside her had torn in half. He clenched his jaw, trying to shake the weight of it.
But as he turned the corner, he slowed.
Up ahead, just by the open balcony that overlooked the city, Ren and Kairo were standing. Their usual energy was toned down, voices low.
Between them stood Noir, arms crossed, dark eyes flicking between the two boys like he was trying to decide if what they were saying was worth his time.
Daiki paused for a moment. He didn't want to talk, but they saw him before he could walk past.
"Yo, Daiki," Ren called out, a lazy grin curling on his lips. "You look like you didnt sleep ."
Kairo smirked beside him. "Let me guess you
stayed up all night gaming, or staring at something you shouldn't?"
Noir didn't smile. He just looked at Daiki, quiet, unreadable. His gaze held longer than the others.
Daiki paused and then walked toward them.
"Don't you three have someone else to annoy?"
"We were just talking," Ren shrugged, brushing his fingers through his mess of dyed hair.
"About how things feel… off lately."
Kairo nodded, more serious now. "Yeah. Like something's shifting under the surface. People sneaking around. Whispers. Secrets."
Noir's voice was calm but sharp.
"Especially about a girl."
Daiki tensed.
Ren looked at him carefully. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
For a moment, Daiki was silent, then his eyes flicked to Noir, who was watching him intently. He forced a smirk.
"What, you think I've turned into some tragic lover-boy?" His tone was playful, but his eyes didn't match.
"No,"Noir said simply. "I think you're hiding something."
Daiki's grin faded just slightly, the truth slipping through the cracks in his expression.
He stepped past them without saying another word.
As he walked away, Ren raised an eyebrow.
"Okay. That was weird, even for him."
Kairo nodded. Noir didn't speak, but his eyes remained fixed on Daiki's retreating figure.
As Daiki walked down the hall, his footsteps quickened. The further he got from that balcony, the tighter his fists became.
He muttered under his breath, voice low and sharp, "I hate that Noir."
He didn't mean it in the way people casually tossed the word around. It was deeper, laced with frustration, tension, and something else he couldn't quite name. Noir had a way of seeing through people, cutting through every wall with just a look. It made Daiki feel… exposed.
And right now, with everything going on, the last thing he needed was someone like Noir watching him too closely.
He reached the stairwell and leaned on the railing for a second, his mind flashing back to Lena's face on the screen. The tears. The way her voice cracked. The silence afterward.
He swallowed hard.
"I'm not the bad guy," he whispered to himself.
But even he didn't fully believe it.
------------------------
Daiki stood frozen for a beat, leaning against the stairwell railing, trying to shake the image of Lena out of his head.
But another image hit him just as hard ,
her.
His eyes widened.
"Oh my God…"he whispered, suddenly straightening.
"I forgot her completely."
A jolt of panic struck through him like lightning.
"Shit..."
He bolted down the last few steps two at a time, heart pounding louder than his footsteps echoing in the stairwell. His mind was racing faster than his legs.
"How could I forget?" She's probably been sitting there this whole time, alone."
"Please…" he muttered breathlessly as he pushed through the front doors. "Please let it not be too late."
The sun was climbing, but he barely noticed the warmth or the light. All he could think of was her…Trusted him.
And he forgot.
He ran across the courtyard, past the benches, the side gate, weaving through students who barely had time to react to the blur of motion.
"Just wait a little longer…"he whispered, as if somehow she could hear him. "I'm coming."
Daiki burst through the door, his breath ragged, panic flashing in his eyes.
"Aria?"he called out, voice trembling. His gaze darted around the small room, empty chairs, soft light filtering through the curtains. No answer.
His chest tightened. He moved quickly, calling again, "Aria! It's me!"
He checked behind the old divider screen, glanced into the corner near the bed, crouched to look under the desk. Nothing.
His heart hammered harder.
"Please be here… please…" he whispered to himself.
Just as he turned, ready to run outside and search the campus, A soft creak echoed from the closet door.
Daiki froze.
It opened slowly… and from the shadows, she stepped out, eyes wide, her frame trembling. Her hair was messy, her face pale, and her eyes so full of fear and vulnerability locked with his.
"Aria…" he whispered, stunned.
She stood frozen for a beat, clutching her sleeves, lips quivering.
Then her face broke.
With a choked breath, she ran to him, no hesitation, and threw herself into his chest, her hands gripping his shirt tightly.
"Daiki—!"she sobbed, his name cracked from her lips like a wound breaking open.
His arms wrapped around her immediately, instinctively, pulling her close as she broke into tears against him.
"It's okay," he whispered, holding her tighter. "I'm here now. I'm so sorry…"
She couldn't answer, only cried harder, the terror and loneliness pouring out in every breath she took against his chest.
And in that moment, Daiki held her like he'd never let go.
Aria clung to him as if letting go would bring everything crashing down again. Her body trembled violently in his arms, the tears soaking into his shirt, and Daiki could feel how tightly she was holding on like she'd been holding her breath for hours.
"I was so scared," she finally gasped through her sobs, her voice cracking and raw. "Daiki… I was so scared."
He gently pulled back just enough to look at her face, brushing a few strands of hair from her tear-streaked cheeks. "Scared of what? ,Tell me ,what happened?"
Her hands gripped his sleeves again, tighter. Her eyes flicked toward the closet she had been hiding in.
"He kept sending me things…"she whispered. Her whole body tensed. "letters . Masseges . I didn't know what to do. I blocked the number and then it came from another. And then another."
Daiki's jaw clenched.
"I don't want this anymore," she cried, shaking her head over and over. "I don't want to be scared all the time. I don't want to see those messages. I don't want him near me. I just… I didn't know what to do…"
Her voice broke, and she collapsed into him again, her fingers fisting in his shirt like she was afraid he might disappear too.
Daiki held her close, resting his chin gently on her head. His voice was soft but fierce.
"You did the right thing calling me. "
He closed his eyes, his hand gently rubbing her back.
"I've got you. I promise."
To be continue....