Episode 8 – Ryoko Lets Go of Shota

Inside the Café – A Moment of Decision

Tension filled the air in the café.

Ryoko stood still, silently taking in the scene before her.

Akari was holding Shota’s hand.

Her eyes held an unshakable resolve.

—Shota was about to leave her.

That much was clear.

“…Shota-kun?”

When Ryoko spoke his name, Shota flinched slightly.

—but unlike before, he didn’t immediately look at her.

Instead, he turned with a confused expression.

“I…”

His voice trembled.

It was like a fog had lifted from his mind.

His feelings for Ryoko felt distant now—

The fondness, the longing, the obsession… they were still there, but separated from him, like he was looking at them through a thin veil.

“Was I ever… really in love with Ryoko-senpai…?”

(…I see.)

Ryoko quietly accepted his words.

This love—this bond—was something she had crafted herself.

She had guided, influenced, and etched “love” into him.

And now, it was beginning to fade.

(If…)

(If Shota truly believes it was “fake”—)

Akari gently tugged at Shota’s hand.

“Shota-senpai… let’s leave here. Together.”

“…!”

Shota glanced at Ryoko for just a moment.

She smiled back at him.

But it was a smile tinged with fragility.

“…Heh.”

With a soft sigh, Ryoko closed her eyes.

(If Shota-kun wants to leave me—)

(If that’s what will make him happy—)

“...Then it’s okay.”

—I’ll let Shota go.

That was her decision.

“…Ryoko…?”

“It’s alright, Shota-kun.”

She smiled gently.

“I’ve caused you a lot of pain, haven’t I?”

“Th-That’s not… I—”

“It’s okay.”

Ryoko reached out and touched his cheek.

There was no power left in her fingertips.

“I love you, Shota-kun.”

“……!!”

“So if leaving me will make you happy… I’ll let you go.”

It was a decision born from genuine love.

“…Thank you, Ryoko-senpai.”

Akari whispered.

Ryoko quietly closed her eyes, then turned her back to them.

“...Goodbye, Shota-kun.”

And with that, she walked out of the café.

She never looked back.

Shota could only stand there, watching her disappear into the night.

Ryoko’s Loneliness — Letting Go of Shota

Ryoko walked alone through the night.

The glow of the streetlights cast long shadows across the pavement, stretching quietly behind her.

Only the soft sound of her heels echoed through the still air.

The person who should have been walking beside her… wasn’t.

She had no idea such absence could feel this lonely.

(…Shota-kun.)

Every time his name crossed her mind, her chest ached.

Until now, she would always look for him the moment she left the office.

Walking together had become a given—

And now, it was no longer possible.

“…Heh. I’m such a fool.”

It had been her choice.

Letting Shota go had been Ryoko’s own decision.

And yet…

Why couldn’t she stop the tears?

A gust of wind blew past.

The cold air of the night seemed to freeze her down to the core.

(Will he… never come back to me?)

She imagined a future where Shota belonged to someone else.

And when that became reality… what would become of her?

—She’d probably break.

But there was nothing she could do.

If Shota’s happiness lay elsewhere, the only thing Ryoko could do was let him go.

She returned home and quietly shut the front door behind her.

The apartment felt so much larger without him.

The sofa where Shota used to sit.

The mug he always used.

The scent of the shampoo he once said, “I really like this smell.”

Every little thing tightened around her heart.

(There’s no going back now…)

She quietly changed into her loungewear.

When Shota had been around, she would often help him change using her telekinesis.

But now, there was no one left to help.

On impulse, she used her powers to float the remote into her hand.

She turned on the TV without thinking—

And found herself staring at a romance drama playing in the background.

“I love you. You’re the only one for me.”

“Idiot… of course I know that.”

“…!”

Just hearing those lines… felt like her heart was splitting open.

She turned off the TV and buried her face in her hands.

She hadn’t known it would hurt this much to be without Shota.

She hadn’t expected to cry over a decision she made herself.

“…Shota-kun…”

Even calling his name didn’t bring him back.

He was no longer here.

—And this silence was the cruelest thing of all.