Separate Worlds, Pt. 2

At last, the school day came to an end. I stepped out into the campus courtyard, wondering what I was even gonna say to Megumi once I got back.

And just as I turned to leave—

"Taka!"

A voice called out from behind me. I recognized it instantly. Sweet, bright, and annoyingly nostalgic.

I turned around.

Chiaki stood there, waving like always, her usual cheery, bubbly energy radiating off her like sunlight. Same voice, same smile, same everything.

And yet... I felt absolutely nothing.

No quickened heartbeat. No pang in my chest. No awkwardness or rush of memories. Just... nothing.

Funny how that works.

She jogged over, brushing a hand through her hair.

"Hey! You just get outta class, too?"

"Yeah," I replied. "Finally done for the week."

"Hehe, same! Ugh, I thought I was gonna pass out in that last lecture. My Japanese professor has that voice that makes you wanna sleep."

"Heh. Well, that's pretty much the case with every professor."

Chiaki grinned at that, and for a while, we just fell into easy, casual conversation—like classmates, like acquaintances. Like two people who, not too long ago, meant a little more to each other than they probably should have.

But now? It was just background noise.

We traded a few more harmless jokes, the kind of banter people toss around when there's nothing better to say. Chiaki still laughed at all the right times, still nudged my arm like she used to, still tilted her head with that same playful grin.

Then, out of nowhere, she swerved.

"Hey," she said, glancing up at me. "Wanna hang out tomorrow?"

I blinked, a little caught off guard by how casually she threw that out. Part of me felt like she was testing something. Or maybe I was just reading into it. Either way...

I scratched the back of my head.

"Ah... sorry. Can't tomorrow. I've got plans."

And Chiaki's smile began to fade.

"Oh? That so...? Guess next time, then."

"Yeah. Next time."

I gave her a polite wave and turned to leave, feeling pretty good about how painless that went.

But then—

"Hey, Taka."

Her voice stopped me in my tracks. This time, it wasn't light or teasing. It was flat. Almost sharp.

I turned around, and there it was.

That face.

Blank on the surface, but the irritation was unmistakable. A tightening at the corner of her mouth. Eyes just a little too focused. The kind of expression people make when they're trying too hard to act like something doesn't bother them.

She crossed her arms.

"Is it because of your new girlfriend?"

I stared at her, the words taking a second to land.

"...What?"

"You heard me." Her tone was calm, but there was nothing friendly about it. "That girl. The one you've been with lately. Is that why you're too busy?"

For a second, I didn't even know what to say. Mostly because it wasn't a question—it was an accusation dressed as one.

And I'd be lying if I said it didn't sting a little.

"Yeah," I replied, my voice steady. "I've been busy because of her."

"I see. Does she go here? I don't think I've seen her around."

"Like I said... It's complicated. The only thing you need to know is that we're together. That's it."

I figured that would be the end of it. Conversation over. Everything that needed to be said was out there.

Or so I thought.

"How long have you known her?" Chiaki asked.

"Huh?"

"A couple of weeks? A couple of months?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

She let out a short, humorless laugh.

"I'm just... a little hurt, Taka. We've been pretty tight for a long time, yet the moment you get a girlfriend, I'm left in the dust. Never even mentioned her once."

I should've walked away. I should've left it there. But instead...

"Well, you didn't mention Kousuke, did you?"

And just like that, everything stopped.

I didn't mean to say it like that — sharp, cutting, and defensive. But it was out before I could catch it, and the look on Chiaki's face told me exactly how she felt about it.

Her brows furrowed, lips pressed into a thin line. She stiffened, glaring at me like I'd just betrayed some unspoken rule.

"Taka..." she muttered. "What did you mean by that?"

I sighed. Even if I tried to drop it now, it was too late. She heard it. It was out there. And honestly... I didn't wanna take it back.

"Exactly what it sounded like," I said. "You didn't tell me about Kousuke, so why should I have told you about Megumi?"

"That's different."

"How? Am I missing something here? Because unless I'm wrong, isn't he the guy you told me you were interested in... when I asked you out a month ago?"

She didn't answer. Didn't even look at me. Just turned her head away, lips pressed tight, and that told me everything I needed to know.

As if it hadn't already been obvious when I saw her clinging to his arm at the mall last week.

"Look, Chiaki," I sighed, letting the tension bleed from my voice. "If you wanted to keep it to yourself, that's fine. It's your business, after all. But that doesn't mean you get to decide that my business is yours."

Chiaki's lips parted, like she wanted to say something—to defend herself or spin the narrative—but nothing came out. Her hand clenched at her side, and for a second, I thought she might drop it.

But she didn't.

Instead, she scoffed, shaking her head with this bitter smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"You're really something, you know that? Acting like you're the victim here."

"Victim? Where the hell did you get that from?"

"You've been keeping this whole relationship a secret, and now you're throwing Kousuke in my face like you didn't do the exact same thing."

Her voice rose slightly, sharp enough to turn a few heads nearby.

"God, Taka... You used to be better than this."

Better than what? Better than finally standing up for myself?

I wanted to ask, but I didn't. Instead, I stayed quiet, watching her. And as she kept talking, something started to click.

"You were always easy to talk to, you know?" she went on. "Always there when I needed you. And now, you get a girlfriend, and suddenly, you're too busy — too good to even answer a message. It's like I don't even know you anymore."

And that was it.

That was the moment.

Because in her words, I finally heard it.

Yue was right.

I wasn't her friend. I was just convenient.

A safety net for when things didn't work out with other people. Someone to kill time with. Someone who wouldn't say no.

And now that I wasn't filling that role, she didn't like it.

For the first time, I looked at Chiaki and didn't see the girl I thought I knew.

I saw a person who never made her feelings clear. The person who led me on for seven years straight. And the person... who was always fake when I tried to be genuine.

It stung. Not because I lost anything, but because I wasted so much time not seeing it.

I let out a slow breath, my tone calm and final.

"Yeah. I guess you don't know me anymore. And honestly... I don't think you ever did."

Her expression faltered, just for a second. Like she wasn't expecting me to say that. Like she was waiting for me to fold the way I always did.

But not this time.

"I need to go," I said, turning away. "Take care of yourself, Chiaki."

I didn't wait for a reply. Didn't want to. It felt like I could finally close that chapter and walk away at long last.

Further down the path, I went... till my phone rang in my pocket. I quickly pulled it out, fully expecting it to be Megumi, but it wasn't her. Instead, it was Yue.

I picked up.

"Hello?"

"Taka!" she exclaimed, her voice loud and frantic. "Where are you right now?!"

"Huh? I'm... I'm about to head home. What's wrong?"

"Look at your text messages!"

Confused, I opened my message app to a group chat with Yue and Koga. The first thing that appeared... made the cold feel a bit colder.

It was a screenshot of a news article with a photo attached, and that photo was of a couple posing cutely at the mall. However, that wasn't the most important thing. In the background, just behind a decorative tree, a disguised Megumi no Hana was holding hands with a guy whose face was blocked out.

"...Oh no..."