Chapter 07

Tadashi sat with his friends at a spot in the school courtyard, the sun casting warm light over the group. Kei was in the middle of a dramatic retelling of his latest attempt to impress a girl, complete with exaggerated hand gestures and ridiculous sound effects. Haruto and Hikaru were barely holding back their laughter, while Rin rolled her eyes, pretending not to care but clearly entertained.

Tadashi chuckled along with them, but a part of him felt distant. The weight of his secret still loomed over him, yet, for the first time in a long while, he felt something shift within him. These people—his friends—were here. They weren’t going anywhere.

Nao sat beside him, her usual composed demeanour in place, but there was something in her eyes today—something guarded. Tadashi had noticed it before, but he never pushed. Maybe, in some way, she was like him, keeping her own burdens locked away.

“Hey, Tadashi, you’ve been zoning out,” Rin nudged him. “What’s on your mind?”

Kei grinned, nudging him from the other side. “Thinking about a girl?”

Tadashi scoffed. “Not everything is about romance, Kei.”

“Sure, sure,” Kei said with a knowing smirk. “But you are sitting next to Nao.”

Nao shot Kei a sharp glare, but there was a faint pink tinge to her cheeks.

“Grow up, Kei.”

The group burst into laughter, but the conversation soon shifted to other topics, leaving Tadashi feeling both relieved and strangely aware of Nao’s presence beside him. That evening, Tadashi found himself walking with Nao. It wasn’t planned, but as the group parted ways after school, the two of them naturally gravitated towards the same direction. The city lights flickered on as they made their way to the park.

It was quiet, only the sound of distant traffic and the rustling of leaves filling the space between them. Nao was silent. Her steps were steady, but her hands were clenched into fists. Tadashi could feel it—something was weighing on her. The hesitation in her movements, the way she exhaled as if battling herself—it was familiar.

“You don’t have to force yourself,” he said finally, stopping at the park’s bridge overlooking the water.

“But if you want to talk… I’ll listen.”

She didn’t respond right away. Instead, she looked up at the night sky, her expression unreadable. Finally, she spoke, her voice softer than usual.

“I was betrayed too.”

Tadashi felt his breath catch while Nao let out a bitter chuckle.

“Not in the same way as you, I think. But it still hurt. And sometimes… I wonder if I’ll ever trust again.”

Tadashi wanted to say something, but before he could, the world around him shifted.

A vision.

He saw himself, reaching out towards a glowing, star-like spark in the darkness. Every time he reached for it, it slipped through his fingers. Again and again, he tried, frustration building, desperation clawing at the spark. And then—

The vision vanished.

Tadashi gasped, his heart pounding as he found himself back in reality, Nao watching him with concerned eyes. His hands trembled slightly, but he clenched them into fists, steadying himself.

“Nao,” he said, his voice quieter than before. “Tell me everything.”

She hesitated one last time, then parted her lips to speak.

Nao took a deep breath, her fingers gripping the cold metal railing of the bridge. The night air was crisp, carrying the distant hum of the city. She hesitated only for a moment before speaking.

“It started in my first year of high school,” she began, her voice steady but laced with something unspoken—pain, perhaps.

“There was someone I trusted more than anyone. Her name was Aki. We were inseparable, like sisters.”

She let out a small, bitter chuckle.

“At least, that’s what I thought.”

Tadashi remained silent, watching her carefully, allowing her the space to continue.

“Aki and I shared everything—secrets, dreams, fears. I told her things I never told anyone else. I believed she would always be by my side. But I was wrong.”

She exhaled slowly, as if steadying herself before continuing.

“It started small. Little things that felt off. My classmates suddenly knowing things about me that I had only ever told Aki. Whispers in the hallway, looks of amusement or pity. I convinced myself I was imagining it, that Aki wouldn’t do something like that to me.”

Her grip on the railing tightened.

“Then, one day, I found out the truth. Aki had been telling my secrets to others, twisting them, making them sound worse than they were. And she wasn’t just talking behind my back—she was the one leading the rumours. She had turned me into a joke.”

The weight of her words settled between them. Tadashi could see the pain in her eyes, the way she clenched her jaw to keep herself composed.

“I confronted her,” Nao continued, her voice quieter now.

“I asked her why. She laughed. Said it was all a game to her, that it was ‘just fun.’ That I was too naive to see it.”

She turned away from Tadashi, looking out at the water below.

“I had never felt so betrayed. I had trusted her with everything, and she threw it away like it was nothing.” Her fingers loosened on the railing.

“After that, I stopped trusting people. I kept everyone at a distance. It was easier that way. Safer.”

Silence stretched between them, heavy yet comfortable. Tadashi finally spoke, his voice gentle.

“Nao… I’m sorry. No one deserves that.”

Nao let out a soft sigh, her lips curling into a faint, almost sad smile.

“Maybe. But it happened. And it’s why I am the way I am now.” She turned to face him.

“Trust isn’t something I give easily, Tadashi. But… I think you already knew that.”

He nodded. He did. And now, he understood why. For the first time, the space between them didn’t feel like distance—it felt like understanding.