Shared Silence

The sterile room was a bit too bright, and Ayaka kept tilting her phone, trying to find an angle where the glare did not bounce off the screen. Positive posts about Kanae’s performance had finally begun to appear, and she was busy hearting every single one. It was her own small counterattack against the hate comments from earlier.

The waiting room chairs were comfortable enough, but she still wondered what was taking her therapist so long. Every few comments, she glanced up to see if the door would open.

“Kanae’s jumps were perfect; she deserves more praise.” <3

“Wow, she skates so beautifully.” <3

“She was so clearly the best on the ice that night.” <3

“Why doesn’t Kanae have a bigger fan club?” <3

Seeing her friend praised felt like therapy. Each heart she tapped restored a little more of her faith in the internet. She let out a soft laugh with every click.

Kaito was not used to coming to this part of the facility for an actual appointment. It felt strange to walk here without ducking behind corners or timing his steps to avoid the reporters who hounded his every move.

As he stepped into the waiting room, he immediately spotted Ayaka sitting with her phone, the screen glow reflecting off her eyes. He froze. Before he could even consider turning around, she lifted her head and waved at him.

He waved back, drifting into the room in a bit of a trance. Without fully realizing it, he sat down right next to her. Only after settling did he notice the rows of empty seats around them. For a moment, he considered moving, but decided that would be even more embarrassing.

He chose the only other option he could think of and pulled out his phone as well. It immediately began to ring, startling him so badly he almost dropped it. Ayaka let out a quiet snicker, and he stubbornly refused to make eye contact.

It was his mother calling. For once, he felt saved from Ayaka rather than by her. He let out a quiet sigh of relief and answered.

“Okaasan?” He was not sure why he was asking.

Mariko’s voice was warm and chipper at the same time. Kaito never understood the combination himself; it was like his own private sanctuary no one else had access to.

“Anta, I am not calling at a bad time, am I?”

His mother was always too thoughtful when it came to her children. He thought that if he had Ayaka’s personality, he would have walked all over his gentle mother. He took a quick look at Ayaka; she was lost in the glow of her phone once again. Maybe not.

“It is never a bad time for you to call, Okaasan,” Kaito reassured her. “I only wish you would call more often.”

He could hear how giddy his mother was at his reply; her laughter lingered as she walked through the house. Ayaka snickered at the same moment, which made him look again. She seemed to be engrossed in something else.

“Your father has started working at the warehouse in town,” Mariko said. “Wonder if he will get those muscles back.” She laughed some more.

“Ma!” Kaito exclaimed a bit louder than intended. He covered his phone and checked to see if anyone was paying attention.

“Does Otousan work long hours?” He tried to sound casual, but he was fishing, searching for any reasonable explanation for why his grandmother was not being taken care of.

“No, no,” Mariko said lightly. “He works about four hours, three times a week.”

That was certainly not an excuse. Kaito pressed a little further.

“What does he do with the money he earns?”

“Oh, anta, he thinks I don’t know,” she said, delighted to be sharing a secret. “He’s been building a shrine of all your achievements in his shed.” She paused just long enough for another giddy laugh. “He hasn’t even finished it, but he drags in anyone willing to look at it.”

His father was harmless, even if a bit lazy, but his grandmother truly needed someone checking on her. She had fallen just last year and spent months in the hospital because no one found her in time.

Ayaka was trying her best not to listen to the phone call happening right beside her. She dove deeper into the comments about Kanae’s victory instead, and to her surprise, she actually found some negative comments about herself that were… kind of fun. She had no idea she could laugh at herself this easily.

“If Ayaka had been there, she would’ve stolen the spotlight just by breathing.” <3

“Kanae’s jumps were higher because Ayaka’s negativity wasn’t weighing down the rink.” <3

Maybe it was because she was trying so hard not to eavesdrop on Kaito, but she found herself hearting the haters. Each tap made her laugh a little harder.

Kaito could not help wondering if she was laughing at him. He did not actually think she would; it was just him being overly conscious of everything. He knew her well enough by now to know that if she wanted to laugh at him, she would not bother hiding it.

“Okaasan, I am waiting to see Morita‑san. I may have to leave soon.”

Mariko’s voice shifted instantly into worry. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“No, no,” Kaito reassured her again. “Everything is fine. Just a standard physical.”

He had pulled a muscle, nothing serious, but she would worry if he told her that.

“Okay, anta. Call me later and let me know how it turns out,” she said, fully believing him.

“I will, Okaasan.” He smiled at the warmth in her voice. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” Her voice lingered in his ear even after the call ended.

“Fujimoto‑san?” Ayaka’s therapist had arrived.

They both snapped back to reality and looked up at the new presence in the room. Ayaka gathered her things and pulled herself up on her crutches. She took one step before turning back toward him.

“You stretched that call out so you didn’t have to talk to me, didn’t you?” she said, wanting to tease the trapped mouse one last time before leaving.

“No… I” Kaito could not get the words out. He dropped his head in shame. He might have. He was not sure.

Ayaka laughed. “Are you still not used to me? One day you will talk to me in complete sentences, like you do with Daichi‑sensei.”

Something in her tone was not playful this time, and he felt it.

The therapist guided Ayaka toward the exam room, and Kaito could only watch her go, wondering what she meant. The wonder did not last long; Morita‑sensei appeared a moment later to take him to his own appointment.