Haruto nodded stiffly, lowering himself onto the sofa across from Renji.
The plush cushions beneath him offered no comfort, their softness a stark contrast to the tension that hung in the air.
Asuka followed him, sitting beside him with her hands neatly folded on her lap.
Her presence, usually calming, only amplified the weight pressing down on him now.
The silence was excruciating, thick with unspoken accusations and expectations.
Haruto could feel the unrelenting stares of the room's occupants, their gazes cutting into him like shards of glass.
It was worse than when he'd fought Daiki. At least then, there had been clarity. Fists flew, adrenaline surged, and there was no time to question or doubt.
Here, he was bound by invisible chains, the scrutiny around him more suffocating than any physical restraint.