Chp12: A Lime heart

Yuni stood at the doorstep of his house, his hand resting on the doorknob, twisting it slowly. The door creaked open, and he stepped inside.

"Mom? I'm home…" he called out, his voice echoing softly through the hallway.

No reply.

He slipped off his shoes and walked in further, glancing around.

"Mom?" he called again, quieter this time. "...Mom?"

Turning the corner into the living room, he finally saw her.

She was curled up on the couch, fast asleep—her head resting gently against a cushion, one arm hanging lazily off the side. The TV murmured in the background, casting soft flickers of light across the room.

Yuni stopped. His voice caught in his throat.

He tiptoed over and knelt beside her, careful not to wake her. For a long moment, he just stared.

"She's still here."

Every gentle rise and fall of her chest felt like a quiet reassurance...

Even for a moment, when I can't see or hear you… It terrifies me. It feels like I might lose you all over again. Like you might slip away the second I look away.

A soft smile found its way to his lips.

"Just watching you sound asleep... makes me forget everything."

He reached out carefully, brushing a strand of hair from her face, his fingers barely grazing her skin.

"I want this moment to last forever," he whispered, his voice fragile and full of longing.

Slowly, she stirred and opened her eyes, brushing a hand across her face as she sat up. When she noticed Yuni beside her, a soft, warm smile crossed her features.

"Ah… Yuni, you're home already?" she said, her voice still soft with sleep.

"Yeah," he replied quietly, a faint smile tugging at his own lips.

She stretched a little and waved toward the stairs. "Go get changed, hm? I'll prepare you something light to eat while you're at it."

"Okay!" he said, brushing a hand over the back of his neck as he stood.

With one last glance at her, Yuni turned and headed upstairs, a quiet warmth settled in his chest.

Soon, Yuni came back down the stairs and settled at the table, where a plate of freshly made food was waiting for him. The warm, savory aroma embraced him as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Here you go," his mom said softly, placing the plate in front of him with a smile.

"Thanks, Mom," Yuni replied, a faint warmth rising in his chest as he picked up his fork.

Each bite felt like a reminder of home,

"It's been eight years since I came back but it stills feel like a new experience..."

The next day…

[School]

Classes started as usual. Suisen came to school, but it was clear that the bullying hadn't stopped. It lingered like a dark cloud around her. Most days, she would only stay for a class or two before disappearing. We knew why — we could see it happening, the quiet cruelty, the way she tried to shrink herself to disappear.

Rafael tried more than once to step in. He'd walk up to her when he spotted the bullying and try to talk, only for Suisen to quietly tell him not to get involved anymore. "It's not your problem," she would say, voice soft but firm, brushing him off.

A week passed like this. The days blurred together. Suisen started skipping more and more classes, and every time she was gone, it felt like a piece of the room went with her.

Rafael still tried — a word here, a glance there — unable to accept it, unable to just watch. Meanwhile, I felt a tightness in my chest every time I watched her walk away, every time she refused help.

We knew exactly what she was going through, but still… we felt powerless. Trapped between knowing and doing. And with every passing day, it felt like we were running out of time to change the ending we already feared.

[Rooftop,School]

Rafael sank down beside me, frustration burning in his voice. "Why won't she let me help?" he said, brushing a hand roughly through his hair. "She's suffering, and she knows it… why doesn't she want anyone to step in?"

He glanced at me, voice dropping to a pained whisper. "Yuni… I can't just stand by and watch her get bullied like this. It's eating at me every day. I feel… powerless. Useless. Like all I can do is watch and do nothing."

I met his gaze, and for a moment, the weight of it felt like it pressed down on both of us. I didn't have an easy answer. The silence between us spoke louder than words ever could.

I drew in a slow breath, resting a hand on his shoulder. "It's not you, Rafe… she's scared. Trapped. People like that… when the world feels like it's only hitting them harder every day, accepting help can be just as scary as fighting back."

I tightened my grip slightly. "But that doesn't mean we stop trying. We don't walk away. We just… wait until she's ready. Stay close enough for her to see we're still here when she looks up."

Rafael lifted his head, voice breaking as he said quietly, "That's… all we can do?"

I gave a faint, tired smile. "For now, yeah. Sometimes being there, being present… is the best thing we can do."

He sank back in silence, and I felt the sting of my own words. Because deep down, I knew that every moment we watched her walk away felt like a countdown and this second chance was slipping closer to an edge I still couldn't see.

After a moment, the bell rang, its sharp sound cutting through the heavy silence. Rafael and I exchanged a glance before quietly making our way back to class. The room felt emptier than usual. . Suisen didn't return, and her absence weighed on both of us.

The lesson passed slowly, each tick of the clock reminding me that she was out there somewhere, grappling with things we could only guess.

Then, at last, the final bell rang. Chairs scraped, conversations bubbled to life, and students spilled out into the corridors. Rafael and I gathered our things and stepped into the waning light of the afternoon, the quiet between us saying more than words ever could.

With a shared nod, we parted ways, each of us disappearing down our own path carrying the same quiet worry for a girl who felt too far out of reach.

As I walked home, I decided to cut through the nearby park, hoping for a moment of quiet. But as I stepped through the gates, my gaze was drawn to a figure sitting on the swings. It was Suisen.

She was hunched over, her small frame shaking with quiet sobs. The sight stopped me in my tracks. Her school uniform was scuffed and streaked with dirt, and faint bruises marked the pale skin of her legs.