Chapter 3: Unspoken Words

Haruka's POV

It had been a few days since the fight with my mom, and the silence in the house had grown unbearable.

My mom was pretending like everything was fine, but I could feel the tension in every room. The cold, clipped conversations. The long, drawn-out silences that stretched between us, unspoken words hanging in the air like a thick fog.

I kept telling myself I had to fix this.

I had to make things right. But the more I tried, the further I felt from her. The more I tried to act like everything was okay, the more it felt like we were drifting further apart. And the guilt, the suffocating guilt, wouldn't stop eating at me.

It wasn't just about my mom.

It was about everything.

It was about feeling like I was stuck in a life I didn't choose, trapped by my own inaction, trapped by the weight of everyone else's expectations.

My mom. My teachers. The world outside. I couldn't escape it. Not for a second.

And yet, every time I was with Kai, it was like the world softened, just a little. Like I could breathe a little easier.

But even he couldn't fix this.

I was the one who had to make the choice. I was the one who had to decide whether I was going to keep letting my mom's dreams for me crush mine, or if I was going to take control of my own life.

—-~

Kai's POV

I could tell something was off with Haruka the moment I saw her at school.

She wasn't as smiley as usual, her steps were slower, and there was a weight to her shoulders that wasn't there before.

The spark in her eyes—the one I had come to rely on—was dimmer. I wanted to ask her about it. I wanted to demand she tell me what was wrong.

But I knew that wasn't how she worked. She wasn't the type to open up immediately. She wasn't the type to let anyone in easily. She didn't want me to see her struggling, not in the way she was.

But I couldn't help it. I had to say something.

"Hey," I said quietly as we walked down the hallway after lunch.

"You've been quiet. Do you wanna talk?"

She paused for a moment, almost as if she was deciding whether to lie to me or not. Finally, she let out a long breath and looked at me, her eyes heavy with something I couldn't quite place.

"It's just... stuff with my mom. It's not a big deal."

I didn't buy it. I could tell it was a big deal. I could feel it, the unease in her words, the uncertainty in the way she carried herself.

"You sure?" I asked, my voice low. "You know you can talk to me if you need to, right?"

She glanced at me, a fleeting, tired smile crossing her face. "I know, Kai. But this... I don't know how to talk about it. It's just... complicated. I don't think I'm ready to face it yet."

That was all I needed to hear.

I didn't push her. I didn't ask her to explain. Because I understood.

I understood more than she realized.

I knew the feeling of carrying something you didn't know how to express, something too big to talk about. It weighed you down, and every attempt to explain it made it heavier.

But I also knew she couldn't keep running from it forever.

"We don't have to talk about it right now," I said softly, trying to meet her eyes. "But you will, eventually. You have to. And I'll be here when you're ready."

She nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor for a moment before she looked back at me. "Thanks, Kai," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'll figure it out. I just need time."

I smiled at her, relieved that she hadn't shut me out entirely, even if she wasn't ready to talk yet. It wasn't much, but it was something. And sometimes, that was enough.

—-~

Haruka's POV

The next few days passed in a blur.

School felt like an endless cycle of work, tests, and awkward silences at home.

My mom barely spoke to me, and when she did, it was like I was talking to a stranger. Every conversation felt like I was walking on eggshells, trying not to say the wrong thing, trying not to make everything worse.

I couldn't help but feel like I was suffocating.

The pressure was relentless, and I didn't know how much longer I could keep pretending everything was fine. But at the same time, I wasn't sure how to fix it.

How to fix myself.

Kai noticed, of course. He always did. He could tell when something was off, even when I tried to pretend it wasn't. But he never pushed. He just... waited. Like he was willing to give me all the time I needed to figure it out. To figure myselfout.

And yet, there were still moments—rare moments—when I felt like I was on the verge of something. Like I could almost see the path forward, like the answers were just within reach. But every time I reached for them, they slipped away again.

That's when I realized something.

I had been waiting for permission.

I had been waiting for someone to tell me it was okay to be myself.

I had been waiting for validation from my mom, from Kai, from everyone around me. I had been waiting for someone to say, "You're doing the right thing."

But no one could do that for me. No one could give me that permission.

I had to give it to myself.

—-~

Kai's POV

After school that day, I found myself at my usual spot, under the cherry blossom tree.

It was a little rainy, the soft patter of raindrops tapping against the leaves above me, creating a peaceful rhythm that I always found calming.

I had texted Haruka to see if she wanted to hang out, but she hadn't replied. I figured she was probably dealing with things at home.

I wasn't upset about it. I knew she needed space. But I couldn't help feeling a little empty, like something was missing when she wasn't around.

I was about to pull my hood up and start heading home when I heard a soft voice behind me.

"Kai."

I turned around to find Haruka standing there, looking a little hesitant. Her hair was damp from the rain, but her expression was softer than I had seen it in days.

There was a new kind of determination in her eyes.

"Hey," I said, offering her a warm smile. "What's up?"

She stepped closer, her hands tucked into the sleeves of her jacket, a serious look in her eyes.

"I've been thinking about everything you said. About taking responsibility for my own life. I've been running from it for so long, trying to avoid it, but..."

She stopped, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I realized that no one can do this for me. I have to take control.

I can't keep waiting for someone else to tell me what to do. I can't keep trying to make everyone else happy at the expense of my own happiness."

My heart skipped a beat at her words. I wanted to reach out, to tell her how proud I was, but I didn't want to interrupt her. I wanted her to finish.

"I don't have all the answers yet," she continued, her voice steady now, "but I'm going to start making my own choices. I'm going to stop waiting for permission."

I could see the weight lifting off her shoulders with every word. I didn't know if everything was going to be okay, but in this moment, Haruka was finally beginning to take responsibility for her own life, for her own happiness.

"I'm here for you, Haruka," I said quietly, stepping closer to her. "No matter what."

She met my eyes then, her gaze softer, more vulnerable than before. And for the first time in days, she smiled. It wasn't a perfect smile. It wasn't a happy smile.

But it was real. It was the kind of smile that said she was starting to find her way back to herself.

"Thanks, Kai," she whispered. "For being here."

I didn't need to say anything else. The rain continued to fall, soft and steady, but somehow, it didn't feel as heavy anymore