Episode 33: Cracks in the Moonlight

Dear Diary,

Rei is finally talking to me again.

She's letting me in, little by little, piece by piece. And even though I don't have all the answers, even though I don't know what's going to happen next, I know one thing for sure—

I'm not letting her go.

The day after our talk at the park, things were still… fragile.

Rei smiled at me when we met in the morning, but it was small, hesitant, like she was still unsure if it was okay to let me in.

I didn't push.

I just walked beside her, close enough for her to know I was there, but not close enough to overwhelm her.

It felt like balancing on the edge of something delicate—one wrong step, and everything could fall apart again.

But she was trying.

That was enough for me.

Our footsteps echoed against the pavement as we walked to school, the air crisp with the lingering chill of the morning. The sky was a soft shade of blue, streaked with wisps of white clouds, and the world felt strangely quiet.

It wasn't until we were halfway there that Rei finally spoke.

"Did you sleep okay?"

Her voice was soft, uncertain. Like she wasn't sure if she was allowed to ask.

I glanced at her, surprised. "Yeah. I mean, better than I have in a while."

She nodded, her gaze fixed on the ground. "Good."

Silence stretched between us, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that came from understanding, from knowing that words weren't always necessary.

I wanted to tell her that I was worried about her. That I hated seeing her shut herself away. But I knew that pushing too hard would only make her retreat again.

So instead, I just said, "And you?"

Rei hesitated. "I… I slept a little."

It wasn't much, but it was something.

By the time we reached the school gates, I felt a little more hopeful.

At lunch, we sat under the oak tree again.

For the first time in what felt like forever, she actually ate something.

It wasn't much—just a small sandwich—but it was more than I'd seen her eat in days.

Progress.

"You're staring," Rei said suddenly, smirking a little as she took another bite.

I blinked, caught off guard. "I am not."

"You so are."

I huffed. "Okay, maybe a little. But only because I'm relieved you're actually eating."

Rei rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Instead, she leaned back against the tree, looking up at the sky. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Gabu."

My stomach twisted at how small her voice sounded.

I set my lunch aside and turned toward her. "There's nothing wrong with you, Rei."

She let out a breath, her fingers picking at the grass beside her. "Then why do I feel like this? Like… I'm suffocating?"

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "Maybe it's because you've been holding everything in for too long."

She didn't say anything.

After a moment, I reached out, my fingers brushing against hers lightly. "You don't have to go through this alone."

Rei looked at me then, her eyes searching mine for something—reassurance, maybe. A reason to believe me.

Slowly, carefully, she flipped her hand over, letting our fingers intertwine.

The warmth of her skin sent a shiver down my spine.

"I know," she whispered.

And for now, that was enough.

The rest of the school day passed in a haze. I went through the motions, answering when called on, scribbling notes in my notebook, but my mind was somewhere else.

I kept thinking about Rei. About the way she looked at me under the tree. About the way her fingers felt against mine.

I wanted to hold onto that moment forever.

When the final bell rang, I found myself waiting by the entrance, my eyes searching for her in the crowd of students pouring out of the building.

She found me first.

"You didn't have to wait," she said, adjusting the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

I shrugged. "I wanted to."

For a second, she just looked at me. Then, with the smallest smile, she said, "Okay."

We started walking home together, just like always. But this time, the air between us felt… different.

Softer.

Lighter.

Like we were slowly finding our way back to each other.

That night, as I lay in bed, staring at the glow of my phone screen, a message from Rei popped up.

Rei: "Thanks for today. For everything."

I smiled softly, my heart feeling just a little lighter.

Me: "Always."

And for the first time in a while, I fell asleep without feeling like the world was about to collapse beneath me.

Love,

Gabu