Episode 34: The Space Between Us

Dear Diary,

Sometimes, it feels like Rei and I exist in a world of our own.

A world where words don't always have to be spoken, where a single glance can say everything, and where silence is just as loud as any confession.

But even in our little world, there's still a space between us. A space I want to close.

The day started like any other. Rei and I walked to school together, our footsteps falling into an easy rhythm. She seemed… lighter today.

Not completely back to normal, but there was a softness in her expression that wasn't there before.

We didn't talk much, but we didn't need to.

Just being next to her was enough.

At lunch, we found ourselves under the oak tree again.

Rei leaned back against the rough bark, her eyes closed, while I picked at my food.

"I have a question," she said suddenly, cracking one eye open to look at me.

I swallowed the bite of rice I'd just taken. "Shoot."

She hesitated, her fingers playing with the hem of her uniform sleeve. "What… made you realize you liked me?"

I nearly choked.

Rei smirked. "Smooth."

I coughed, trying to compose myself. "I wasn't expecting that."

"I noticed."

I set down my chopsticks, my heart pounding a little harder now. "I don't know if there was just one moment."

Rei tilted her head. "So you just woke up one day and thought, 'Wow, I like Rei'?"

I laughed. "Not exactly. It was more like… a bunch of little things."

She hummed, waiting for me to continue.

"The way you always waited for me in the mornings. The way you get this little crease between your brows when you're trying really hard to focus." I smiled, remembering all the times I'd caught her doing just that. "How you always manage to say something to make me laugh, even when I don't want to."

Rei's expression softened, and for a moment, I thought she might say something, but she just looked down at her hands.

I bit my lip. "Why do you ask?"

She was quiet for a long time before answering. "Because I keep wondering when it happened for me."

My breath caught in my throat.

Rei glanced up, her gaze meeting mine. "I don't know when it started. But one day, I just… realized you were the most important person to me."

The space between us felt smaller now.

Like we were on the verge of something, something neither of us fully knew how to handle.

But maybe… that was okay.

After school, we walked home together, like always.

The air was crisp, the sky tinged with the soft hues of an early sunset.

Rei slowed her pace, and I matched her, feeling the weight of unspoken words settle between us.

"I think I'm scared," she admitted quietly.

I glanced at her. "Of what?"

She hesitated. "Of this. Of… us."

My heart ached at the vulnerability in her voice. "Why?"

She let out a breath. "Because it's real."

I stopped walking.

Rei took a few steps ahead before realizing I wasn't beside her anymore. She turned back, confused.

I took a deep breath, gathering every ounce of courage I had. "It is real. And I know it's scary, but… I don't want to run from it."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Gabu…"

I took a step closer. "Do you?"

She looked at me, really looked at me, and in that moment, I saw every thought, every fear, every hope she'd been holding inside.

Finally, she shook her head, a small, shaky smile forming on her lips.

"No," she whispered. "I don't want to run either."

The space between us disappeared.

And for the first time, I felt like we were truly stepping into whatever this was—together.

Love,

Gabu