Fractured Realities

The weight of Eva's words lingered in Yuuto's mind like a haunting melody. She had unsettled something deep within him, a part of himself he'd tried to bury under layers of denial. Every glance from her, every calculated word she spoke, felt like a challenge, a reminder of the truths he'd been too scared to face.

He wanted to ignore her, to push her presence out of his life, but the more he tried, the more he noticed her everywhere. She wasn't stalking him, not in the literal sense, but Eva seemed to exist on the edges of his world, waiting for the perfect moment to strike again.

That moment came sooner than he expected.

It was a Wednesday afternoon, the kind of day that stretched endlessly, as if the universe itself were bored. Yuuto had spent most of the day avoiding eye contact with Reina, exchanging only brief words with Rika, and trying to focus on his schoolwork. But his thoughts were a jumble of confusion and frustration, and by the time the final bell rang, he felt like he was suffocating.

He needed air.

Yuuto headed to the rooftop, hoping for a moment of peace. But when he stepped outside, he found Eva waiting for him.

She was leaning against the railing, her posture relaxed, as if she had all the time in the world. When she saw him, a faint smile curved her lips.

"Hello, Yuuto," she said, her tone smooth and unsettling.

Yuuto hesitated. He thought about leaving, about turning around and walking away without saying a word. But something in her gaze held him in place.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice sharper than he intended.

Eva tilted her head, studying him like he was a particularly interesting puzzle. "I want to help you," she said simply.

"Help me?" Yuuto scoffed. "You don't even know me."

"That's where you're wrong," Eva said, taking a step closer. Her icy blue eyes locked onto his, and for a moment, Yuuto felt like she could see straight through him. "I know you better than you think."

Yuuto's hands clenched into fists. "What are you talking about?"

Eva's smile widened, but it wasn't a kind smile. It was the smile of someone who enjoyed watching others squirm. "You're lost, Yuuto. You're chasing after things that hurt you, clinging to people who can't give you what you need. Reina, Rika… they're not the answer. But you keep running after them anyway, don't you?"

Yuuto's heart pounded in his chest. "You don't know anything about Reina or Rika," he said, his voice trembling with anger.

"Don't I?" Eva's voice was calm, almost mocking. "Reina is a ghost from your past, a shadow of what you thought love should be. You're not in love with her, Yuuto—you're in love with the idea of her. And Rika… she's not a savior. She's just as broken as you are. She pushes people away because she's scared of being hurt. Just like you."

Yuuto felt like the air had been knocked out of him. He wanted to deny her words, to tell her she was wrong, but deep down, he knew there was truth in what she was saying.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Eva's expression softened, just for a moment. "Because you deserve better," she said quietly. "But you'll never find it if you keep lying to yourself."

---

That night, Yuuto lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling as Eva's words replayed in his mind. He hated how much they stung, how much they echoed the doubts and fears he'd been trying to ignore.

Was she right about Reina? About Rika?

He thought about Reina's apology, about the way she'd looked at him with those sad, regretful eyes. He thought about how much he'd wanted to believe her, even though a part of him still doubted her sincerity.

And then he thought about Rika—about her sharp tongue and her quiet moments of vulnerability. She had been there for him when he needed someone most, but she'd also made it clear that she didn't want to get too close. Was he clinging to her because he didn't know how to let go of Reina?

Yuuto groaned, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. He felt like he was being pulled in a thousand different directions, and he didn't know which way to go.

---

The next day, Yuuto found himself dreading lunch. He didn't want to go to the rooftop, not if Eva was going to be there. But when the bell rang, his feet carried him there anyway.

To his relief, it wasn't Eva who was waiting for him—it was Rika.

She was sitting on the ledge, her legs dangling over the side as usual. When she saw him, she raised an eyebrow.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," she said, smirking.

Yuuto managed a weak laugh. "Something like that."

He sat down next to her, the familiar presence of her grounding him in a way he hadn't realized he needed. For a while, they didn't say anything. The silence between them was comfortable, a stark contrast to the suffocating tension he'd felt with Eva.

"Rika," he said finally, breaking the silence. "Can I ask you something?"

She glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "Depends on what it is