Unspoken Truths

Rika swung her legs lazily over the edge of the rooftop as Yuuto hesitated beside her. The afternoon sun painted long shadows across the schoolyard below, and the air carried the faint buzz of distant conversations. Yuuto fiddled with the hem of his uniform sleeve, his thoughts tangled and pressing against his tongue.

"Well?" Rika asked, her sharp voice cutting through the quiet. "Spit it out already. You're not exactly subtle when something's eating you."

Yuuto took a deep breath, gathering the courage to speak. "Do you think… I'm wasting my time?"

Rika raised an eyebrow, leaning back on her hands. "That's vague. Wasting your time on what? School? Girls? Pretending you're not hopelessly awkward?"

"I'm serious, Rika," Yuuto said, his voice heavier now.

Rika sighed and tilted her head, studying him. "Fine. What's this about?"

Yuuto hesitated, Eva's words echoing in his mind. You're chasing after things that hurt you. He wasn't sure how much to say, or if Rika would even understand. But if there was anyone he could talk to, it was her.

"It's about Reina," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "And… maybe about you too."

Rika froze for a fraction of a second before masking it with a smirk. "Me? What could you possibly have to complain about with me?"

Yuuto shook his head. "It's not a complaint. It's just… someone said something to me recently. They said I'm stuck—chasing things that hurt me, holding onto people who can't give me what I need."

Rika's smirk faded, replaced by a wary expression. "Who said that?"

"It doesn't matter," Yuuto replied quickly. "What matters is… I think they might be right."

The rooftop grew quiet, save for the faint rustling of leaves in the wind. Rika turned her gaze to the horizon, her expression unreadable.

"So, you think Reina's still hurting you?" she asked, her voice softer than usual.

Yuuto nodded. "I don't know why I can't let go of her. Even after everything, I keep wondering if I did something wrong—if I wasn't enough."

Rika scoffed, shaking her head. "That's such a guy thing to say. Newsflash, Yuuto: people don't always have reasons for being awful. Sometimes they're just selfish."

"Maybe," Yuuto muttered. "But what about you?"

Rika blinked, caught off guard. "What about me?"

"You've helped me so much, but… you keep everyone at arm's length. I feel like I don't really know you." Yuuto turned to face her fully, his eyes searching hers. "Why is that?"

For a moment, Rika said nothing. She swung her legs idly, her gaze fixed on the ground far below. When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet, almost vulnerable.

"Because getting close to people is dangerous," she said. "People leave, Yuuto. They betray you, they hurt you, or they disappear. If you don't let them in, they can't do any of that."

Yuuto's chest tightened at the pain in her voice. "Not everyone's like that."

Rika let out a dry laugh. "That's easy to say until it happens to you. Trust me, Yuuto, you're better off not depending on anyone too much."

"That's not true," he said firmly. "You depend on me sometimes, don't you? You let me in, even if it's just a little."

Rika turned to him, her expression guarded. "Maybe I do. But that doesn't mean I'm not scared of it."

Yuuto stared at her, the pieces of her puzzle starting to come together in his mind. Rika wasn't as invincible as she pretended to be. She was just as scared and broken as he was, hiding her pain behind sarcasm and bravado.

"I don't want to hurt you, Rika," he said softly. "And I don't want to be someone who chases things that hurt me. But I need to understand why we're both like this—why we keep running away from the things we want most."

Rika looked at him, her eyes glinting with something he couldn't quite identify—fear, maybe, or hope. "You're overthinking this, as usual," she muttered. But her voice lacked its usual bite.

"Maybe I am," Yuuto admitted. "But I can't ignore this anymore."

Rika sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You're such a pain, Yuuto. Fine. If you want to figure this out, go ahead. But don't expect me to hold your hand through it."

"I don't need you to hold my hand," Yuuto said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "I just need you to be honest with me."

Rika smirked, but there was a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes. "Honesty's overrated. But I'll think about it."

---

That night, Yuuto couldn't stop replaying their conversation in his mind. He felt like he'd uncovered a piece of Rika he wasn't supposed to see—a part of her that was raw and unguarded. And it made him realize just how much he cared about her.

But it also left him with more questions than answers. If Rika was scared of getting close, how could he convince her that it was worth the risk? And if he couldn't, where did that leave them?

Eva's words crept back into his mind, taunting him. Reina is a ghost from your past… Rika is just as broken as you are.

He wanted to prove her wrong, to show her that he wasn't stuck. But deep down, he wasn't sure if he believed it himself.

---

The next morning, Yuuto arrived at school earlier than usual. He wasn't sure what he was hoping to accomplish, but he knew he couldn't keep avoiding Eva.

To his surprise, she was waiting for him by the entrance, leaning casually against the wall.

"Good morning, Yuuto," she said, her voice light and teasing. "You look like you didn't sleep."

"I didn't," Yuuto replied bluntly.

Eva raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Oh? Did our little talk keep you up?"

"No," Yuuto said, crossing his arms. "It was Rika."

Eva's smile faltered, just for a moment. "Rika, huh? What did she have to say?"

"She's not what you think she is," Yuuto said firmly. "She's not broken. She's just… guarded."

Eva's smile returned, but it was colder now. "If that's what you need to believe, Yuuto, then go ahead. But don't forget—guarded people still have cracks. And those cracks can let in all sorts of things."

Yuuto's jaw tightened. "Why are you doing this? Why do you care so much about my life?"

Eva stepped closer, her piercing blue eyes locking onto his. "Because I see something in you, Yuuto. Something no one else does. You're different. You're… interesting. And I want to see how far you can go before you break."

Yuuto stared at her, his chest tightening with anger and unease. "I'm not a game, Eva."

"No," Eva said softly. "You're a story. And I'm just turning the pages."

With that, she walked away, leaving Yuuto standing there, his thoughts spinning.

He didn't know what Eva wanted, or why she was so fixated on him. But one thing was clear: she wasn't going to stop.

And neither was he.