The Reflection of Regret

One crisp afternoon, as the cherry blossoms began to bloom, Haru stayed late after class to help clean up. A shy voice called out behind him.

"Um, Haru?"

He turned to see Yumi, a classmate he'd only spoken to a few times, standing nervously with her hands behind her back.

"I… I've been watching you," she said, her cheeks flushed. "You're kind and talented, and… I like you."

Haru froze. The words echoed in his mind, pulling him into a sudden flashback.

The weight of the memory crashed over him. His breathing quickened, and he felt the walls closing in.

"I… I can't," he mumbled, stepping back. "I'm sorry."

Before Yumi could respond, Haru turned and ran, leaving her standing in stunned silence.

Later that night, Haru locked himself in his room, clutching the shimmering feather.

"What is this feeling?" he muttered. "Why does this keep happening?"

The dream came again, more vivid than ever. This time, he stood in a field of flowers, the blurred girl

calling out to him. He reached for her, but she vanished just as he touched her hand.

The next morning, Haru approached Yumi as she stood by the school gate, nervously adjusting her bag strap.

"Yumi," he said softly, causing her to turn with a mix of hope and hesitation.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted yesterday," he began. "It wasn't fair to you, and you didn't deserve that."

She looked at him, her eyes searching for something. "It's okay… I just—"

Haru held up a hand to gently interrupt. "You're kind, thoughtful, and brave for saying what you did. But... I'm not ready. There are things I need to figure out about myself first, and it wouldn't be fair to you if I couldn't give my whole heart."

Yumi's shoulders relaxed, and she smiled faintly. "Thank you for being honest. I hope... you figure things out."

Haru felt a strange mixture of relief and sadness as they parted ways. For the first time, he realized that his unresolved feelings and memories were holding him back, and he couldn't move forward until he faced them.