Chapter 13: A Flicker of Light

Sora sat by the window of his room, his gaze lost in the slow dance of raindrops against the glass. The sky outside was a dull gray, matching the heaviness in his chest. The quiet pitter-patter of rain was both calming and sad, a soft reminder of the things he often kept hidden.

The past week had been different. Spending time with Nanako and Akio had made him feel... lighter. Like maybe, just maybe, he could find a place where he belonged. But with every good day came a shadow of doubt. What if it didn't last? What if he lost this too?

A soft chime pulled him from his thoughts. His phone screen lit up with a message.

Nanako: "Hey! Akio and I were thinking of stopping by. You okay with that?"

Sora's fingers hovered over the keyboard. His first instinct was to say no, to hide away until the clouds passed. But then he thought of their smiles, of how Akio's laughter could fill a room and how Nanako's gentle presence made everything seem a little less sharp.

Sora: "Yeah. Sure."

Minutes later, a soft knock echoed through his small apartment. He opened the door to find Nanako holding a bag of snacks and Akio with an old board game tucked under her arm.

"Surprise!" Akio grinned, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. "We brought fun."

Nanako gave him a small smile. "I hope it's okay."

Sora nodded, stepping aside to let them in. His room was tidy but bare—books stacked neatly, a bed pushed against the wall, and his desk covered in old notebooks and sketchpads.

Akio plopped down on the floor, spreading the board game between them. "We're playing this whether you like it or not."

"What is it?" Sora asked, sitting across from her.

"It's an old game I found at home. My brother and I used to play it all the time." Akio's voice softened. "It's silly, but it makes me happy."

They started playing, the room slowly filling with warmth and chatter. Akio made jokes, exaggerating every little win, while Nanako quietly supported Sora, guiding him through the rules.

At first, Sora was stiff, unsure of how to act. But as the minutes passed, he found himself smiling, even laughing when Akio's character landed on a trap.

"Ah! Not again!" Akio wailed, throwing her hands up.

Nanako giggled. "You walked right into it."

Sora covered his mouth, but the chuckle slipped out anyway.

They played until the sun began to set, the rain outside slowing to a gentle drizzle. When the game finally ended (with Nanako winning by a landslide), Akio stretched out on the floor, her arms above her head.

"I could sleep right here," she mumbled.

Nanako shook her head, amused. "You're always sleepy."

Sora glanced at the clock. "It's getting late."

Akio sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, we should head back. But hey, we need to do this again."

Nanako gathered the game pieces, her movements calm and unhurried. "Only if Sora wants to."

All eyes turned to him. For a moment, the old fear rose up—the worry that if he said yes, he'd be asking for too much. But he pushed it down, holding onto the warmth he felt.

"I'd like that," he said softly.

Akio beamed. "Great! It's a promise then."

They stood, and Sora walked them to the door. As they left, Nanako paused, looking back at him.

"If you need anything... just call, okay?"

He nodded. "I will."

When the door closed behind them, the room felt quiet again. But it wasn't the heavy, empty kind of quiet. It was soft, gentle—filled with the echoes of their laughter and the promise of more days like this.

Sora sat back down by the window. The rain had stopped, and the clouds were beginning to part, letting through small streaks of light.

For the first time in a long while, he let himself hope.