Unexpected Tears
Ren Nakamura never thought he'd fear silence.
But tonight—it felt unbearable.
Because the girl who always smiled, always laughed, always filled the world with warmth—
Was crying.
And for the first time, she wasn't letting him see.
Evening – Outside Yuki's House
Ren wasn't supposed to be here.
But his feet had moved on their own, like some invisible pull had brought him here.
Maybe it was the way she looked at him today.Maybe it was the way she touched his sleeve a little longer than usual.Maybe it was the way her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
Whatever it was—it led him here.
And now, standing outside her house, he felt stupid.
He should just leave.
Turn around. Go home. Forget about—
Then he heard it.
A soft, muffled sob.
Ren froze.
His breath caught in his throat.
His body locked up.
That wasn't just anyone.
That was her.
His hands clenched into fists.
Yuki. Crying.
Something about that—something about the fact that she never cried in front of him—
Made his chest ache in a way he didn't understand.
Slowly, carefully—he stepped closer.
And through the small gap in her window, he saw her.
Through the Window – The Girl Who Never Cried
Yuki was sitting on her bed, curled into herself, shoulders trembling.
Her hands gripped her sweater like she was trying to hold herself together.
Her face was buried against her knees.
And she was breaking.
Ren felt something in his chest twist painfully.
He had seen people cry before.
Out of fear. Out of pain. Out of anger.
But this?
This was different.
Because this was Yuki.
The girl who always smiled, who always laughed, who made it her job to be everyone's sunshine.
And now—she looked so damn small.
Ren hated it.
He hated that she had been carrying this alone.
He hated that she never told him when she was hurting.
He hated that he didn't know what to do.
His fingers twitched at his sides.
His brain screamed at him to move, to knock, to do something.
But before he could—
Yuki took a deep breath.
Then—slowly, carefully—
She wiped her tears.
And smiled.
Ren's stomach dropped.
Because that smile—
That wasn't for anyone else.
That was for herself.
Like she was trying to convince herself that everything was okay.
Like she had done this a thousand times before.
Ren's throat felt tight.
This was wrong.
Everything about this was wrong.
Before, he had thought she was strong.
Now—he realized the truth.
She wasn't strong.
She was just used to being alone.
Ren exhaled sharply, stepping back.
His heart was pounding.
His mind was racing.
And for the first time—he felt helpless.
Because Yuki was breaking, and he didn't know how to put her back together.
That Night – Ren's Room
Ren lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Again.
But this time—his chest ached.
Because now, he knew.
Yuki wasn't just sick.She wasn't just hiding it.
She was preparing.
For what?
Ren didn't want to think about it.
Didn't want to say it.
Didn't want to face the reality that every second they spent together was borrowed time.
Ren clenched his jaw.
Tch. Annoying.
Everything about this—about her, about the way she made him feel—
It was too much.
And yet—
He wasn't going to walk away.
Because he refused to let her carry this alone.
No matter what.