Hey, Hey don't ignore me...

That night, back in the clubroom, Akari laughed with her friends, her voice ringing clear. They would usually talk about the latest gossip, which Kei usually minded considering the turmoil he feels whenever Akari would subtlely distance herself from him.

But Kei didn't had a thought about it today, as he just couldn't shake the unease that had settled in his chest.

but the moments when she stared off, distant and cold, didn't go unnoticed by him. And yet, he couldn't bring himself to ask. He didn't want to spoil the atmosphere, he didn't want Akari to think he doesn't trust her especially since she is his best friend.

They stayed late at the clubroom, just the two of them sewing together, the rest of their friends having long since left.

Later then Kei was leaning back in his chair, pretending to read through his homework when Akari shifted beside him, close enough that he could feel the heat radiating from her, which embarassed Kei at their close proximity.

"What's up, Kei?" Her voice was soft, teasing, but there was a vulnerability there that made his heart skip. "You seem... off tonight, your ignoring me, your dear friend..." she 

Kei swallowed, his mind racing, unsure if he should confront what he was feeling. "I'm...sorry Im just I-I...don't know. Just tired, I guess."

"Really?" she teased. "I think you're hiding something." She leaned in, her lips just inches from his ear. "I know you, Kei. You're not good at hiding things." she let's out a smug grin, intentionally leaning more closer.

For a moment, Kei could feel the heat between them—something tangible, charged in the air, his heart pounding louder than the words on the page in front of him. Akari's presence was overwhelming, and the playful tone of her voice now seemed to hold something more—something unspoken.

"Akari..." he started, his voice shaky. He wasn't sure why he felt this pull, this deep sense of need. "Do you ever... feel like you're not really here? Like something's wrong, but you can't quite put your finger on it?"

She stopped, her fingers brushing against his arm before she pulled back slightly, giving him a soft, almost wistful smile. "Yeah," she said softly, her tone serious? for the first time that evening. "Sometimes I feel like I'm not the one who's really here, either. But don't ignore me ever again or little bunny is gonna eat your face!" Akari suddenly suprises him with a stuffed bunny.

"Hey!?" Kei chuckles at Akari's playful teasing till the stuffed rabbit's glassy eyes seemed to flicker to life, boring into Kei's eyes with an intensity that made his blood run cold. They were no longer the vacant, empty sockets of a toy, but the eyes of something... alive. Something grotesquely, terrifyingly aware.

His laughter died in his throat as the realization dawned on him. The rabbit's head tilted slightly to the side, its movements jerky and unnatural, as if it were a puppet being controlled by unseen strings. Its mouth, a crude stitching of faded pink fabric, seemed to twist into a grotesque semblance of a smile.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Kei stumbles backward, startled by fear.

"Hey you ok?" Akari asked worriedly, and pulls him up.

"I-I saw it the rabbit looked like it came out from a horror movie!!!" Kei shudders in fear, breathing heavily, as his vision of the stuffed rabbit went back to normal. 

"Hey it's alright Kei, Nothing will hurt you" Akari gently pats his head.

The vision still remained in Kei's head, as Kei felt his heart tighten. He wanted to forget it, he just wants to leave, but before he could, she leaned back in her chair, the playfulness returning in an instant. "Come on, Kei. Let's get some fresh air. You look like you're about to fall again."

As they stood and walked outside the the school ground, they encountered a stray cat walking around the schoolgrounds seemingly waiting for it's owner? It appears with a unkempt dusty apperance with it's fur very much a mess.

"It's Crinkles!" Akari excitedly shouts, walking up to the stray cat, and petting it.

"Is that your cat?" Kei unenthusiasticly question's her with a obviously uninterested gaze seemingly repulsed by the stray cat's odor and eyeing it.

"Nope I just like naming stray pets randomly, besides don't you think it's rude to openly express your disgust?" Akari huffs very much disappointed with Kei's gaze at the cat.

"Y-You know i hate smelly things Akari, it's a natural trait and i am not being hateful!" Kei desperately defended himself.

"Yeah, Yeah i know that i was just teasing you lil bro~" Akari plafully responds, and squishes his face like someone with cuteness aggression.

"Ow!? Stop! That hurts" Kei expresses his distaste at her cuteness aggression.

Akari chuckles and goes to the vending machine, to buy a milk carton?

"What's that for?" Kei questioned, confuse with her need to buy a milk carton.

"Obviously im gonna give it to the cat duh" Akari rolls her eyes, as she opened the milk carton and gently place it besides the stray cat.

"Oh" Kei's only respond, as he just awkwardly stayed quiet, probably thinking if he wants to compliment her at her heroic act or not.

Shortly after that, Kei waits for Akari to finish feeding the stray cat.

"Thanks for waiting, and well bye see you tomorrow" Akari beamed a soft smile and waves at him, as she is about to walk away. Kei felt a chill settle suddenly in his chest, as if something was waiting, something he couldn't see. And in that moment, he felt a strange compulsion to grab her hand, to hold onto something familiar before it all slipped away. He wanted to hold her hand, he wanted to walk her home...but Kei restrain himself as his had mixed feelings about holding her hand and walking her home or he could just get home peacefully, without cringing right!?

But no because this time, things would be different. He wouldn't be a wimp, not anymore, Kei thought to himself.

As he was about to reach out , she was already gone.

"Oh my god you stupid wimp! I was so close why did i have to overthink it, stupid!" Kei disappointedly facepalmed as he exasperatedly sighs. 

"Oh well...i guess i have to walk alone now" He disapointedly walks his way to his house.

Later that night Kei went to bed, having a inner turmoil or second thoughts about what he is even doing with his life, very much thinking about how cringe and how much of a failure he is, but eventually he ended up sleeping feeling very fatigue from sewing and well the vision he had a while ago.