Chapter 23: The Last Nightmare

The school was abnormally quiet.

The one-time lively halls, with the sound of laughter and the rush of footsteps, had come to a standstill. Outside the window, the sun's golden rays spread across the horizon, creating long shadows within the classroom.

Everyone was already home.

Everyone, but one.

Haruto Kirigami leaned on his arms, his head against the wooden surface of his desk. The pressure of the day weighed upon him. He hadn't intended to nap, but fatigue could catch up to him in ways he didn't expect. His breath relaxed, his thoughts losing focus.

And then—

The nightmare started.

Dark.

Then a whisper.

"You should never have been born."

The words hissed through the air like a curse, entwining him, drawing him further into the depths.

Haruto's eyes opened wide, but he could not move.

"You're useless."

"A burden."

"Nobody will ever care about you."

He shivered. These words were not new. He had heard them before—endless times, over and over again, until they had become indelibly stamped upon his soul.

Two people stood before him, their faces indistinct, their voices cutting.

His parents.

They towered above him, their shadows extending forever. They were oppressive, their icy stares piercing him like blades. The house behind them was as dark as he recalled—quiet, uninviting, a house where there had never been warmth.

His father's voice was frozen. "We never wanted you."

His mother's voice was venom. "You should have vanished a long time ago."

Haruto balled his fists, but his body would not respond.

Then—another sound.

Laughter.

Soft at first, then increasing louder.

He spun around.

His classmates stood in a circle in front of him. Their faces contorted in amusement.

"What a freak."

"He never says anything."

"So creepy."

Their whispers became echoes, rebounding off invisible walls.

Haruto knew this world.

He had lived in this nightmare for years.

His fingers shook.

He longed to run, to escape, but his feet seemed to sink into the ground, as if the darkness itself was holding him back.

And then—

A new scene materialized.

A memory.

One he had attempted to erase.

The rooftop.

The sky had been too blue that day, the air too hot. It was the type of weather that should have been calming.

But to Haruto, it had been claustrophobic.

He had stood there, palms sweating, heart thudding against his ribs.

And before him—

Hyuka Ayomi.

She had gazed at him, her head cocked slightly, waiting.

Haruto had swallowed hard. This was it. The moment he had practiced in his mind a thousand times.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed the words out.

"Please go out with me!"

For a moment, silence.

Hyuka blinked, her lips parting slightly as if she hadn't anticipated it.

Then—after a long silence—

She sighed.

"Sorry… I don't like you that way."

Haruto's breath caught in his throat.

No.

Before he could respond—before he could even register the rejection—

Hyuka turned.

And ran.

She didn't linger to explain. She didn't attempt to cushion the blow.

She just… left.

The rooftop felt too large. Too hollow.

Haruto remained motionless, his fists clenched at his sides.

Something within him broke.

And then—

He was back in the darkness.

The giggles of his classmates. The biting words of his parents. The receding sound of Hyuka's footsteps.

All of it whirled around him, blending into one cacophonous storm of voices.

"You're a failure."

"Did you really think she'd like you?"

"How pathetic."

Hyuka's back faded into the distance. His parents' faces contorted into something grotesque. His classmates' shadows grew taller, looming over him.

Haruto gripped his head.

The pain—it was excruciating.

"Enough," he whispered.

The voices just increased in volume.

"Enough!"

Darkness suffocated in.

But then—

Something broke through.

One thought cut across the chaos.

This… is not real.

The voices wailed, seeking to drag him back.

But Haruto was unmovable.

He let go of air.

His parents' words? His classmates' torment? Hyuka's dismissal?

They all lay in the past.

And the past no longer hurt.

He watched, slowly lifting his eyes up at them—the phantoms of his remembrances.

For the very first time, he felt nothing. No fright. No resentment. No hate.

Only compassion.

"I see." His tone was steady. "This is the last time, huh?"

The shadows shook.

Cracks appeared in the darkness.

And suddenly—

The nightmare was over.

Haruto's eyes flew open.

His chest heaved and fell rapidly, his heart still unstable. The familiar smell of the classroom filled his nostrils, anchoring him back to reality.

For a moment, he just breathed.

Then—he felt something on his head.

A gentle touch.

Haruto rolled over slightly—and saw Nasaki Kitta standing over him.

She was softly stroking his head, her face unusually kind.

Haruto blinked, still trapped between dreams and awake.

For a second, he couldn't comprehend.

Then—he knew something.

His cheek was wet.

"…Why are you crying?" Nasaki whispered.

Haruto stiffened.

Crying?

He touched his face with trembling fingers.

There it was. One tear.

He hastily wiped it away. "…I'm not."

Nasaki pinned him with a glare. "Liar."

Haruto turned away. He didn't have enough energy to fight.

She breathed out. "A nightmare?"

Haruto paused—then nodded.

Nasaki said nothing at first.

She simply continued patting his head.

Haruto longed to talk to her to stop.

But… he didn't.

They sat there, the night air blowing in through the open window.

For the first time in a very long time, Haruto did not feel suffocated by his past.

".It must've been awful," Nasaki said eventually.

Haruto didn't respond.

She looked at him. "Do you want to talk about it?

Haruto shook his head. "No."

Nasaki nodded. "Okay."

She didn't push.

She didn't force him to speak.

She just… stayed.

And somehow, that was enough.

After a long pause, Haruto finally spoke.

"…It's over now."

Nasaki tilted her head. "The nightmare?"

Haruto nodded. "Yeah. It's the last one."

Nasaki studied him for a moment.

Then—she smiled.

"…That's good."

Haruto glanced at her, then quickly looked away. His face was still slightly red.

"…Stop patting my head already."

Nasaki smirked. "But you're not stopping me."

Haruto glared. "Shut up."

Nasaki merely laughed.

And for the first time. Haruto felt completely free.

End of Chapter 23