The Weight of a Name

The week passed by quickly.

Reiji and Sena had returned to their usual interactions, but something between them had shifted. It wasn't anything dramatic—no lingering stares, no awkward conversations—but Reiji couldn't shake the memory of that moment.

The way her hands had felt on his skin.

The way his heart had reacted without his permission.

He shoved the thought aside as he made his way to school.

It was a quiet morning. The early spring air was crisp, and the cherry blossoms were beginning to bloom along the streets. His younger brother, Haru, had been running around the house that morning, excitedly talking about some cartoon he had just started watching. Misaki, their older sister, had simply laughed and ruffled Haru's hair before heading off for her university classes.