Chapter 10 – The Weight of Truth

The sharp scent of antiseptic had faded from Renji's skin, but the hospital's ghost still clung to him.

His home was colder than he remembered. Not in temperature, but in presence. The moment he'd stepped through the door, his mother had glanced at him, mouth slightly open like she wanted to say something—but nothing came out. His older sister looked away, as if he were invisible.

It wasn't silence.

It was judgment—quiet, suffocating judgment.

He didn't respond. He climbed the stairs with one hand in his pocket, the other cradling his bandaged fingers. His room was the same. Dim. Isolated. His world had changed, but the walls hadn't moved.

The next morning, school was a storm.

Renji didn't bother with breakfast. He walked to school with his earbuds in, ignoring everything—the barking dogs, the chirping birds, even the students who stared as he passed. His presence still stirred whispers, but something had changed.

Since Hina's confession in the auditorium, there was confusion in their stares.

Some looked guilty.

Some curious.

But no one dared speak to him.

Yuuto had returned to school that day too, his smile unnerving. The air around him was wrong—too calm, too normal. As if he hadn't spent the last year destroying someone's life from behind a screen.

Rumors spun like wild threads in the hallways:

"Did she really lie about the whole thing?"

"I heard she confessed because she's in love with him."

"Yuuto and Hina were never even that close."

Most students didn't know who to believe.

But they had heard something.

And that was enough to rattle the fake peace.

Hina tried once more.

She waited outside Renji's house, just after school. Touka, walking a few steps behind Renji, saw her first.

Touka's tone turned icy. "Kare wa mō anata wo motomenai."(He doesn't need you anymore.)

Hina flinched.

Renji heard it. Every word. But he kept walking. His expression unreadable.

Touka followed him all the way home, despite Renji sighing and saying, "You don't have to babysit me."

"I'm not letting my taisetsu na hito walk alone," she replied with a slight smirk.(My precious person.)

He didn't argue.

Later that evening, Renji sat on the rooftop of his building, the wind tugging gently at his hair. He stared at the stars—not because he found peace there, but because they didn't look back at him.

The door creaked.

Touka stepped out quietly with two canned coffees. "Still brooding, I see," she teased, sitting beside him.

Renji took the drink but said nothing.

"Some students apologized today," she said after a pause. "Anonymously. Probably because Hina made them feel guilty."

"They believe her," Renji murmured, "not me."

Touka turned, watching him. "I believe you because I looked in your eyes. Not because of a confession."

He glanced at her, a flicker of emotion breaking through his tired gaze.

Back at school, chaos quietly bloomed.

Yuuto didn't stay quiet for long.

A new anonymous post spread like wildfire. It said:

"Hina only confessed because she's in love with Renji and got caught. Don't fall for the act."

It came from the same fake account that had been poisoning Renji's life since middle school.

Yuuto stared at his screen, watching the reactions.

Smiling faintly, he thought:"Let's see who they believe this time."

Hina made one last attempt.

She showed up at Renji's door again. This time, his older sister opened it.

Her face turned pale when she saw Hina. "You… what now? Are you here to ruin him again?"

"I want to talk to him."

"He's not here."

But Renji was home. Upstairs. Listening.

His sister looked at Hina again, sighed, then let her in.

Hina sat on the couch, hands trembling. "I'm not asking him to forgive me. I just… I wanted to try. I want to fix it, even if I don't know how."

After a few minutes, she asked, "Can I see him?"

His sister hesitated. "He hasn't spoken much since he got back. But… maybe."

She went up.

Renji didn't answer the knock.

Downstairs, Hina waited. Minutes passed. Then the front door opened—and Renji walked straight out without a glance.

Hina stood, stunned. "Renji—wait!"

He didn't.

Later that night, Touka stood alone outside Renji's building.

He opened the door and blinked when he saw her.

"You're still here?"

"I waited."

He frowned. "Touka…"

"I don't want you to disappear again."

"I'm not going anywhere."

She stepped close, placing her hand gently on his.

Then, softly: "Can I be your girlfriend?"

Renji stared at her, eyes wide.

"What?"

"You heard me," she whispered. "I want you to be mine. And I want to be yours. Not out of pity. Not out of guilt. But because when I look at you, I don't see a victim. I see someone I want to protect."

He didn't answer for a long time.

Then he looked down, the faintest smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You're insane."

"Maybe," she whispered, leaning in. "But I'm your insane."

To be continued…