Into The Rain With You

The bell rang, and we both packed up our things. As I was about to leave the classroom, Kaito stopped me with a question that made my heart skip.

"Hey, Tanaka," he called out, catching up to me as we walked down the hall. "You ever think about what you really want? Not what people expect of you, not what's easiest, but what you actually want?"

I didn't know how to answer. The question hung in the air, heavy and full of something I didn't have the words for. I wanted to tell him that I didn't know. That I'd never thought about it before. But I just gave a small shrug and forced a smile.

"Maybe someday," I said, my voice unconvincing even to me.

Kaito didn't press it. Instead, he gave me a thoughtful look before nodding. "Yeah. Someday," he echoed softly.

I turned to leave, but for the first time in a while, I didn't feel completely alone.