Into The Rain With You

The message was short, simple, but it stopped my heart for a second.

Haruka: "I hope you're doing okay. I know you don't always say much, but if you ever need to talk, I'm here."

I stared at the message for a long time, letting the words sink in. For someone who barely knew me, she was offering something I hadn't been able to ask for—space to just be myself. No pretenses, no expectations. Just… me.

I didn't know how to respond. I wasn't even sure if I was ready to talk about any of this. But I couldn't help it—I found my fingers typing out a response before I even had time to think about it.

Kai: "Thanks. I don't really know what I'm doing, but I think I might need to talk."

I hit send before I could second-guess myself.

Seconds felt like hours. But then, her response came.

Haruka: "We can talk whenever. No pressure."

It was the kind of message that felt like a lifeline. And yet, something inside me was hesitant. What was I supposed to say? What could I even say?

But deep down, I knew one thing for sure: I couldn't keep pretending anymore. I couldn't keep wearing this mask, this version of myself that didn't feel like me. Not anymore.