Into The Rain With You

That afternoon, I found myself walking aimlessly through the school halls again, my thoughts clouded, distant. It wasn't like I had a destination in mind. I just needed to move, to keep going.

As I passed the windows, I saw the sun dipping lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the floor. The quiet seemed even louder today, like everyone was retreating into their own worlds, each person with their own unspoken struggles.

And then, as I rounded the corner, I saw her.

Haruka. She was standing near the door to the courtyard, looking out at the trees as the wind rustled through the leaves. The light was soft against her face, and for a moment, I just watched her—watching the way the sunlight seemed to make her glow, like she was something apart from everything else.

I had been avoiding her. Maybe I was scared of what I might feel if I let myself get too close. Maybe I was scared of what she might think of me if she really saw me for who I was.

But I couldn't avoid her forever.

"Kai?" Her voice was soft, and when I turned to face her, she was already looking at me, her gaze steady. "You okay?"

I nodded, trying to hide the tension in my shoulders. "Yeah, I'm fine."

She didn't buy it. I could tell by the way she tilted her head, the faint frown that tugged at her lips.

"You don't have to lie," she said, taking a step closer. "You know that, right?"

For a second, I couldn't speak. The words were there, floating in my throat, but I didn't know how to say them. The truth was, I wasn't fine. But saying it aloud felt too raw, too exposed.

Instead, I just shook my head. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Haruka's expression softened. "You don't have to know. Not right now. But it's okay to not have all the answers."

Her voice was gentle, but it hit me harder than I expected. It was like she was telling me it was okay to be lost, okay to not have everything figured out. I wasn't the only one who felt this way. And that realization was… comforting.

I looked down at the ground, suddenly aware of how much I had been holding in. "I just… I don't want to be a burden. To anyone."

Haruka's eyes softened, and she stepped closer, her presence calm, unwavering. "You're not a burden, Kai. Not to me."

I didn't look up, but I could feel her gaze on me. It was the kind of gaze that made me feel like she was seeing straight through me—like she understood more than I wanted to let on.

"I don't know how to change," I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. "I've been trying, but it's like I'm stuck. Like I'm not going anywhere."

"Change doesn't happen in a day," she said, her voice steady. "But you don't have to do it alone, Kai. It's okay to need help."

I couldn't look at her. I didn't think I could handle seeing her face when she said something like that. But I felt the truth of it, deep in my chest.

I was so used to carrying everything on my own, so used to pretending I didn't need anyone. But that was a lie.

I was tired. So tired.

I swallowed hard. "I don't know how to let go of the past. I don't know how to stop carrying all this… all this weight."

She didn't answer right away. She just reached out, her hand brushing against my arm in a quiet, gentle gesture.

"You don't have to let go all at once. Just take it one step at a time."

I closed my eyes, letting out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

And for the first time in a long while, I felt like I wasn't completely alone.