Into The Rain With You

The week had passed in a blur. School had continued on its usual track—tests, assignments, the chatter of my friends filling the halls—but I was still struggling to shake the heaviness in my chest. Haruka's words had been stuck in my mind: "It's okay to need help." But every time I tried to open up, there was that suffocating feeling, like I was about to drown in everything I was holding back.

It wasn't just Haruka. It was all of them. Kaito, Yuto, Miyu… they were all close to me, in their own ways. They cared about me. And I cared about them, too. But the thing about caring is that it exposes you. It leaves you vulnerable. And I was terrified of being vulnerable.

I had kept my distance from people for so long because it was easier that way. It was easier not to care too much, not to let anyone get too close. I could keep everyone at arm's length and avoid all the messiness that came with being open.

But as much as I tried to keep my distance, I couldn't shake the fact that I was lying to myself.