I sat there, hunched over on the cold stairs that led to the second floor.

  My heart was still racing, I feeling h h strangely empty without Aika.

  She was alive. But, for how long?

  I ran my hands through my hair. My pulse pounded in my ears—a frantic, uneven rhythm.

  “How - why did this have to happen to you?” My voice barely above a whisper, cracking under the weight of the words.

  “Would you rather it had happened to me?”

  The voice was light, teasing. But underneath the pyfulness was uncertainty, something that wanted reassurance.

  I stiffened.

  Short, choppy red hair.

  Pale skin.

  Sharp yet soft blue eyes that always seemed to hold both jokes and dark secrets.

  Haru.

  The usual brightness in their eyes dimmed when I didn’t answer.

  They sighed, clutching a pendant around their neck.

  “I - I’m sorry…”

  I clenched my fists, nails pressing into my palms. Those horrible words they had thrown at me earlier, in the heat of panic, still rang in my head.

  “It’s…not okay.” I muttered. “But as long as you never say that again, then we’re okay.”

  Haru gave a small nod, thoughtful silence wrapped around them as if memorizing my words.

  Then after a pause, Haru tilted their head.

  “I just want to know one thing. Why?”

  I frowned.

  “What do you mean ‘why’?”

  “Why do you care so much about Aika?“ They met my gaze, unflinching. “It always seemed like you hated her.”

  The air felt heavier around us, making breathing hard. I opened my mouth—but no words came.

  What was I supposed to say?

  Haru watched me, waiting with that steady, searching expression.

  …It wasn’t a bad look.

  I exhaled slowly. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  “I want to try.”

  Their voice was softer now, hesitant even. But their eyes—sparkling with curiosity—didn’t waver.

  This wasn’t the Haru I knew.

  I shouldn’t have looked at them.

  But, at that moment, I did.

  The sunlight streamed in through the window, wrapping around them like a golden halo. It blurred the sharp edges and softened the shadows.

  Suddenly, a memory rushed to me.

  The boys had forced Haru to wear a dress as a joke. But, Haru had shown up looking…

  They weren’t handsome or beautiful. They were something more than that. They were…Haru.

  Maybe Haru never fit into just one thing, one definition. No one could tell whether they were girl or boy. Something restless stirred in me—I pushed it down.

  I swallowed hard. “If you want to know…meet me after school.”

  Haru blinked, surprised. Then—just barely—a small, grateful smile.

  Something about it sent warmth shooting up my spine, steadying my pulse for the first time all day.

  …

  A shift in sight, a world anew,

  Beauty seen, yet felt it too.

  Not confined to lines so tight,

  Just like her—both dark and light.

  …

  The day dragged on—a shadow of its usual joy. Our cssroom felt colder, darker without Aika’s light.

  The air hung heavy with unspoken dread.

  Every time my eyes drifted to her empty chair, something in my chest tightened, like a fist gripping too tightly.

  My gaze flickered from cssmate to cssmate, worry twisting all their features. Every furrowed brow, every restless shift of a chair, it was all for Aika.

  I frowned.

  Aika had always been the center of their world. Even when she was gone, she left a hollow presence no one dared to fill.

  Noticed, remembered, loved by everyone.

  A wish come true…

  Then, I saw them.

  Haru, sitting in their dark corner, an aura of unease surrounding them.

  The small frown on their face sparked something sharp in me—irritation, maybe, or something more restless, something I didn’t want to name.

  Their eyes met my gaze. I didn’t mean to, but I found myself memorizing the shape of their eyes, their jewel-like colors, the way they caught the light just right.

  I turned away, scowling.

  A strange feeling loosened the fist on my heart.

  What was that?

  Just then, the school bell rang, sharp and final.

  School was over.

  And it was time.

  Time to face Haru. Time to answer their questions.

  Giving away the answers was giving away a part of me.

  I dreaded it.

  But…

  It also didn’t sound too bad…

  …

  An empty day, the light fades low,

  Yet in your eyes, a spark does glow.

  A silent pull that words can’t say,

  In that brief gnce, you brighten my day.

  …

  I stood at the school entrance, the warm afternoon air dancing zily. The setting sun stretched long shadows on the pavement, casting a dreamy glow over the school gates.

  My patience was wearing thin.

  What was taking Haru so long?

  I had left the cssroom first, stepping away to tell my service that I didn’t need a ride home. By the time I finished, I had expected for Haru to have already caught up. But, they were still nowhere to be found.

  Then, I heard it.

  A boy’s voice, familiar and teasing, rang through the afternoon air.

  Yugi.

  “Come on, Haru!”

  I stiffened. My eyes flickered to where they were walking. Yugi stood too close, usual smirk in pce and ears burning red. He draped his arm on Haru’s shoulder.

  They flinched.

  Something in me snapped.

  Before I even realized it, my body moved on its own.

  I strode to them, fists clenched. The sharp pulse of irritation fring in my chest.

  Yugi noticed me first. He grinned, unbothered by the situation.

  “Hey, Rei! What’s up?” He asked happily.

  I ignored him. Without thinking, I reached for Haru’s hand—firmly but softly—and pulled them away. Their skin tingled against mine, soft and smooth.

  We ran, my heartbeat louder than our feet hitting the ground.

  The wind rushed past us, tousling Haru’s hair. Our feet hit the pavement in perfect sync.

  “R - Rei? What are you doing?” Haru’s breathless voice broke the silence.

  “You were taking too long.” I said simply, though my heart raced for reasons I didn’t want to name.

  I could feel their searching gaze on me as we ran. As if trying to tear down my walls and figure out why I had stepped in.

  It worked.

  “Thank you…” They whispered, so soft, so fragile.

  My breath hitched.

  I turned away. “I didn’t do it for you.”

  The words sounded like a lie, a defensive lie. I scowled, it wouldn’t fool Haru.

  After a short while, we slowed to a quiet walk. The sun dipping lower, stained the sky with streaks of pink and gold. It reminded me of…of them—of her.

  I fshed back to a memory, a memory of Haru. I was on cleaning duty that day. And through the cssroom window, I saw them. Haru sat in the field, brimming with dandelions, and the sun had hit them just right. In that moment, I had thought, she’s made for the light.

  She…

  I forced myself out of the thought.

  “Where are we going?” They asked.

  “My house.” I said. “Is that fine with you?”

  They nodded.

  We stopped in front of a small, modern house.

  “We’re here.” I muttered.

  Suddenly, I felt a warmth leave my hand.

  I didn’t even realize—I had held their hand the whole way here.

  A quick intake of breath made me gnce at them. Haru was staring at their fingers, curling softly. They were small and soft. I realized, Haru had the kind of hands that were meant to be held.

  I shut the thoughts off and turned away.

  Opening the front door, I cleared my throat and said, “Come in.”

  …

  You were made for the light, so warm, so bright,

  Beautiful in ways that escape my sight.

  Soft as a whisper, fragile yet strong,

  A hand meant to be held, where mine belongs.

  …

  “Sit down anywhere.” I muttered, pushing the door of my room closed with a quiet click.

  Haru plopped down on my bed, bouncing on the soft futon. They let out a sweet, pyful giggle, the sound a melody in my quiet room. Too light, too bright for the heaviness in my chest.

  I felt the ghost of a smile tug at my lips and I looked away, swallowing it down.

  “So,” Haru murmured, their pyful tone shifting into something serious, something searching. “Will you tell me now?”

  I hesitated before giving a reluctant nod.

  Taking a shaky seat beside Haru, I let out a sharp breath. My hands beaded with sweat, heart thumping loudly.

  “I - We - It all began a long time ago.” I began, voice unsure and unsteady. “Me and Aika…we were childhood friends. She was…beautiful, even back then.”

  Haru tugged absentmindedly at their hair, fingers curling around the choppy strands. Their gaze thoughtful…and insecure?

  “We spent every moment together.” I continued, swallowing down my thoughts. “And, soon, I - I guess I…”

  “Fell in love?” Haru’s voice was soft, gentle but it cut straight through me.

  I nodded stiffly.

  “I thought I’d be with her forever…” I whispered, barely breathing. “Until the day I…left.”

  I ran my hands through my hair, hiding the way they shook. My eyes were wet with unshed tears.

  This was the first time I had ever said this to anyone.

  It felt like a wound—raw, exposed.

  Then, in Haru’s eyes, I saw something warm, something that steadied me. It was strange. Strange…but not bad.

  I sighed shakily. “And, when I came back…I learned that I had no pce in Aika’s future anymore. She doesn’t even remember me…”

  A bitter taste filled my mouth. The silence that followed gnawed at me, regret clouding my every thought.

  Then, tingles of warmth—sudden and electric—spread across my arm like a lit campfire.

  Haru’s fingers, delicate and hesitant, y on my open palm.

  I stilled and desperately slowed the beating of my heart. I found my gaze tracing the gentle curves—every ridge, every line—of their fingers.

  “You’re hiding something…” Haru’s voice lilted like the wind whispering secrets—soft yet impossible to ignore.

  I froze. My breath hitched, body tensing.

  I turned away, brushing away their hand.

  “I already told you the story.”

  “Did you?” Haru’s voice was barely there now, featherlight yet powerful enough to slip beneath my skin. “Rei, do you know why Aika is like this?”

  I drew in a slow, fragile breath.

  I don’t need to tell them. There’s no reason—

  “I do.”

  Haru’s eyes widened, but only for only a moment. Then that soft, searching gaze returned—always reaching deeper than I wanted it to.

  They studied my face, like they were reading a book they couldn’t quite understand.

  “Tell me,” They whispered, gaze never wavering. “Please…the story—the real story. Let me understand you.”

  …

  Pyful, teasing, light and free,

  Eyes that shine and truly see.

  Listen close, just stay with me,

  I’ll tell my tale—only for thee.