(Kiyomi's POV)
Tuesday afternoons used to be ordinary — just another stretch between school and sunset.
But that day, everything ordinary about it started to fade.
Classes had ended, and class 2A was quieter than usual. A few students lingered, chatting softly or packing up. But there was something sharp in the air — invisible, tense, waiting.
I was sitting with Minato near the window. His laughter was softer now, his color returning little by little, and I couldn't help smiling every time his eyes caught mine. We weren't hiding anymore. Not really.
He was talking about something — I can't even remember what — because my mind kept wandering to how close he was, how the light hit the side of his face, how peaceful he looked compared to everyone else.
Then I heard it — voices, not far away.
"Hinata, can I talk to you for a second?"
Akio.
His tone wasn't harsh, but it carried that edge — the kind that made the whole class instinctively quiet down.
Hinata hesitated before standing.
Hinata: Sure (She said softly, following him to the back of the classroom).
Minato and I exchanged a look. Neither of us said anything, but I could feel it — that something was finally about to crack open.
At the back of the classroom, Akio stood with his hands in his pockets, staring at the floor for a moment before looking up.
Akio: You and Asahi… (He started quietly) are you two… close now?
Hinata blinked.
Hinata: We're just friends.
Akio: Just friends? (He repeated, a bitter laugh slipping out). Right. Because 'just friends' look at each other like that now?
Her jaw tightened.
Hinata: Akio, that's not fair.
Akio: I'm not trying to be fair, Hinata. I'm just trying to understand what changed. When did I stop being someone you could even talk to?
The silence that followed was too thick to breathe through. Hinata's lips parted, but the words refused to come.
Asahi, who had been pretending to fix his bag nearby, froze. His eyes flicked toward them, unsure whether to step in or disappear.
Hinata: Akio… (She said finally, her voice low).
Akio: You built the wall, not me.
He looked away — because she was right.
For a second, he almost said something else. But instead, he shook his head, grabbed his bag, and left. The door slammed hard behind him.
Hinata stood still, staring at where he'd gone, her hand trembling just slightly.
Asahi took a hesitant step forward.
Asahi: Hinata, are you–
Hinata: I'm fine (She interrupted, though her voice cracked). Just… let's go home.
He nodded quietly.
Meanwhile, Minato and I left a few minutes later. The sky was turning cloudy again — that strange, soft gray that always seemed to follow big emotions.
We didn't talk about what happened in class. We didn't need to.
He walked beside me, close enough that our shoulders touched. At some point, he reached for my hand again — this time without hesitation.
Minato: Do you ever think, how weird it is that the world keeps moving even when people are breaking inside? (He murmured).
I looked up at him.
Kiyomi: Yeah (I said softly). But maybe that's why we hold hands. So at least someone doesn't fall apart alone.
He smiled faintly — that warm, quiet smile that could melt through any storm.
And just like that, the world didn't feel so heavy anymore.
We didn't talk much after that.
But we didn't have to.
Every silence between us was starting to feel like a conversation of its own.
I used to think love was loud — full of words, confessions, fireworks.
But now I'm starting to realize it can also be quiet.
Quiet like a hand reaching for yours when you least expect it.
Quiet like the sound of two hearts trying to beat in rhythm before the storm comes again.