Some time had passed, and Kira found herself back at her apartment.
The lock clicked behind her, sealing her in the small box she called home. She kicked off her shoes without care, dropping her bag by the door. The quiet was immediate, thick, pressing, the kind of silence that made her ears strain for something, anything, to break it.
She had sent a few texts to Kentaro after school. Nothing serious, little quips, half-baked jokes, the kind of messages meant to look light and effortless. But behind every word had been a weight she didn't let herself admit. A quiet hope that he'd answer, just once, even with something short, something dumb.
No reply.
Not because he was ignoring her. She knew Kentaro too well for that. He was busy, carrying everyone else's burdens on his shoulders like he always did. That was the kind of guy he was.
Still… The silence stung.
