That night felt endless.
Aiyumi sat by her window, the city lights fading behind a thin layer of rain.
Her phone screen glowed — the last message she sent still "seen", no reply.
The silence between them was heavier than any argument could've been.
She scrolled up through their old chats —
late-night talks, random jokes, deep confessions.
Every word carried a warmth that now felt like a ghost.
Her eyes filled up, not because of anger… but because of helplessness.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, Ren…"
She whispered, her voice breaking in the quiet room.
She replayed that moment —
the fight, the misunderstanding, the way his eyes turned cold.
He wasn't the same Ren who once laughed at her silly sketches,
or scolded her for skipping lunch.
He looked right at her and said,
"We're just friends, not best friends."
That single sentence echoed again and again inside her mind —
each time sharper, heavier, crueler.
She wanted to scream, to explain, to hug him and say,
"I never stopped caring. I just made mistakes."
But deep down, she knew —
words couldn't fix everything.
Not when his heart had already closed its doors.
So she made a quiet decision —
She would stop trying.
Not because she didn't care anymore,
but because she cared too much to keep hurting him.
She'd still pray for him silently before sleeping.
Still check his updates from afar.
Still smile when she saw him laugh with others,
even if it hurt her a little every time.
She realized —
sometimes friendship isn't about staying close,
but about stepping back…
and loving them in silence.