April got up. Just looked at Keifer and Yuri, "to the rooftop. Have something to tell."
And just walked off.
The rooftop was quieter than April expected.
Not silent.. never silent. There was the hum of traffic far below. But it was quiet in the way that mattered. No classmates. No music. No pretending.
April stood near the railing, arms folded, staring at nothing in particular.
Yuri and Keifer stood a few steps behind her.
Neither pushed. Neither asked yet.
That alone almost broke her.
"My mom came home," April said suddenly.
Both of them stilled.
"She didn't text. Didn't call. Just… showed up." April laughed once, short and hollow. "You know how she does. Like a surprise exam you didn't study for."
Yuri's jaw tightened. Keifer's hands slid into his pockets.
"She talked about my sister," April continued. Her voice was calm. Too calm. "Again."
She turned around then, leaning back against the railing, finally looking at them.
"She talked about how perfect she is. How she never talked back. How she always knew what she wanted. How she never made things 'complicated.'" April swallowed. "She asked why I couldn't be more like her."
The wind's intensity sped up. April didn't notice.
"She didn't yell," April said. "That's the worst part. She smiled. Like she was proud. Like she was disappointed at the same time."
Yuri stepped forward without thinking. Keifer noticed and didn't stop him.
"I've been hearing that comparison since forever," April said softly. "Every achievement is still second place. Every mistake is proof. And sometimes…" She looked away. "Sometimes I just shut down. I get cold. I disappear. It's easier than explaining why it hurts."
Yuri was close now. Not touching. Just there.
"I know I do that," April added. "And I'm sorry if it looked like I was pushing you away."
"You weren't," Yuri said quietly. His voice was steady, sure. "You were surviving."
That did it.
April's shoulders sagged.
"You don't owe anyone perfection," Keifer said, sighing. "Not Section E. Not him. Not us."
April nodded. "I know. I just… needed you to know why."
"I love you for who you are. For your imperfections, not for the face you show others. We promised, remember?" Yuri whispered, voice barely audible.
Someone shouted "night duty!" below.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then Yuri opened his arms. Slowly, clearly giving her the choice.
April stepped into them.
He hugged her from behind. Not caging. Anchoring.
"You don't have to be anything else," he murmured. "I've known you too long for that."
April closed her eyes.
Keifer looked away, giving them space, but the small smile on his face said enough.
Downstairs, night duty lights flickered on.
April pulled back just enough to breathe. "We should go."
Yuri nodded, brushing his thumb briefly against her sleeve. "Together."
And for the first time that night, April believed it.
Keifer walked a few steps behind them as they headed down from the rooftop, hands still in his pockets, eyes fixed on the floor like he was counting tiles.
Yuri went ahead to check on Section E, leaving just enough distance for the silence to settle.
April slowed down.
Keifer noticed instantly. He always did.
"You okay?" he asked, not looking at her yet.
April hummed, noncommittal. "I think so."
They stopped near the stairwell, where the light flickered a little too much and the noise from downstairs blurred into something distant.
Keifer finally turned to her. "You know," he said carefully, "when you go quiet like that… it scares people who care about you."
April winced. "Yeah. I figured."
"But," he added quickly, "it's not your fault."
She looked up at him then.
Keifer leaned against the wall, shoulder hitting the concrete. "My house isn't exactly sunshine either," he said. "Different reasons, same pressure. So when you freeze, I get it. I don't need explanations."
"You didn't yell. Never did" April's throat tightened.
Keifer scoffed softly. "Why would I? You already do that enough in your head."
That made her laugh. Small, cracked, real.
He reached out, hesitated, then gently knocked his knuckles against her shoulder. "You don't have to be strong around me, April. Just… be here."
"Hey," he murmured. "You're doing fine. Even when you don't think you are."
April raised an eyebrow, "You're annoyingly good at this."
"I know," he said, a smirk tugging at his lips. "It's my burden."
Footsteps echoed down the hall.
Yuri's voice sang, "Night duty! COME QUICK. NO SIBLING MOMENT."
April rolled her eyes.
As she passed Keifer, she whispered, "Thanks for not leaving."
"Wasn't planning to." He replied, just as quiet as her.
"Even when I left. I know you didn't for others.."
And when they walked back together, the night felt a little less heavy.