"Talk to me," Alya said, her voice barely above a whisper, eyes searching his face with that same gentle patience she always had—like she was trying to see the soul behind the storm.
Haruta looked away, jaw clenched. His heart was pounding so loud it drowned out everything else.
"Aight... fine. What do you wanna hear?"
She didn't flinch.
"Why are you pushing me away?"
He let out a bitter laugh—more pain than humor.
"Because... somehow, for some stupid reason, I fell in love with you."
Alya blinked.
Haruta continued, his voice cracking.
"And that scares the hell outta me. Because if you stay close... you'll see all of me. The messed-up parts. And I don't wanna hurt you. So, yeah—I push you away. Because I want to keep you safe... from me."
"Safe from you?" she repeated softly, taking a step closer. "Why would I need to be safe from the boy I care about?"
"I'm just... some emo idiot." His voice broke again.
"I smile like everything's fine. I act like nothing hurts. But inside, I'm... I'm tired, Alya."
Then she smiled. A soft, sweet, mischievous smile—the kind that made the whole world feel okay.
"You're my handsome, nerdy emo boy," she said playfully.
There was silence after that. Not awkward—just real. Honest. Raw.
"You hide so much, Haru," she continued, her tone softer than snowfall.
"But there's something you don't get… It's okay to cry. It's okay to feel. Even if the world sees you as cold and distant, I see you. The real you. And I like that boy... a lot."
Her eyes glimmered as she stepped even closer.
"Don't bottle up that pain. Let it out. You don't have to carry it all alone anymore."
Haruta's lips parted like he wanted to argue—but no words came. Just trembling hands. Just wide eyes, slowly filling with tears.
"R...right..." he whispered.
And then—without a word—Alya wrapped her arms around him.
Tight. Warm. Safe.
"I'll always be by your side," she whispered into his shoulder.
"You don't need to act strong with me. You're not a cold, distant guy... You're just a softie."
And that was it.
The dam shattered.
The cold, closed-off guy who never let anyone in… finally broke.
He sobbed.
Messy, healing tears, burying his face into her shoulder as everything came pouring out.
"I like you, Alya," Haruta said, sobbing.
"I always liked you," Alya said with a smile.
And she held him.
Like he mattered.
Like he was enough.
From a distance, Rei and Sera watched, hiding just behind the terrace door.
"That guy…" Rei murmured, smiling gently.
"...he's healing," Sera finished, a soft glow in her eyes. "Finally."
---
--to be continued
-~Rei