Starting a new chapter in his life as a student in Tokyo, Haru never expected his world to be turned upside down. Across the street, he encounters Fujiwara, an aloof and enigmatic young man with a mysterious past. As Haru grapples with unfamiliar em...
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A week had gone by and the curtain in the room across the street remained drawn. Every morning and evening, he stood behind his window, hoping that his neighbor's curtain would open again and someone would wave at him.
His attempts to reach out through text and calls were met with silence. He felt stranded in the emptiness of his own efforts.
People say falling in love feels like floating to the moon. But that's just half the truth. Loving someone who reciprocates feels like soaring among the stars, while loving someone who doesn't care leaves you plummeting into darkness.
The ache in his heart surpassed any pain he'd felt before. It eclipsed the childhood teasing and high school rejections, fueled by the certainty of a love he believed would be returned.
When he looked into Yuki's eyes, he thought he saw his own feelings reflected back. He was wrong. Yuki's reaction at the station was something he hadn't expected.
He examined himself for the source of the error. Was he too forward? It didn't feel that way. Their connection had grown naturally since they met in March, blossoming with the changing of the seasons. He wasn't lonely; there were others he could love. His heart had already chosen Yuki, and he couldn't ignore its call.
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting his room into darkness. He rose from the bed that had been his refuge for the past week and flicked on the light. As he closed the curtains, he spotted Suzuki-san making her way to their house.
DING DONG!
"Haru?" Nishii-san called up to him from downstairs. "I'm in the shower. Can you get the door?"
He agreed and hurried downstairs. The tantalizing aroma of cooking greeted him as he descended. It seemed Nishii-san had whipped up something with beef. Lately, his own cooking had suffered due to his foul mood, so Nishii-san had taken over kitchen duties. It made him feel uneasy, but it beat both of them ending up with upset stomachs.
As the doorbell rang for the second time, he swung open the front door.
"Good evening, Haru-kun," greeted Suzuki-san. "Sorry to interrup. I want to ask you about something."
Suzuki-san handed him a thin envelope.
"This is a letter addressed to Yuki. It arrived this morning, but I only checked my mailbox just now. I think Yuki forgot to update the sender with his new address in Misawa, so it was still sent here. Do you happen to know Yuki's new address? I'll send this letter to him."
He recognized the sender's name and address printed on the front of the envelope. "No need," he took the envelope. "I'll handle this letter."
"Alright then," Suzuki-san nodded, offering a slight bow. "Thank you very much."
"Um, Suzuki-san, have Yuki's belongings all been moved?"
"He didn't have much to begin with. Everything's been packed up, but I'm holding onto it for now. The moving truck won't arrive until tomorrow morning."
