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━─────── He looked like someone who had given up──not just on others, but on himself. And in that moment, you realized that there was no easy answer to the question he'd posed, no quick fix to the turmoil he carried inside. All you could do was stand there, quiet and steady, waiting for him to find his own path to healing, if only he could.
"But I decided I want to." You replied, your voice steady despite the nerves fluttering in your chest. The words felt like they weighed more than they should, but you couldn't take them back now. As soon as the sentence left your lips, you saw his body tense, every muscle going rigid like he'd been struck by lightning. Slowly, his gaze shifted towards you, the motion almost mechanical, and you watched, heart in your throat, as his mouth parted slightly──his expression frozen, as if he were trying to comprehend the weight of your words.
You kept your eyes locked on him, your lips pressing together in a tight line. There was no way you could retreat from what you just said, no way to hide it behind another joke or brush it off as if it wasn't important.
The silence stretched between you like a vast canyon, the only sound the subtle rise and fall of your breathing. You held your ground, your own resolve flickering in your eyes, even as the awkwardness threatened to spill over.
"I'm...I'm not good at words, and I don't know if I'm saying the right thing. However...you shouldn't treat your life so lightly, you should value yourself. I don't know what you've been through or what exactly it is that made you want to jump down there, but...but you know, I think we all need someone to care, even if we don't ask for it, or even if we don't think we deserve it."
The words came out in a rush now, faster than you meant, but you couldn't stop yourself. You couldn't let it go unsaid. "A-Also, you don't look like you know what you're doing...and I stepped in because I care, okay? I care if someone wants to kill themselves in front of me."
His reaction was still nothing. He just stood there, staring at you with a look in his eyes that made it feel like you were exposed in a way that was impossible to describe. His expression was unreadable, and the intensity of his gaze pinned you in place, making your chest tighten. You tried to maintain your calm, but the silence between you both stretched longer than you could bear, and the words you just spoke began to feel too heavy to hold.
You fidgeted under his gaze, a rush of heat filling your cheeks as your own insecurity crept in. What had you just done? You meant every word, but you were afraid of the consequences. Afraid that your honesty would push him away, or worse, that you had made the situation worse. You didn't know how he would take this, or if it would even matter to him. You weren't even sure why you had felt so strongly about it──maybe it was the way his desperation mirrored something in your own heart, something you hadn't realized had been gnawing at you.
A moment of silence, and then──finally──his posture seemed to shift. He straightened, his shoulders still trembling slightly, but now less like a man on the edge of falling, and more like someone trying to ground himself. His hand rose to his face, brushing through his raven-black hair with a movement that seemed almost automatic, a gesture of discomfort or perhaps a way to shake off the overwhelming emotions you'd stirred up. His fingers lingered in his hair, and when he finally lowered his hand, his eyes found yours again—darker now, but there was something else. Something in his gaze that was almost too much to decipher.
He bit his lower lip, a nervous tic that made his jaw clench, and then, with slow, deliberate steps, he moved towards you. The air seemed to freeze in the space between your bodies, and you blinked, caught off guard by his proximity. For a second, you weren't sure if he was about to say something, or do something else entirely, but when he spoke, his voice was hoarse──almost raw. "I don't...I don't really know what to say."
You blinked, unsure whether to be relieved or more nervous. The awkwardness crawled up your spine, but before you could respond, you waved your hands quickly, dismissing his hesitation. "O-Oh, you don't have to──"
He cut you off, his tone quieter, but still full of weight, each syllable weighed with sincerity. "Thank you."
The words hit you harder than you expected. For a moment, you were too stunned to move, too stunned to feel the irritation you usually would when someone interrupted you. But this was different. The way he said it──like a quiet confession, a reluctant acceptance──made your heart soften. You didn't have time to process it, though, before he stepped back, and then, in a sudden, graceful motion, he lowered his head, bowing deeply from the waist.
Your eyes widened in surprise, your mouth slightly agape as you watched him, not quite sure how to react to such an unexpected display of gratitude. This wasn't the response you had anticipated, and your thoughts scrambled for words, but none seemed to fit. He was giving you something far more than a thank-you. He was offering respect──respect for your actions, for your words. It was humbling in a way that took you aback.
"You saved my life today." His voice, muffled from his position, carried a weight that made your chest tighten. "I...I'll never forget that. Thank you so much."
Your mind raced, processing what had just happened. It was hard to believe that this was really happening. That there was still someone, even in a world like this, who would be so polite, so formal. For a moment, you almost forgot the harshness that had followed you in your life──the chaos of the Vinsmokes and their constant presence, their influence so close to you. The contrast felt almost surreal.
You could feel the warmth creeping into your cheeks, and you tried to shake off the sudden rush of heat that rose there, but a small chuckle escaped your lips. It was light, soft, almost nervous. "Hey, just don't make a habit of giving people like me a heart attack, okay?"
He straightened up slowly, his lips quivering into a small, genuine smile. It was hesitant at first, but then it bloomed into something real, something that made your heart skip. His quiet laugh followed, barely a breath, but it was full of gratitude and something else──maybe relief, maybe hope. You didn't know.
It was the most beautiful sound you'd heard in a while.
You didn't know where this would go. You didn't know if he'd be okay, or if things would ever be the same. But as you looked at him, there was something in his eyes that told you this night, this moment—it had made a difference. A small one, perhaps, but it was enough to make you believe that maybe, just maybe, there was hope for him. And for you, too.
─────── · ·End of Chapter 04· · ─────── ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Follow for more stories and update announcements✧˖°.
