𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 ∣ˢᵃⁱᵏⁱ ᵏ.∣

Are we still friends?

.₂₆

You and Saiki used to walk to school together every morning, a quiet routine that had become a comforting part of your day. The walk was never filled with much conversation, but the comfortable silence between you two was enough. However, that changed quickly...

One morning, you found yourself waiting at the usual spot, expecting Saiki to show up as always. But he didn't. You waited a few more minutes, thinking maybe he was running late, but when he never arrived.

The next day, the same thing happened. You waited, but Saiki never showed. And then, you noticed he had started teleporting to school instead of walking with you. You'd see him appear at the gates or in the classroom, already seated, as if he had been there all along. He was avoiding you, and it stung more than you wanted to admit.

At first, you tried to brush it off, telling yourself that maybe he was just busy or wanted to get to school faster. But as the days went by, it became clear that something had changed. He was no longer walking with you, no longer waiting for you in the mornings.

Even during class, he seemed distant. He would give you polite nods and brief answers if you spoke to him, but there was a new, unsettling coldness in his demeanor. He wasn't just avoiding the walk to school—he was avoiding you.

You tried to catch his eye, to smile at him in the hallway, but he would always look away, pretending not to notice. The once familiar and comforting friendship you shared felt like it was slipping through your fingers, and you couldn't understand why.

"Why do you look so down?" Yusuke asked with a cheerful smile, noticing your slumped posture. You sighed, letting your head rest on the desk, your gaze drifting to where Saiki sat far across the room.

"I've got the blues," you mumbled, trying to brush it off with a half-hearted grin. Yusuke chuckled at first, thinking you were joking, but when he saw the serious look in your eyes, his smile faded.

"Hey, what's going on?" Yusuke asked, his tone softening as he next to you in his seat "Is everything alright?"

You hesitated for a moment, not wanting to admit how much Saiki's distance was affecting you. But Yusuke's genuine concern made it hard to keep it all bottled up. You glanced back at Saiki, who was busy with his notes.

You grabbed Yusuke's hands and pulled him gently, whispering, "Let's go somewhere else." Even though you knew Saiki could still hear your conversation from afar, being out of his direct line of sight made you feel more at ease.

Once you were in a quieter spot, away from the classroom, you let out a heavy sigh. "It's just... things have changed," you admitted quietly, the words spilling out as you leaned against the wall. "Saiki and I used to be close. We'd walk to school together, talk more. But now, he's... different. Distant."

Yusuke frowned, his brow furrowing as he listened intently, "Have you tried talking to him about it?" he asked, his tone gentle yet concerned.

You shook your head, frustration creeping into your voice. "I've tried, but he's been avoiding me. I don't know what I did wrong. One day everything was fine, and the next... it's like he's not even there. I just wish I knew what happened," you murmured, your gaze dropping to the floor. "It's like I lost a friend overnight."

Seeing the sadness in your eyes, Yusuke's expression softened. Without a word, he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around you in a comforting hug. 

"It's okay," Yusuke whispered, his voice gentle and reassuring. "You're not alone in this."

You hugged him back, feeling the sting of tears welling up. The weight of everything you'd been holding in seemed to lessen just a little in his arms. For a moment, the confusion, the hurt, the uncertainty—all of it—felt a bit more bearable.