𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙏 || 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙠𝙤𝙪𝙟𝙞 𝙭 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 || 𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚

Her Thoughts

Horikita couldn't quite place the feeling, the faint unease that settled in her chest whenever she saw [Name]. It wasn't something she could easily rationalize. But deep down, she knew the truth.

+She reminds me of myself.+

Or rather, she reminded her of the person she once was—a person she thought she had left behind. That thought irritated her more than she cared to admit.

As she walked briskly outside the Special Annex, her footsteps light but purposeful, she could hear [Name] calling after her. The sound echoed in the otherwise quiet path , but Horikita didn't stop. She didn't even look back.

"Horikita, wait!" The desperation in [Name]'s voice was noticeable. It tugged at something inside her, though she refused to acknowledge it. She kept moving, her expression set, the cool air brushing against her skin as she maintained her steady pace.

Moments later, she heard hurried footsteps behind her, followed by the sound of [Name] finally catching up. Her breath came in shallow gasps as she fell into step beside her.

"Jeez... you really walk fast..." [Name] muttered, still panting slightly. There was a half-hearted laugh in her tone, as if she were trying to break the tension. Horikita didn't respond. She cast a sidelong glance in [Name]'s direction, noting the subtle confusion in her expression, before fixing her gaze back on the path ahead.

Silence stretched between them.

"So... what's the plan?" [Name] asked after a pause, oblivious to the growing tension. "You said you had one. I mean, if there's anything I need to—"

The rest of her sentence faded into the air, lost in the distance between them—a distance Horikita had carefully crafted. She wasn't sure why she was being so cold. Perhaps it was because she didn't like the way [Name] seemed to be so at ease with everyone, even with her. It wasn't supposed to be this easy, to break through someone's walls. Or perhaps it was because her presence stirred up memories of her former self—the one who had been carefree girl.

Without thinking, Horikita abruptly stopped walking.

The suddenness of it must have caught [Name] off guard because she stumbled slightly, nearly losing her balance. Horikita stood still, her back turned to [Name], the weight of unspoken thoughts hanging heavy between them.

"[Name]..." she began quietly, her voice unusually soft. It surprised even her. She took a breath, steadying herself. "Can I ask you something?"

There was a pause, the air thickening with anticipation. Horikita didn't turn around, but she could feel [Name]'s eyes on her, probably trying to gauge the situation.

"Uh... sure?" came the hesitant reply.

Horikita's grip on her emotions wavered for the briefest moment, and she clenched her fists at her sides, unseen.
It was so unlike her to lose control like this.

She hated it.

"Are you..." she trailed off, her words catching in her throat. It shouldn't be this hard to ask. But it was. She exhaled softly, forcing the question out before she could think better of it. "...in a relationship with my brother?"

Silence.

The path felt colder now, as if walls had drawn in, suffocating them both. She felt [Name] freeze beside her, the air between them thick with surprise.