BOYFRIEND

CHAPTER 4

Chapter 4: The Weight of Regret

The weekend came and went in a blur for Takeshi. He kept to himself, avoiding Yuto and any other familiar faces. Being back in his teenage years was disorienting, and the urge to act out, to revert to the old delinquent ways, gnawed at him. But he had to resist it—this was his second chance, after all. He couldn't afford to mess it up again.

By Monday morning, he had decided to lay low and figure things out, one step at a time. First, he needed to focus on surviving school without drawing too much attention. It was easier said than done.

The bell rang, signalling the end of math class. Takeshi leaned back in his chair, stretching out his arms. His classmates started packing up, eager to get to lunch. He hadn't spoken much to anyone, keeping a low profile, but it was only a matter of time before his reputation caught up with him.

As he gathered his books, he noticed Yuto lingering by the door, talking to a few classmates. Takeshi averted his gaze, trying to avoid any more awkward encounters. Yuto had been on his mind all weekend—the strange conversation they'd had at the park, the way Yuto seemed to recognize something in him even if he couldn't explain it.

It made Takeshi nervous. He couldn't let himself get too close, not again.

Just as Takeshi was about to leave, he heard someone call his name. "Takeshi!"

He turned, surprised to see Yuto walking toward him. His heart skipped a beat as Yuto approached, a friendly smile on his face.

"Hey, you're heading to lunch, right?" Yuto asked.

Takeshi blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Uh, yeah, I guess."

"Mind if I join you?" Yuto asked, his tone casual but with a hint of curiosity.

Takeshi hesitated. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. In the past, he and Yuto had barely spoken in high school. Their paths had only crossed much later, when things had gone horribly wrong for both of them. And yet, here was Yuto, acting like they were friends.

"Sure," Takeshi said before he could stop himself. He knew he should keep his distance, but something about Yuto's easy going nature made it hard to say no.

They walked to the cafeteria together, the noise of chattering students filling the air. Takeshi felt out of place—he wasn't used to this kind of normalcy. In the future, his life had been a mess of fights, debts, and dead-end jobs. Here, everything was simpler, but it also felt fragile, like one wrong move could ruin it all.

Yuto led them to a table by the window, where a few of his friends were already sitting. Takeshi felt his chest tighten. Great, he thought. Now I'm stuck with a bunch of people I don't know.

But Yuto didn't seem to notice his discomfort. "This is Takeshi," Yuto introduced him to the group. "He's in our class."

A few polite nods and smiles were exchanged, and Takeshi awkwardly took a seat. The conversation flowed easily around him, mostly about trivial things—homework, after-school clubs, weekend plans. Takeshi tried to tune it out, but he couldn't help but feel like an outsider.