BOYFRIEND

CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5: A Step toward Change

The following day began like any other—sunlight streamed through the window, and the dull hum of morning activity surrounded the house. Takeshi hadn't slept much, the previous night's thoughts still swirling in his head. He dragged himself out of bed, groggy but determined to make it through the day without any more awkward encounters with Yuto.

It had been harder than he thought to face Yuto, especially now that he had the chance to undo the mistakes he'd made. The thought of repeating the same cycle weighed on him, but so did the fear of screwing up again.

After getting ready, Takeshi headed for the kitchen, greeted by the familiar scent of his grandmother's cooking. She was standing at the stove, her frail figure moving slowly but steadily as she prepared breakfast.

"Morning, Takeshi," she said without turning around. "I made your favourite—rice and miso soup."

Takeshi felt a pang of guilt. In his previous life, he had neglected his grandmother, taking her for granted as he spent more and more time with his delinquent friends. She had been the only family he had, and yet, he had been too caught up in his rebellious phase to care.

"Thanks, Grandma," Takeshi muttered, taking a seat at the table. He watched her carefully, noticing the way her hands trembled slightly as she moved.

She turned to him with a smile. "You've been quiet lately. Everything okay?"

Takeshi nodded, though he wasn't sure if he believed it himself. "Yeah... just thinking about school, I guess."

She gave him a knowing look, one that told him she saw through his attempt at brushing it off. But instead of pressing further, she simply placed the bowl in front of him and patted his shoulder gently.

"You've got a good heart, Takeshi. Don't forget that, no matter how tough things get."

Her words struck a chord deep inside him. He stared down at his bowl, the steam rising in delicate curls. A good heart, he thought. If only that were true.

Later that morning, Takeshi arrived at school, already bracing himself for another day of dodging Yuto. He walked down the hallway, keeping his head low, trying to blend into the sea of students. But it wasn't long before he spotted Yuto's familiar figure leaning against the lockers, chatting with a couple of friends.

Takeshi's heart sank. He thought about turning around and walking in the opposite direction, but before he could make a move, Yuto caught sight of him. Their eyes met, and Yuto immediately pushed off from the lockers, making his way over.

"Hey, Takeshi," Yuto greeted him with a smile. "You alright? You left pretty quickly yesterday."

Takeshi shrugged, trying to play it off. "Yeah, I was just tired. Didn't mean to rush off."

Yuto's gaze softened, and for a moment, Takeshi felt the weight of that concern again—like Yuto saw more of him than he wanted to reveal.