RIVALRY

CHAPTER 6

Chapter 6: The Weight of Secrets

Present – A Burden Unspoken

The following week passed with a heavy air hanging between Akihiko and Sayuri. Their interactions, while polite, carried an undercurrent of tension. Every time their eyes met, Akihiko felt the weight of the secret pressing against his chest. He needed to tell her, but every time he opened his mouth, fear held him back.

He busied himself with academic work, making great progress on the research that had brought him back to the university in the first place. But even as his colleagues praised him for his dedication, his mind remained preoccupied with thoughts of Sayuri—and of Kenji.

Kenji had remained distant as well, though he seemed more concerned than angry. Their conversation about Sayuri still echoed in Akihiko's mind, and the guilt gnawed at him. He was living in a world where his best friend was alive and well, yet he couldn't shake the memory of that other timeline, where Kenji had nearly lost his life.

Akihiko had been given this second chance. But what good was it if he couldn't even face the people he cared about?

Present – A Meeting of Minds

One afternoon, Akihiko found himself sitting in the university's library, surrounded by stacks of books and research papers. The quiet hum of students working filled the space, but Akihiko's mind was elsewhere.

He had come here hoping to focus, to drown out the noise of his thoughts, but it wasn't working. No matter how hard he tried, the memories kept surfacing—the accident, the time travel, the heartbreak, and the rivalry with Sayuri that had defined so much of his youth.

Just as he was about to give up on the idea of getting any work done, a familiar voice broke through his thoughts.

"Takeda, mind if I join you?"

Akihiko looked up to see Kenji, holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. There was an awkwardness to his stance, but his expression was open, hopeful.

Akihiko hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Sure. Sit down."

Kenji slid into the chair across from him, setting his papers aside and taking a sip of his coffee. For a few moments, neither of them spoke, the silence between them filled with unspoken words.

Eventually, Kenji broke the tension. "You've been avoiding me too, huh?"

Akihiko let out a humorless chuckle. "It's not intentional."

Kenji raised an eyebrow. "Could've fooled me. First Sayuri, now me. What's going on with you, man?"

Akihiko stared at the table, his fingers tracing the edges of his notebook. He couldn't tell Kenji the truth—not about the accident, not about the time travel—but he owed him something. Anything.