A Heart's Silent Echo

Shared Spaces

Aki's POV

The first day at a new school always feels the same—a blur of unfamiliar faces, voices blending into noise, and a strange ache of being somewhere I don’t belong. I keep my head down, gripping the strap of my bag as I stand by the doorway. My homeroom teacher, Tanaka-sensei, gestures for me to introduce myself. My chest tightens, and I feel my fingers trembling. I barely manage to whisper, “N-nice to meet you...” My voice sounds too soft, like it’s being swallowed by the room.

I find a seat near the window, as far from everyone as I can. There’s a boy sitting in the back corner—quiet, like me. I don’t look for long, but for a second, I feel a strange sense of familiarity. He’s like a ghost, unnoticed and unbothered, a part of the background. It’s oddly comforting.

The days pass by in a silent rhythm. I slip in and out of classes, unseen and unheard. But one afternoon, in the library, that quiet corner where I can breathe a little easier, something changes. I reach out for a book on the top shelf—'Sword of Night and Flame'—and my hand brushes against someone else’s.

"Sorry!" We both say at the same time, our voices a clumsy echo.

When I look up, it’s him—the boy from the back of the classroom. His face flushes, and he looks down, as if just being seen by someone is more attention than he’s used to. There’s a long silence, my heart hammering in my chest. I manage to offer, “Y-you can have that book...”

He takes it, hesitantly, and then surprises me by saying, “I’ve already read it... so I think you should have it.”

I barely manage a thank-you, taking the book with hands that feel clumsy and foreign. It’s such a small gesture, but it feels like a bridge—like we both know what it’s like to feel invisible. After a brief pause, he glances at me with a shy look and walks away to another table.

I hold the book close as I sit at a table. I can’t seem to focus on it, though. I feel his eyes on me now and then, quiet but warm, like a little spark in the corner of a dark room. For a moment, I feel... seen.

The next few days pass, and I notice him more. In class, he sits quietly, head down, avoiding attention. Sometimes, he glances my way, and I quickly look out the window, hoping he doesn’t notice.

Then, one morning, Tanaka-sensei announces a partner assignment. As the rest of the class pairs off, I’m left standing alone by my desk. My heart sinks, my palms clammy, wishing I could just disappear.

“Alright, I guess Haruki and Aki can work together on this assignment.”

I glance his way. Haruki’s eyes meet mine, and I see the same flash of panic. He hesitates, then stammers, “I-I think we could... work on this after school... Is the library okay?”

My heart gives a small leap, and I manage a nod. “That... sounds good.”

After school, I sit waiting in the library. When he arrives, we both bow, a little awkwardly, and he takes a seat across from me. Silence settles between us. The ticking of the library clock fills the space between our notes and quiet whispers, and it should feel tense, but there’s something calming about it. When I ask him, through a note, about his favorite books, he replies with 'Sword of Night and Flame'—the very same one I’d reached for that first day.

And then I’m surprised by my own curiosity. I scribble another note, the question slipping out before I can second-guess it: Why do you sit at the back, Sato-san?

He hesitates, and his fingers tremble slightly as he writes back: It feels... safer. Less people notice me back there.

I nod, understanding more than I’d expected. I sit by the window because I feel hidden.