𝑆𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐴𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛. | 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐲𝐚 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐢

𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧.

"Guys, I tried talking to the new student, and... seriously, I don't even know where to start with him," Keigo grumbled, clearly exasperated as he continues to rant to Rumi and Emi.

"It's like he's got this wall up, and nothing I say even gets through."

Rumi shot him a skeptical look, folding her arms. "Hold on-you're telling me you tried to befriend the new guy? The one who won't let anyone last more than five minutes in a conversation with him?"

Keigo nodded. "Right? I'm telling you, he's impossible. Every time I tried to strike up a conversation, he'd just give me this cold stare, like he was judging my entire existence."

Emi stayed quiet, listening but choosing not to react too much. Inside, she was torn. She knew Touya, but it wasn't something she'd ever discussed with them-and she wasn't sure she wanted to.

Noticing her silence, Rumi nudged Emi. "What's up with you, Emi?."

Emi forced a light smile, looking away. "Oh, just... thinking about something else, I guess."

Keigo eyed her curiously. "You sure, you look like you've got some kind of secret huh."

"Trust me, I'm not hiding anything."

Keigo muttered, crossing his arms as he returned to the topic. "If he won't open up to me, I doubt anyone else could get through to him."

Emi managed a quiet smile, keeping the memories of her history with Touya to herself. Rumi and Keigo's conversation faded into the background as she glanced towards touya, where he stood alone, aloof as ever. A part of her wanted to approach, to bridge the silence that stretched between them like a chasm since he'd transferred here.

They shared a past that no one else knew, a connection neither of them seemed willing to acknowledge.

As she saw touya's figure from the distance, taking a breath, she moved closer leaving Keigo and Rumi, her footsteps barely a whisper. She hesitated just a few steps away. Should she even call him by name? Memories flickered in her mind-his laughter, the way he used to tease her, the time they spent together before everything changed.

But now, he felt like a stranger.

"hey..." she began, her voice soft and uncertain. The name that had once slipped so easily from her lips now caught in her throat, lingering like a secret she couldn't bear to share.

His eyes met hers, cool and unyielding, as if weighing her presence. He immediately recognized her, but wasn't surprised to see her "What do you want?" he asked, his tone sharp and guarded, the walls around him seemingly thicker than before.

the familiar sting of his distance pressing down on her. She felt the weight of their shared past, the fragments of moments they'd once cherished now scattered like forgotten pieces of a puzzle.

But she refused to let her smile falter entirely, even as she took a slow step back, her heart heavy with what could have been. The space between them seemed to stretch further, echoing with unspoken words, memories lingering just out of reach.

The sharpness in his voice cutting deeper than she expected. For a fleeting moment, she thought of retreating entirely, of letting the silence swallow the words she wanted to say. But something held her in place-a flicker of hope, perhaps, or a stubborn refusal to let their past fade into nothingness.

"It's... it's me, Emi," she said, forcing her voice to steady despite the way her stomach twisted. "I just wanted to see how you were doing it's been so long. I'm actually glad that you transferred here."

For a heartbeat, his expression shifted, just a fraction-was that recognition glimmering in his eyes, or mere curiosity? But then it was gone, replaced by a familiar mask of indifference. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, the distance between them palpable.