It was night.
The same day. The same heavy weight in my chest. But somehow, less suffocating than before.
Ichika really had helped me. More than she probably knew. I kept thinking about it, about how easily she had stepped in when everything was falling apart. I owed her something. I didn't know what yet, but I would repay her. I had to.
I just wanted all of this to stop.
I wasn't special. I wasn't brave. I wasn't some main character chosen by the universe. So why did everything keep happening to me?
I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, my room dark except for the faint light leaking through the curtains. My jaw still throbbed beneath the bandages. Every time I swallowed, it hurt.
Then my phone rang.
I flinched.
Nozomi-san.
"Huh?" I muttered under my breath. Since when does she call?
I answered immediately, almost on instinct.
"K Kenji? How are you?"
Her voice was soft. Careful. Like she was afraid of saying the wrong thing.
"Um... f fine..." I replied, my voice coming out weaker than I wanted.
There was a brief pause on the other end.
"Do you have time to talk?"
"Y yeah..."
As she spoke, I noticed something faint in the background. A quiet, steady sound.
Water.
A stream, maybe. Or a fountain.
"I'm really sorry, Kenji. About what happened. It's not your fault. I'm dealing with it now."
My fingers tightened around the phone.
"It's okay. Really," I said, even though I wasn't sure if it was. "Did you enjoy your birthday party?"
"Yes," she said quickly. "It was fun until... you know. But everyone kept partying and I didn't want to ruin the mood. I got tired after that, so I kind of slept the entire day."
I stayed quiet.
"I heard what happened from Minami," she continued, her voice dropping. "Those guys..."
"Well," I cut in gently, "you had fun. That is what matters, right?"
She hesitated.
"Yeah... but..."
Another pause. Longer this time.
"You didn't," she said quietly. "So let me make it up to you. Okay?"
My heart skipped, but my stomach tied itself into a knot.
"Huh? What do you mean...?"
"What I mean is," she said, her voice brightening just a little, "let me treat you to a coffee. Or something. Whenever you're free."
My mind went blank.
I didn't hate Nozomi-san. I didn't like her either. She was kind. But kindness had a brutal price at our school. Rumors didn't need proof, and if I was seen getting coffee with her right now, the guys from the courtyard would absolutely follow through on their threats even if it wasn't Ichika.
"I-I'm not sure..." I said, my voice tight.
"Please?"
She said it softly, almost pleading. She just wanted to fix things. She didn't know how bad it had actually gotten for me.
I closed my eyes, the dull ache in my jaw pulsing.
"Okay..." The word slipped out before I could stop it.
Silence.
Then she laughed lightly.
"Good! Then I will call you tomorrow after school, okay?"
"Sounds... nice..."
"Great. See you, Kenji."
"Bye..."
The call ended.
I lowered my phone and stared at the dark screen. My reflection looked tired. Confused. Like someone who keeps agreeing to things without understanding why.
I was not sure what I felt.
Relief? Guilt? Fear?
Outside my window, the night was quiet. Too quiet.
Somewhere out there, Ichika was probably dealing with her own thoughts. Strong as she seemed, I knew better now. She always carried more than she showed.
And here I was. Lying in bed. Accepting coffee invitations. Pretending everything was fine.
I closed my eyes.
About half an hour later, a knock.
Not sharp. Just... hesitant.
Like, whoever was on the other side didn't know if they should be there.
I didn't move at first. I just stared at the door.
Then came a voice.
"Kenji?"
Kudo.
Another knock.
Then a second voice.
"I'm here too."
That made me sit up.
Suzu-san?
But it's 10 PM!
I walked to the door and opened it.
Kudo stood there, hands in his jacket pockets, looking like he wasn't sure whether to grin or be serious. Suzu-san stood just behind him, arms crossed, hair tied up, chewing on something.
"Kudo?" I asked, blinking. "Why are you with Suzu-san?"
"I ran into him on my way back to my dorm," Suzu-san said dryly. "He was pacing around outside your building like a lost dog because he was too scared to knock. I figured I'd walk him up so he wouldn't freeze to death."
Kudo scratched his cheek, grinning awkwardly. "She's joking. Kind of."
Suzu-san rolled her eyes and collapsed into my desk chair. "He texted me in all caps, by the way. Like 'HE'S DEAD. WE NEED TO VISIT HIM.' Like you're a national emergency."
Kudo sat on the bed beside me, "Because it's important!"
I sat too.
No one said anything for a second.
"It's like ten," I said flatly. "Couldn't you come earlier?"
"And risk death by your girlfriend?" Kudo replied instantly. "No thank you."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
Suzu-san's hands tucked into her sleeves, eyes lowered. She did not smile. She rarely did. When she spoke, her voice was calm, almost careful.
"Kudo heard from someone that Nakamura is... very protective of you," she said.
"What?" My voice came out sharper than I meant.
"So we came later," Kudo said, nodding like this was basic survival logic.
I blinked. "T-thank you?"
"Anyway," Kudo said, crossing his arms, "we heard what happened today."
My shoulders stiffened.
"If you are ever in trouble," he continued dramatically, "call the Anime Clan. Riku and I will personally appear out of nowhere and save you."
"No."
"Come on."
"No."
Suzu-san cleared her throat softly.
"Yamamoto-kun," she said, looking at Kudo, "you forgot to tell him."
"Oh right," Kudo said, snapping his fingers. "My amazing plan for tonight."
I already regretted answering the door.
"Kenji," Kudo said, leaning forward, "you're coming with us."
"...Where?"
"The convenience store."
"What? I look like a mummy," I said immediately, gesturing to the bandages on my face.
"That's fine," Suzu-san said quietly. "It's dark. Nobody cares."
"That doesn't help."
Kudo grinned. "You don't get a choice. You need fresh air."
I looked between them. Kudo was loud, annoying, and impossible to shut up. Suzu-san stood silently, eyes steady, like she already knew I would give in.
"I'm not really in the mood," I muttered.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Suzu-san said, softly, "That's why we came."
That shut me up.
A few minutes later, I found myself outside with them, night air cool against my face. The city felt different at this hour. Quieter. Less eyes on me.