(Saturday — Hinata's POV)
The bus rattled along the road on the way back from the aquarium, but for me, it was like the world was underwater. Everyone else was buzzing with excitement—laughing, scrolling through photos, reliving the bright blues of the tanks. But I kept glancing at Kiyomi, who pulled her hoodie down over her eyes, as if she wanted to disappear into the shadows.
I wanted to ask what happened, but every time I opened my mouth, it felt like the words would get stuck. So, I just stayed quiet.
When we finally got home, I sent a quick goodnight text to Kiyomi, but my phone stayed silent.
The next morning, I woke up to a string of notifications—mostly from me checking her chat history. I kept typing, "Are you okay?" or "What happened yesterday?" but I never sent them.
I couldn't.
Every time...
I froze.
And so, the hours drifted by, heavy. I went through Saturday like a ghost. I went for a walk by the river, but even the water felt still. And while I stared at it, something shifted inside me.
I realized that, despite everything, I kept thinking of Asahi.
The way he laughed. The way he listened. And it wasn't like a sudden spark—I'd felt it before, but I was afraid to name it.
But now, after that heavy Friday, it felt like a wave breaking inside me.
On Saturday, I called Asahi. We didn't talk about anything serious—we just met at a café, and we laughed over iced tea. It wasn't a date, not really. We both pretended it was just catching up, but every glance between us carried a spark. Every laugh lingered just a little too long.
Sunday morning, I kept waiting—my phone on my lap—as if Kiyomi would suddenly reply, but she didn't. So I just let the silence stretch.
In the afternoon, I was sitting by my window, scrolling, when a message finally came in.
It was from Akio.
I held my breath as I opened it.
"Akio: Did Kiyomi reply to you?"
I typed back.
"Hinata: No."
Then, in another message;
"Hinata: Did she tell you what happened to her on Friday?"
His reply came after a long pause:
"Akio: No."
Then he asked;
"Akio: Did she tell you?"
I froze.
Hinata: No. Not now. Not yet (I whispered to myself).
Later that night—around 9 p.m.—I was still talking to Asahi, through a video call.
We were just joking, sharing memes, letting the tension float away. And then, suddenly, a new notification popped up.
It was Kiyomi.
I paused, my heart pounding. A wave of nervousness hit me.
She sent a dozen messages—no, a flood—like her emotions were spilling out.
I looked at Asahi.
Hinata: Wait—hold on. I need a minute (I whispered).
And with that, I dove into Kiyomi's long confession, each word crashing like a wave inside me.
And that's how I finally knew the truth.