(Friday Night – Sunday Evening | Kiyomi's POV)
The bus rumbled along the highway, the engine humming steadily beneath our feet.
Laughter filled the air.
People were talking loudly, comparing photos from the aquarium, showing each other videos of fish swimming through blue water.
Some students leaned across the aisles to tease their friends, others played music from their phones.
The bus felt alive.
But inside me…
Everything was quiet.
I sat by the window with Hinata's pink hoodie pulled low over my head. My eyes stayed fixed on the glass beside me, watching the world blur past.
Streetlights streaked by.
Buildings.
Cars.
People living their lives.
But none of it felt real.
My chest still felt heavy.
My throat still burned from crying.
Every time I blinked, the same moment replayed in my mind.
Minato standing in front of the aquarium glass.
Those emerald eyes looking at me.
"I love you, Kiyomi."
My fingers tightened around the sleeve of the hoodie.
Why did he say it?
Why now?
Why like that?
Around me, someone burst into laughter.
Someone else shouted,
"Send me that picture!"
Another voice yelled,
"That shark looked like it was staring straight at me!"
The noise felt distant.
Like I was underwater.
Even though the bus was loud…
Inside me, everything felt silent.
I lowered my head slightly.
And quietly, another tear slid down my cheek.
When the bus finally arrived back at school, everyone began gathering their bags.
Excited chatter filled the bus again.
People stretched.
Someone shouted,
"Let's go home!"
But I moved slowly.
Carefully.
Making sure my face stayed hidden under the hood.
Hinata glanced at me.
She didn't say anything.
She just gently squeezed my hand before we stepped off the bus.
By the time I reached home, the sky had already begun turning dark.
The moment I opened the door, my sister's voice called out from the living room.
Ayumi: Kiyomi!
Ayumi peeked around the corner.
Her face lit up.
Ayumi: You're back! How was the aquarium trip?
My body froze.
I couldn't answer.
My throat closed up instantly.
Ayumi tilted her head slightly.
Ayumi: Did you see sharks? Or dolphins?
I lowered my head.
Without saying a word, I walked past her.
Ayumi: Kiyomi?
My footsteps quickened.
I reached my room.
And shut the door.
Click.
The moment the door closed, my body collapsed against it.
My breathing shook.
Then I slid down to the floor.
Tears began falling again.
My phone buzzed.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
I slowly pulled it from my pocket.
"Hinata: Did you get home safely?"
Another message.
"Akio: You okay?"
More messages came in.
But I couldn't answer them.
Not yet.
I turned the phone off and placed it on my desk.
Then I crawled onto my bed.
And cried.
That night felt endless.
Every time I closed my eyes…
I saw him.
The aquarium lights reflecting in his eyes.
His voice steady.
His hand holding mine.
"I love you."
My chest tightened painfully.
Kiyomi: Stop… (I whispered to myself).
But the memories wouldn't stop.
Eventually, exhaustion dragged me into sleep.
Saturday
I woke up with swollen eyes.
The first thing I saw when I opened them…
Was my phone.
Still sitting on the desk.
Messages waited.
But I didn't read them.
Instead, I pulled the blanket over my head and tried to sleep again.
But sleep wouldn't come.
Because every time my mind went quiet…
Memories rushed in.
Minato laughing.
Minato walking beside me after school.
Minato surprising me with snacks.
Minato understanding things about me that no one else ever noticed.
He was always there.
Always patient.
Always gentle.
Always—
My chest tightened again.
Tears rolled down my temples into the pillow.
Kiyomi: He ruined everything… (I whispered).
But the moment the words left my mouth…
They felt wrong.
Did he ruin it?
Or…
Did I?
I buried my face into the pillow.
And cried again.
Saturday passed slowly.
I barely left my room.
My sister knocked on the door twice.
Ayumi: Kiyomi, are you sick?
Kiyomi: I'm fine (I replied weakly).
But I wasn't.
Not even close.
Sunday
By Sunday afternoon, my chest felt tired.
Not just from crying.
From holding everything inside.
My phone lit up again.
A message from Akio.
"Akio: Did Kiyomi reply to you?"
I realized he had probably sent the same message to Hinata.
My fingers hovered over the screen.
I wanted to talk.
But the words wouldn't come out.
Not yet.
So I placed the phone back down.
And stared at the ceiling.
Minutes passed.
Then hours.
Finally, Sunday night arrived.
The room felt quiet again.
Too quiet.
I picked up my phone.
Opened Hinata's chat.
My fingers began typing.
Then stopping.
Typing again.
Deleting.
Typing again.
My heart pounded harder with every word.
But eventually…
I stopped hesitating.
And pressed send.
Message after message poured out.
Everything.
The aquarium.
The koi fish.
Minato's confession.
My panic.
My fear.
The horrible things I said.
The threat.
The tears.
Everything.
When I finished…
I stared at the final message.
My chest felt strangely lighter.
Like I had been holding my breath for two days.
Then finally exhaled.
My last message read:
"What do I do now?"
I placed the phone beside me and waited.
Because for the first time since Friday…
I didn't want to be alone anymore.