Hitoshi was depressed.
That was the best way to describe his current state.
Lately, his girlfriend had been so distant, even though they were right next to each other for most of the day. It felt like there was a wall between them.
But no matter how much he racked his brain, he had zero clue how the wall was even built.
Who built it?
Why was it built?
What did he do wrong?
Did he forget an important date? Say something careless? Was something going on with her family that she just didn't want to talk about?
He had zero answers. And it was eating him alive. Her reaction to the kiss caused him to stay up all night for two nights in a row. And since then, it hasn't gotten better whatsoever.
The two of them still hung out but never brought up her reaction one time. She didn't want to talk about it and he was afraid of her answer.
Was his breath bad that day?
Still, not even once did it cross his mind that this had anything to do with Yasuo. Shinju had told him that nothing happened between them, and he trusted her completely. He trusted her more than anyone, even himself sometimes.
If she told him that red was blue, then red was blue.
If she told him that his name was actually Hibachi and not Hitoshi, he would go and legally change his name.
They shared a few mutual friends, and finally, unable to keep pretending everything was fine, he approached one of them after school.
Kawasaki Eiko.
They were alone in an empty classroom, desks pushed aside, windows open to let the late afternoon air in. The place felt quiet in that strange, hollow way classrooms did after everyone left.
"She's been acting weird," Hitoshi said, sitting on top of a desk, hands clenched together. "Right?"
Eiko nodded slowly.
"Yeah. I won't lie to you, Mr. Boyfriend. Shinju's definitely been off."
His heart sank, but at the same time, he felt a strange sense of relief. At least it wasn't just him imagining things. At least she wasn't just acting strange around only him.
"Do you know why?" he asked quickly. "Did she say anything to you?"
Eiko frowned, thinking.
"Not really. She's quieter than usual. Spaces out a lot. Sometimes she just… stares. Whenever I ask her what is wrong, she just shrugs it off and smiles."
Hitoshi swallowed. "Did I do something?"
She shook her head almost immediately. "I don't think so."
"Are you sure?" he pressed. "I mean… maybe I said something dumb. Or forgot something important. Her birthday's not coming up, is it?"
This was a dumb question considering that he knew her birthday as if it were his. But he was admittedly not in a good headspace at the time
"No," Eiko responded, raising an eyebrow at Hitoshi's question.
'The world would end before you ever forgot her birthday,' she laughed internally.
"Our anniversary?"
"What? No. Don't you remember celebrating your first anniversary like three months ago?"
He rubbed his face, a little embarrassed. How could that slip his mind?
"Did someone say something to her? About me?" he asked. "One of the girls?"
Eiko hesitated, thought about it for a while, then shook her head again.
"Not that I know of. All of us girls like you. You're a great boyfriend and a great person. Also, many of us were friends with you before befriending her. Why would we betray you like that?"
"What about her family?" he asked. "Is something happening at home?"
"If there was, she would've told you before she told me," Eiko replied. "At least… I think she would've."
They both fell quiet.
The sound of insects drifted in through the window.
"…I'm really scared," Hitoshi admitted softly. "It feels like she's slipping away, and I don't even know why. I just want to fix it. Her eyes sometimes stare at something that I can't see. She mutters things to herself. She looks like she barely sleeps."
Eiko looked at him, sympathy in her eyes. She felt sad watching Shinju as a friend, but it must be even worse for her boyfriend having to see all of that.
"I know."
They were both thinking hard when suddenly—
A bug flew straight through the open window.
"KYAA~!"
Eiko shrieked, jumping backward in panic. She tripped over a chair leg and fell forward, instinctively grabbing onto the nearest thing—
Which happened to be Hitoshi.
"Wha~!"
They both went down, hitting the floor with a dull thud.
Eiko landed right on top of him, arms tangled, faces way too close for comfort.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she panicked, scrambling. "I hate bugs!"
"It-it's okay!" Hitoshi said quickly, flustered. "Really! Are you hurt?"
Before either of them could fully move, the classroom door slid open.
Shinju stood there.
She had come back to grab the textbook she'd forgotten. As she walked down the hallway earlier, she had wondered why Hitoshi suddenly couldn't hang out after school. Part of her felt relieved. Talking to him right now hurts too much. The guilt was heavier than ever.
But another part of her ached.
Because he was still the love of her life. She liked spending every moment they had available beside him.
Then she saw them.
Hitoshi on the floor.
Eiko on top of him.
Her breath caught. Her mind went blank. Was this why he ditched her? Why did he lie to her? How long has this been going on? Why? WHY?
With my friend?! With my boyfriend?!
Before either of them could notice her, Shinju slammed the door shut and ran. Tears blurred her vision as she fled down the hallway, her chest tight, her heart breaking with every step.
Inside the classroom, Hitoshi flinched at the sound.
"Huh?" he muttered.
He helped Eiko up first. "You okay?"
"I-I'm fine," she said quickly, embarrassed. "I'm really sorry about that."
"It's okay," he repeated, brushing dust off his clothes. "Did you hear that door?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "Someone must've passed by."
Hitoshi frowned. Something felt… off.
"I'll check," he said.
He stepped out into the hallway. It was empty.
No footsteps. No voices.
"Strange," he murmured as he went back into the classroom.
As the two of them resumed their conversation, he was completely unaware that the person he was most worried about had just seen something she could never unsee.