Miya Aozora reached out her hand, her fingers trembling slightly. "M-my name is Miya Aozora... M-m-may I ask... w-what is your name?"
I stared at her for a moment, caught off guard by her sudden approach. Recovering, I took her hand. It was damp with nervous sweat. "My name is Haruto. Souko Haruto."
"I-it's a pleasure to meet you," Miya whispered.
An agonizing silence stretched between us. The air felt heavy with a sudden, thick awkwardness.
"A-Ah... t-thank y-you," she stammered.
I tilted my head, offering a confused but gentle smile. "Thank you? For what?"
"For earlier... when we bumped into each other."
Haruto's POV:
The memory of the impact flashed through my mind. To be honest, I was still in terrible pain, but I didn't want to make her feel worse.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" I burst out laughing.
Miya flinched, her eyes wide. "W-why are you laughing?"
"Hahaha... Ah... sorry," I winced, the laughter jarring my bruised ribs. "Do you really need to thank me for that?"
Miya looked at the ground, then back at me with a spark of courage. She asked if I wanted to go to her favorite spot. I hesitated, looking around the empty hallway.
"Ummm... aren't you afraid of what will happen if the staff catches us?"
"They won't," she said firmly. "I checked the schedules. There are no patrols right now, and there are no CCTV cameras in that area."
"Okay... if you say so."
We made our way to the roof of the college. As we stepped out, the wind caught my hair, and I froze.
"WOAH... what a view!"
The city stretched out beneath us in a tapestry of lights. Miya climbed up and sat on the railing, her legs dangling over the edge.
"Hey, be careful!" I warned, my heart skipping a beat.
She patted the spot next to her, motioning for me to sit. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cream bun, carefully breaking it into two equal halves.
As we ate, the atmosphere changed. Miya began to speak, her voice cracking. She confessed that despite her efforts to be kind, no one wanted to talk to her. She felt like a "tortilla"—flimsy, easily crushed, and discarded.
"I'm worthless," she sobbed, her head hanging low. "I couldn't even run properly... I just ended up hurting you. I ruin everything."
"Stop," I said firmly, cutting her off. I turned to her with a warm, comforting smile. "That's not true. Just because you have struggles doesn't mean your whole life is ruined."
I looked up at the vast, darkening sky, holding the half of the cream bun she had given me. "It's not about what others think of you, Miya."
I looked her directly in the eyes. "It's about how you think about yourself. Hehe."
Miya's POV:
My heart stopped. His words hit me like a physical shock. I felt my face heating up, a deep crimson blush spreading across my cheeks. My stomach felt like it was full of frantic butterflies.
"A-A-A... I need to go to the washro-room!" I shrieked.
I turned and bolted, running at the speed of light.
Haruto's POV:
"Eh? Eh? EHHHH?!" I shouted into the empty air. "Did I say something wrong?!"
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Nothing unusual happened. But the next morning, the world shattered.
"Miya, you don't need to cry anymore," Aria whispered, comforting a sobbing Miya in the middle of the classroom.
I pushed the door open, confused by the crowd. The teacher looked at me with pure disgust. "So, you're finally here. You rapist."
I froze. "WHAT? What are you talking about?!"
Aria looked up, her expression a mask of tragic sorrow. "YOU ARE A RAPIST! You tried to take advantage of my friend, and now Miya..." She gestured to the trembling girl. "My friend told me everything. Not only that, we have the CCTV footage!"
Miya let out a broken wail, shaking violently. "A-A-A... YOU! You are a disgusting human being! In the morning you tried to deceive me, and then at night you came into my room and... you almost did it! If Aria hadn't saved me..."
Aria's friends joined in, their voices sharp as glass. "We saw what he tried to do that day! He dragged her into the washroom to do perverted things!"
Haruto's POV:
My blood ran cold. I was paralyzed. "Why would I even do that? I have no reason—"
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
The strikes were relentless. Hana stood before me, her face contorted with rage and tears.
"HOW?! HOW COULD YOU BE THIS PATHETIC?!" She screamed, gripping my collar before collapsing to the floor in front of me. "I... I thought we were best friends forever!"
"Hana! Hana, you have to trust me! It's all made up! Aria planned all of this! Trust me—"
"Then explain this!" Hana hissed, holding up a phone.
It was the footage. The bathroom. The girl who had tricked me. It looked damning.
Kenji stepped forward, standing protectively in front of Miya. He looked at me, and for a split second, I saw it—a smirk. A cold, triumphant smile.
I fell silent. Even if I try to make you understand... will it change anything?
"See?" Hana sobbed. "You have no explanation!"
The teacher barked orders for the students to seize me and take me to the courtyard where the Principal was waiting. Aria's face went blank as she watched them tie my hands. She bit her lip, looking away.
"Kenji!" I pleaded as my former best friend grabbed my arm. "You're my best friend! You have to believe me, Aria trapped me!"
Kenji's eyes went cold. "What are you even saying, you RAPIST?"
I was completely shattered.
In the courtyard, the Principal's voice boomed over the speakers. "Since he has raped a girl and attempted further assaults, he is hereby expelled. This will be made public."
"WHERE IS THE PROOF?!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face.
"The CCTV footage is proof enough," the Principal said calmly.
"WHAT IF IT WAS FAKED?!" I yelled. "What if someone did this to me for their own personal intentions?!"
Haruto's Mind:
I knew Aria did it. I knew it was her. I was about to scream her name, but I stopped. I looked at her blank face. I didn't want to get involved with her darkness anymore.
Later that night, I was kicked out of the dorms. I didn't even make it to the gates before a mob found me. I was beaten until I couldn't breathe.
"Shit like you shouldn't have been born!" someone spat on me as I lay broken on the pavement.
Hospital Scene
I slowly opened my eyes. Everything was white and smelled of bleach. I couldn't move; my bones were fractured in multiple places.
I shifted my gaze toward the chair beside the bed.
"Ari..."