The rain hadn't stopped for hours. It drummed against the school windows like a soft symphony, echoing the storm of emotions swirling inside the music room. Rika sat on the window bench, legs tucked beneath her, her cheek resting on the cold glass. Her eyes weren't focused on the world outside—but on the fragments of her heart, scattered silently inside her.
Kaori stood by the piano, her fingers brushing over the wood as though tracing the ghost of a song unsung. The room was quiet, save for the rain. But in that quiet, a hundred words begged to be spoken.
"You didn't come to class today," Kaori said finally, her voice low and cautious, like stepping barefoot on broken glass.
Rika didn't look at her. "Didn't feel like pretending."
Kaori paused, letting the silence breathe before walking closer. "You don't have to pretend with me."
"I know," Rika whispered. "That's the scariest part."
Kaori sat beside her on the bench, the warmth of her presence dangerously close. Rika could feel her pulse stuttering in her throat.
"You ever feel like… everything you show to the world is a mask?" Rika continued. "That if they saw what's underneath, they'd run?"
Kaori's gaze softened. "All the time."
A silence stretched between them again, heavy but not uncomfortable. It was the kind that came when words weren't enough—and yet, they had to try anyway.
"I watched you play last night," Kaori murmured. "You weren't just playing music. You were bleeding on the keys."
Rika scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping. "Is that your poetic way of saying I suck?"
Kaori chuckled softly. "No. That's my honest way of saying... I've never heard pain sound so beautiful."
The words settled like raindrops in Rika's chest.
Then Kaori leaned in, close enough for Rika to feel the whisper of her breath. "I see you, Rika. All of you. And I don't want to run."
Rika's breath hitched. Her heartbeat thundered louder than the rain.
"I don't know what this is between us," Rika said, voice trembling. "But it terrifies me."
Kaori didn't pull away. "Good things should. If it doesn't scare you, it's not real."
Rika looked down at her hands. "What if I mess everything up?"
"Then we'll pick up the pieces together," Kaori said gently, reaching to hold Rika's hand.
Her touch was grounding. Gentle. Honest.
For a long moment, the two of them sat in stillness, the storm outside mirroring the storm within. Then Rika leaned her head against Kaori's shoulder.
"I wish the world wasn't watching," she whispered.
Kaori's voice was a breath in the rain. "Then let's close the curtains."
Scene Shift — Later That Evening
The school corridors were empty, drenched in twilight shadows. Kaori and Rika walked side by side, not touching, but their energies synced like music in harmony.
"You ever think we're just... temporary in each other's lives?" Rika asked suddenly.
Kaori glanced at her, a quiet smile on her lips. "I don't believe in temporary. Not when something feels this real."
They paused near the stairwell, the old-school lights flickering faintly overhead. Rika hesitated.
"There's something I haven't told you," she said.
Kaori turned to her fully, sensing the weight behind the words.
Rika looked up. Her eyes were glassy, vulnerable. "I used to dream of vanishing. Just disappearing so I wouldn't have to carry everything."
Kaori didn't respond immediately. She stepped forward, brushing a strand of hair from Rika's cheek. "And now?"
Rika swallowed hard. "Now... I'm scared to leave. Because I've finally found something worth staying for."
Kaori didn't say anything. She just pulled Rika into a slow, careful embrace. Not one of passion—but of truth.
And for the first time in years, Rika let herself be held.
Scene Shift — Next Morning
The sky had cleared. Sunshine poured across the schoolyard like a quiet promise. Inside the classroom, Rika sat by the window again—this time, not hiding. Just thinking.
Yui entered, eyes gleaming. "Yo, you're alive! Missed your moody aura yesterday."
Rika laughed—light and real. "Sorry to disappoint."
Yui narrowed her eyes, then smirked. "You look different."
Rika shrugged. "Maybe I feel different."
Just then, Ms. Kaori entered, her eyes scanning the room quickly before landing briefly on Rika. No smile. No nod. Just... understanding.
And it was enough.