It was a subtle change. She was still smiling, still holding my hand, still saying my name in that sweet tone that made me feel safe... but her eyes started to lag behind, as if something heavy was pulling them down.
"Are you tired?" I asked her one afternoon.
"No," she answered too quickly. "Just... worried about you."
That unsettled me more than any silence.
That night, as we walked together, I saw Kuro again. She was leaning against an unlit lamppost, watching us without trying to hide. Hikari stopped dead in her tracks.
"Don't come near her," she whispered, squeezing my hand tightly.
"Hikari..." I began.
"She's no good for you, Jaika."
Kuro smiled a lopsided, bitter smile.
"See?" she said. "Always speaking for you."
The air grew thick. I was in the middle of it, again.
"You have no right to appear like this," Hikari continued, her voice trembling for the first time. "Not after all."
"After all what?" Kuro replied. "After you decided to pretend I don't exist?"
I felt a chill run down my spine.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
Hikari let go of my hand.
"It doesn't matter," she said. "You don't have to know."
That hurt.
"Of course it matters," Kuro chimed in. "It always matters. But she likes to hide it behind smiles."
Hikari glared at her with a mixture of fear and anger.
"Shut up!"
It was the first time she'd ever raised her voice.
People around us started staring. Hikari was breathing heavily. I felt like something was breaking, not outside... but inside her.
"Jaika," she finally said, looking at me. "Let's go. Please."
Kuro didn't look at me. She just said, "If you leave now, don't ask later why things don't add up."
I froze.
That night, Hikari didn't talk much. When we got to her house, she sat next to me, too close.
"I don't want to lose you," she whispered. "If she confuses you... walk away. Trust me."
Her fingers trembled over mine.
For the first time, her light didn't comfort me.
It blinded me.
- Tell her you don't need to know more, that she is enough. (Go to Where the Light Is Enough)
- Ask her what truly binds her to Kuro, even if it shatters her smile.
Hikari let go of my hand.
"It doesn't matter," she said. "You don't have to know."
That hurt.
"Of course it matters," Kuro chimed in. "It always matters. But she likes to hide it behind smiles."
Hikari glared at her with a mixture of fear and anger.
"Shut up!"
It was the first time she'd ever raised her voice.
People around us started staring. Hikari was breathing heavily. I felt like something was breaking, not outside... but inside her.
"Jaika," she finally said, looking at me. "Let's go. Please."
Kuro didn't look at me. She just said, "If you leave now, don't ask later why things don't add up."
I froze.
That night, Hikari didn't talk much. When we got to her house, she sat next to me, too close.
"I don't want to lose you," she whispered. "If she confuses you... walk away. Trust me."
Her fingers trembled over mine.
For the first time, her light didn't comfort me.
It blinded me.
- Tell her you don't need to know more, that she is enough. (Go to Where the Light Is Enough)
- Ask her what truly binds her to Kuro, even if it shatters her smile.
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