Chapter 67: Shadows Between Us
The wind whispered through the narrow alleyways of Hoshikawa City, carrying the scent of wet earth and lingering blossoms. The sun was dipping beneath the skyline, casting long, melancholic shadows across the quiet residential blocks. In the silence, footsteps echoed—a pair of them, soft but steady, as Naoto Hayashi walked alone.
His thoughts were heavy.
Everything feels... like it's slipping through my fingers.
His hands trembled slightly in his coat pockets. It wasn't cold outside. No. This tremble came from within—a storm that hadn't yet settled, a weight that pressed against his heart every time he smiled in front of others. It was getting harder to wear the mask.
Why does everything I try to protect feel so far away?
He hadn't told Rika about the message he received. He couldn't. Not yet. The mysterious message had appeared on his old flip phone—one that only Himari and a select few even knew existed. The message was brief, but it shattered his stability:
"You can't protect both. You must choose soon."
He hadn't slept properly since.
---
Earlier That Morning
Naoto sat at the edge of his bed, the morning sun failing to chase away the fatigue from his eyes. His mother was coughing again in the next room. The sound was faint, but to him, it was as loud as thunder.
He pressed his fingers against his temples.
Was it really Shinji Hayato's company that caused this? Or... was it something else?
The fragments of the past—documents, hidden emails, whispers from a man in a hospital coat—were starting to come together like jagged puzzle pieces.
Flashback — Age 14
"Your mother's condition… it's rare, but not impossible. The trigger was likely chemical exposure," the doctor had said, closing the file with a solemn expression. "If it was industrial, you may want to look into her work environment."
Naoto remembered clutching his fists. He'd followed that lead, hunted records, even backtracked through old apartment buildings, only to find out his mother once worked near a now-demolished Hayato Corp plant.
The irony stung.
Now he was tutoring Rika Hayato—the daughter of the man whose empire may have poisoned his mother.
But Shinji Hayato wasn't the villain he expected. The man had shown him kindness. Paid for Hana's medical treatments. Treated Naoto not like a tool, but like a second son.
That contradiction was tearing him apart.
---
That Evening
Naoto stood outside the café, staring through the fogged-up glass. Inside, his friends were laughing. Souta was showing off a dumb dance move, while Aiko and Rika doubled over with laughter. Even Kenta, usually quiet, was grinning.
Naoto didn't move. He stood like a ghost outside his own life.
"You going to just stand there forever?"
The voice came from behind.
"Himari…" he turned to find her leaning against a nearby lamppost, arms folded.
"I thought I'd find you brooding."
"I wasn't brooding."
"You were," she said simply. "You've been doing it for years."
Naoto looked down.
She stepped closer, the air between them heavy with old memories.
"Is it happening again?" she asked.
Naoto didn't answer immediately.
"Yes," he finally said.
"What did they say?"
"Something I didn't want to hear."
Himari's expression darkened. "You need to tell them. Rika, the others—they care about you. You think you're protecting them, but secrets always end up bleeding into everything."
He looked into her eyes.
"I know. But if I tell Rika the truth—if I tell her what her father's company might've done—what then?"
Silence.
She broke it after a moment. "Then she chooses how to stand by you. Or she doesn't. But at least it'll be honest."
---
Inside the café, the laughter had died down.
Rika stared at the empty chair beside her. She glanced at the door again, her heart quietly aching.
Why won't he talk to me anymore?
She stood abruptly.
Aiko noticed. "Where are you going?"
"I need to find him."
---
Meanwhile, Shinji Hayato sat in his home office, poring over an old ledger. His brow was furrowed, eyes tired. His assistant, Moriyama, stood quietly nearby.
"These dates don't match," Shinji muttered. "The plant shut down in 2009, but this report says... 2011?"
Moriyama shifted. "We kept minimal operations going underground. It wasn't publicized."
Shinji looked up sharply. "Why wasn't I told?"
"You were abroad. Mr. Takazawa approved it."
Shinji's hands clenched. "Find every document related to that extension. Every worker file. I want to know if anyone was affected. Quietly."
"Yes, sir."
Shinji leaned back. A shadow passed over his eyes.
Have I been protecting something I didn't fully understand?
---
Near the riverside, Naoto walked ahead while Himari followed. The moonlight glinted off the water.
"I'm scared, Himari."
She didn't answer with words—just walked beside him.
"I'm scared of hurting her," he said, voice trembling. "Of hurting you."
Himari's eyes softened. "I've already been hurt, Naoto. But I chose to stay."
He stopped walking.
"She's changing me. Rika… she makes me want to live in the present. But you... you're my past, my promise, my anchor."
"And which one do you want to be your future?" she asked gently.
He didn't answer.
Because he didn't know.
---
At that very moment, Rika found them.
She paused at the edge of the bridge, watching them talk.
Naoto's face was raw—more open than she'd ever seen it.
And Himari was looking at him like she'd known him for lifetimes.
A part of Rika broke.
She turned away.
---
To be continued...