Chapter 72: Where Light Fades, Shadows Speak
The wind howled through the empty corridors of the school rooftop as Naoto stood alone, his uniform fluttering in the cold gusts. The fading sunset cast a blood-orange hue over the horizon, and clouds loomed like forgotten memories across the sky. It had been days since the confrontation at the riverside, days since he had last spoken to Rika or even answered a call from Himari.
His heart had grown heavier, his silence deeper. And though he walked through classrooms and smiled at jokes, something had fractured within him.
"What am I doing... really doing?" Naoto whispered to no one in particular. His fingers clenched the edge of the rusting railing. Below, the city bustled with life, unaware of the storm brewing inside one teenage boy.
Flashbacks flooded him.
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A younger Naoto, barely thirteen, sat beside his mother in a hospital room that smelled of disinfectant and fading hope. Her hand, warm but fragile, held his tightly.
"You'll have to be strong, Naoto," she had said, her voice trembling. "This world isn't always kind... but you, you have a light that can guide others. Don't let it go out."
He remembered nodding, too young to grasp the weight of the promise.
---
But now, that promise felt like a burden. And that light? It flickered.
Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.
"You really do like brooding in dramatic settings," came Souta's voice, light-hearted yet edged with concern.
Naoto turned. Souta approached, hands buried in his pockets, his usual teasing smile replaced by quiet understanding.
"You disappeared on us," Souta said after a pause. "You ghosted everyone. Even Himari. Even Rika. That's not like you."
Naoto didn't reply immediately. He looked back at the skyline. "I don't know who I'm supposed to be anymore."
Souta sat beside him, leaning against the rail. "That's a crappy excuse and you know it."
Naoto chuckled weakly. "Harsh."
"Real," Souta corrected. "We're your friends, Naoto. We're not expecting you to carry everything alone. But you have to let us in."
Naoto turned his gaze to Souta. "Do you ever feel like no matter how much you try, you're just... sinking?"
Souta nodded. "Yeah. All the time. But that's why we grab each other's hands before we drown."
---
Later that night, Naoto found himself walking the dim streets toward Himari's apartment. He didn't text. He didn't call. He just walked.
Outside her building, he hesitated. But before he could turn around, the door opened.
Himari stood there in a hoodie and slippers, surprised.
"Naoto?"
He looked exhausted.
"I... didn't know where else to go."
Himari stepped aside. "Then come in."
Inside, the quiet of her home felt like a sanctuary. Photos lined the shelves—ones she never talked about. A younger Himari with a woman who looked eerily similar. Her mother, maybe. A photo with Naoto, from years ago.
She handed him tea.
"You don't have to explain everything right now," she said. "But you're not alone in this. I won't let you be."
Naoto looked up at her. "It's all so tangled. Your life, my mother, Rika's father... It's like everything's connected by some invisible thread I never noticed."
Himari sat beside him. "It is. But we'll untangle it. Together."
Silence fell between them, not awkward, but comforting.
Then she added quietly, "You once promised me something... when we were little. Do you remember?"
Naoto turned to her, his eyes wide. "I said... I'd protect your smile. Always."
"And I said I'd protect your heart, even if it was from yourself," she whispered.
A tear slipped down Naoto's cheek.
Maybe it was okay to be weak. Maybe it was okay to not have all the answers yet.
But one thing was certain—he didn't want to walk this path alone anymore.
Outside, the wind softened, and for the first time in days, Naoto felt warmth returning to his chest, as if the light his mother had once spoken of was beginning to glow again.
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End of Chapter 72