Chapter 74 – "Moments Between What's Lost and What's Left"
The rain had passed, but the sky still wore a cloak of gray. The streets of Hoshikawa City were wet and shimmering under the soft sun, like a mirror trying to reflect a broken world. The group had dispersed after the confrontation—each of them carrying different fragments of the same storm in their hearts.
Inside the Hayashi apartment, the room was filled with a strange silence.
Naoto stood by the window, his fingers curled into the edge of the curtain. Below, he could see people walking, the ordinary world continuing as if nothing had changed. But inside him… everything had.
Behind him, the quiet rustle of blankets marked his mother's faint movement. He turned. Hana Hayashi, pale and tired but smiling, lay on her bed, her eyes open as they met his.
"You didn't sleep much, did you?" she asked softly.
Naoto shook his head. "Too much in my mind."
"Your friends… they were worried."
"I know. Rika… was here." He hesitated, then sat beside the bed. "She cried."
His mother reached out, her frail hand landing on his. "You remind me so much of your father. Strong but carrying too much."
Naoto didn't reply. Instead, he let the silence stretch, letting the sound of the breeze brushing against the glass fill the room.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything," she whispered. "About Himari. About what your father wanted. About the reason we asked you to stay quiet."
"You were protecting me."
"And yourself," she admitted. "But you're not a child anymore, Naoto. And maybe it's time you stopped living like one."
His gaze dropped. "I don't even know who I am anymore."
"Then maybe," she said, "it's time to find out. For your sake. Not for mine. Not for Himari's. Not even for Rika's."
A moment later, a knock broke the quiet. It was Souta.
Naoto blinked at him. "You came early."
Souta gave a sheepish smile. "Didn't sleep much either."
"I figured."
Souta stepped inside. "Is it okay if we talk?"
Naoto nodded and followed him out to the balcony.
---
Outside, the wind carried the scent of rain and spring. Souta leaned on the railing, his expression unreadable.
"I wanted to say something," Souta began. "Not as your friend. Just… as someone who's watching this happen."
Naoto waited.
"You're hurting. So is Rika. But neither of you is saying what you really want."
Naoto looked down. "And what if what I want hurts everyone else?"
Souta turned to him. "Then it's your job to decide if it's worth it."
The words hit harder than expected.
After a pause, Naoto asked, "How's Rika?"
"She's not talking much. Staying with Aiko today. Said she needed space."
Naoto swallowed. "I should see her."
"Not yet," Souta said firmly. "Let her figure out what she wants, too."
---
Later that evening, in a quiet room in the Hayato estate, Rika stared at the photo album on her lap. It was filled with pictures of her as a child—laughing, frowning, learning to ride a bike. Naoto appeared in some of them, faint and blurry in the background, long before she remembered who he was.
Aiko sat beside her, silent.
"I don't hate him," Rika whispered. "Even after everything."
"I know."
"But I can't forgive him either… not yet."
"You don't have to," Aiko said gently. "You just need to decide what you want to do with the feelings left behind."
"I don't want to forget him."
"No one's asking you to."
Tears welled up in Rika's eyes. "Then why does it feel like I'm already losing him?"
Aiko pulled her into a hug. "Because love doesn't always end the way we want."
---
The next day…
The friend group gathered near the riverbank—the same spot where they once shared a carefree picnic.
Naoto, Rika, Souta, Aiko, and the others stood in a quiet circle. It wasn't joyful. But it wasn't broken, either.
"I think we need a new start," Mei said softly.
Himari—Mei no longer—watched Naoto quietly. "You're all strong. But sometimes, it's okay to lean on each other."
The group nodded.
Rika met Naoto's eyes for the first time in days.
He stepped forward. "Rika—"
She raised a hand. "I'm not ready. But I'm not walking away either."
Naoto nodded slowly.
It wasn't a resolution.
It wasn't a promise.
But it was… something.
---
Mini flashback – Naoto's childhood
In a dusty park under the late afternoon sun, a young Naoto stood beside a girl with silver-brown hair. Himari.
"Promise me you'll never forget how to smile," she whispered, handing him a paper flower she made.
"I won't," he said, gripping it tightly.
He had broken that promise over and over. But now…
Maybe he'd find it again.
---
Back in the present…
As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, Souta glanced at Rika, her face painted in orange light.
He didn't say much.
But he stayed beside her.
And for now, that was enough.
---