After washing up at Kei's house, Haru drove to Sakura's home. They had agreed to go to university together, and though Haru hadn't wanted to her to be alone, part of him worried that being with her would make it harder to keep up the facade.
As soon as Sakura saw his car parked outside, she rushed downstairs, stepping out the front door before he even had the chance to honk.
She's excited.
A fleeting sense of guilt struck Haru. He should be happy to see her, but last night's events weighed on him too much. Still, he forced himself to smile.
"Good morning, Sakura." His voice was warm, as if nothing was wrong.
"Good morning," she replied, but her smile wavered the second she got a good look at him.
Her sharp eyes immediately caught the dark circles beneath his.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked, her tone deceptively light. She already knew the answer, but she wanted to see how he would reply.
"Very well," Haru said smoothly. Then, before she could probe further, he tilted his head and smirked. "And by how beautiful you look today, I can tell that you did too."
It was an effortless deflection. Too effortless.
Sakura felt her stomach twist.
She knew Haru too well. When something was wrong he had a habit of drumming his fingers against his thighs, a subtle, repetitive motion he probably didn't even realise he was doing. And right now? His fingertips were tapping an uneven rhythm against his leg.
The sight only deepened her worry.
Haru wasn't just tired—he was hiding something.
Her fingers twitched. She wanted to press him on it. But she knew Haru—if he wasn't ready to talk, no amount of questioning would get through to him.
"Kei might now," she thought. "If Haru won't tell me, I'll just ask Kei. He'll tell me the truth."
Haru opened the car door for her. "Shall we?"
She didn't move.
Instead, she turned to him and, before he could react, reached up and gently cupped his face in her hands. Then she rested her forehead against his, her warm breath mingling with his own.
Haru stiffened.
"Sakura—"
"Shh." She whispered.
She searched his tired, conflicted eyes.
"Haru," she murmured, her thumbs lightly tracing along his jaw. "If we're going to be together, I want us to be honest with each other. If something's bothering you, tell me. I don't want you carrying it alone."
A flicker of something crossed his expression, but she wasn't finished.
"I don't want our relationship to be one-sided," she continued, her voice firm but gentle. "I don't want to just lean on you when I need help—I want to be someone you can lean on too. I don't want you pretending to be okay just because you think it'll make things easier for me."
Haru hesitated, his hands instinctively settling over hers. He didn't pull away, but he didn't answer, either.
For a moment, he just stared at her, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as he swallowed.
He wanted to tell her.
For the briefest second, he almost did.
But then, his grip on her hands loosened.
How could he tell her today of all days?
This was her first day back at university after everything Kenji had put her through. He knew how hard it would be for her—the stares, the whispers, the endless reminders of what happened. The last thing she needed was to worry about him too.
No.
He wouldn't do that to her.
So, as much as it hurt to shut her out, he forced himself to smile and gently pulled away from her grasp.
"It's nothing you need to worry about," he said softly.
Sakura's heart sank.
She had tried. And yet, here he was, still shutting her out.
But she knew better than to push him when he was like this.
So instead, she just gave him a small nod, though the heaviness in her chest remained.
"…Alright," she said quietly.
And with that, they got into the car and headed for campus.
…
Sakura felt the stares before she even stepped through the doors.
People weren't even trying to be subtle about it. Eyes darted toward her, whispers spread like wildfire, voices hushed but sharp, slipping through the air like poisoned arrows.
"That's her. The girl Kenji tried to—"
"I heard she fought him off."
"No way. If Haru hadn't shown up, who knows what would've happened?"
But she didn't falter.
Haru's grip tightened on her hand as they walked together, a silent show of solidarity.
"The Halloween party is tomorrow," she said suddenly, trying to lighten the mood. "Do you have your costume?"
Haru stiffened slightly.
Shit.
His costume was still in his apartment—his apartment, where they had been. He wasn't ready to go back there just yet. Maybe he could get Kei to grab it for him.
"Haru?" Sakura nudged him gently. "You okay?"
"Oh. Yeah. Sorry." He forced a small smile. "I do have my costume. More importantly—are you feeling okay?"
Sakura glanced around. People were still staring, whispering, pointing.
But she just sighed.
"I'm okay. I expected this to happen, and honestly? I don't care anymore." She met his eyes. "What about you? I hate to put you in a spot like this."
"It's alright," Haru said, taking a seat in the lecture hall.
Sakura sat beside him, but as the professor started speaking, she couldn't help but glance at Haru from the corner of her eye.
There was something… off about him.
His body was present, but his mind wasn't.
His gaze flitted around the room—not in a restless, impatient way, but with purpose, as if he were searching for something.
Or someone.
Haru's shoulders relaxed slightly when he didn't seem to find whoever it was. Then, exhaustion finally caught up to him, and before he knew it, his head dipped forward, and he was asleep.
…
By the time the lecture ended, Haru was still asleep.
Sakura hesitated for a moment, watching him. He looked peaceful like this—softer, almost vulnerable. But she couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in her chest.
Gently, she nudged his shoulder.
"Haru? Haru?"
His eyes fluttered open, groggy and disoriented. "I fell asleep?"
"Which is odd," she said, her tone suspicious. "Considering you slept so well last night." She made air quotes with her fingers.
Haru blinked up at her, disoriented.
"Haru," she said, more serious now. "Tell me honestly—what's been troubling you?"
He averted his gaze.
That was all the answer she needed.
Sakura exhaled sharply and turned on her heel.
"Where are you going?" Haru asked.
"To the bathroom," she said simply.
Haru narrowed his eyes slightly.
But then, he noticed it—her chin lifted slightly higher than usual.
And that's when it clicked.
She's lying.
She always did that when she was hiding something.
Haru's lips curled slightly.
"Really?" he mused, stepping closer. "Then how about I join you?"
Sakura froze, a flush creeping up her neck.
Shit, he knows I'm lying.
"You can't just walk into the ladies' room," she pointed out quickly, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Haru shrugged, unfazed, his grin widening.
"Didn't stop me before," he said, voice dripping with mischief.
Sakura's breath hitched.
She remembered that day at the store—the day she had threw up after getting an offer to be advertised in a tiny vampire costume that showed almost everything, and how Haru had walked into the women's restroom without hesitation.
Of course, he wasn't actually serious now, but the way he was watching her made her pulse quicken.
Haru smirked slightly, then leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I'll wait outside until you're done."
Sakura nodded, her heart racing, as she squeezed his hand before they left the lecture hall. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, but for now, she needed to get answers from Kei.