Present Day-
Usagi's POV:
"Oi, baka, spacing out?" I asked, still resting my head on his lap, eyes half-closed in lazy comfort.
He blinked and looked down at me, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Just remembered how I felt betrayed… and how I ended up yelling at you on call, right before your birthday…"
I sat up with a grin, lightly slapping his shoulder again and again with playful scolds. "Fufufu~ and I remember how I became the first one to slap you, huh!"
He chuckled under his breath, his eyes softening as he watched me. "Yeah… and I didn't even mind."
"You better not," I stuck my tongue out before resting my head back onto his shoulder this time. "You deserved it."
His hand quietly found mine as the silence between us grew warm, not awkward. Just… ours.
Flashback 1 year 5 moths ago:
My phone buzzed on the table, and I saw his name flash across the screen. Okami-kun.
A soft smile tugged at my lips as I quickly wiped my hands and picked it up.
"Hello?"
But before I could even say anything more—
"Can't you pick up the damn phone or were you thinking should I pick or let him be, haha."
I froze.
His voice—it was sharp. Rough. Nothing like the Okami I knew. My smile dropped.
"Okami-kun? What happened? Why are you saying something like that? Why are you so angry…?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
His reply came like a stab to the chest.
"Don't you pretend—just get here."
What? Get there? What was going on?
I tried to explain, to calm him down, to tell him I was actually—
"Okami-kun, I can't… I'm actually busy with something import—"
"Don't avoid me!! I said meet me here. You know where, right? Just come here. I'm waiting."
And then—
Click.
He hung up.
I stood there, still holding the phone to my ear, the silence on the other end ringing louder than anything else.
I grabbed my bag, untied my apron and leave in hurry as i reached,I rushed up the stairs, my chest tight, heartbeat uneven. I didn't even stop to catch my breath as I pushed open the rooftop door.
No one was there—just him.
Standing near the edge with his back to me. The wind ruffled his hair, and for a second, I hesitated.
But then I stepped closer.
"O… Okami-kun?" I called softly, almost afraid of how he'd respond.
He turned.
His eyes met mine—calm, but in that unnerving way that looked like he'd forced them to be. Eyes that held in far too much. I could see the storm behind them, barely contained.
Then he snapped.
"Oh, so now you had time?" he said, voice sharp, laced with something too heavy for sarcasm.
"What happened to that important work you mentioned?"
I flinched.
Not because he raised his voice—but because of what I heard underneath it.
Pain. Disappointment.
And worst of all… doubt.
"Okami-kun, I was still busy! It's just… you asked me like this, so I couldn't ignore your request!" I said quickly, clutching my hands together. "Why are you being so harsh all of a sudden…?"
His eyes narrowed.
Then—BAM!—he slammed his hand against the rooftop wall.
I jumped, a gasp caught in my throat.
"Oh, now you're asking me why I'm being harsh!?" he barked, voice trembling not with rage… but with hurt.
"Didn't you say I'm your friend!? That we all are!?" His voice cracked as he went on. "Then what happened to it, huh!? Suddenly you're busy—and so are the others!? At the exact same time?"
I blinked, startled. I felt my lips part, but no words came right away. My heart ached, seeing him like this—seeing the way he was barely holding himself together.
"Eh… w-what you might mean…" I managed softly, eyes shifting away. "Everyone might have their own reason…"
I tried to stay calm. Tried to protect the secret we were holding so tightly. But his gaze was burning into me like he was trying to pull the truth straight from my chest.
And I didn't know how much longer I could hold it in.
"You all are going out, having fun… I saw that!" His voice cracked, a bitter mix of hurt and betrayal lacing every word. "I saw you all… and I'm not part of it."
"N-No, Okami-kun, it's not what you thi—"
"Don't worry." He cut me off sharply, but his voice softened midway, almost breaking. "I don't care. I really don't… And I know… I shouldn't have expected anything. Anything like having a normal life again…" His hand clenched into a fist at his side.
I opened my mouth, but the next words hit harder.
"But you're not someone who would do that, that's what I wanted to believe… But you're also like that right now. Why…?"
"No… Okami-kun… I'm not!" I protested, my voice trembling as my heart pounded against my chest.
And then—he suddenly stepped closer, his hand reaching out to grab my wrist—not forcefully, but firmly, like he was trying to stop me from slipping away again.
His eyes locked onto mine, shining with questions and pain.
"Why are you ignoring me? Didn't you say… you want to be by my side? That I'm your friend?" His voice lowered, breaking with emotion. "I didn't do anything… anything to be guilty of. I can live normally too… then why are you giving me the cold shoulder…?"
I felt breathless. His grip, his eyes, his pain—it was too much.
He was always the quiet one, the one who kept everything bottled up. And now he was bursting, all at once.
And I… I was the reason.
"Okami-kun… the thing is… we all are—"
But before I could finish, he cut me off again—this time, his voice wasn't sharp. It was trembling.
"Usagi… it hurts."
I blinked. His hand was still holding onto my wrist, but it didn't feel like restraint—it felt like desperation. Like if he let go now, he might fall apart.
"When you ignore me… it hurts."
His gaze dropped slightly, like the weight of his own heart was too heavy for him to carry.
"Even when my family abandoned me... when my mother stopped talking to me... when my sister said she hated me..."
He laughed, bitterly—so unlike him.
"I thought I'd become immune to being ignored. I really did."
I felt my chest tighten.
"Maybe I didn't hurt back then because I had anger… or maybe because they never even tried to understand me. Maybe that was worse. They never trusted me. They never wanted to."
His grip loosened slightly.
"But you… Usagi…"
His eyes finally looked up, shimmering—not with tears, but with something even heavier.
"You were the one who stood by my side when you didn't even know me."
"You came into my life with that silly lunchbox… just a day after something really bad happened to me."
"You didn't ask. You didn't push. You just sat there. Like it was okay. Like I was okay."
I bit my lip hard. My throat felt tight.
"You stood against everyone who made fun of me… who told you not to bother with me. You even… even changed my mom's view of me in these last six months. Every little thing you've done…"
He paused, struggling to keep his voice steady.
"It's all something I never thought I'd deserve…"
His voice trailed off, and silence fell between us for a moment.
I was still holding my breath.
He was breaking in front of me.
And it was me who had let go first.
"I don't deserve anything. I know I don't."
His voice cracked. His eyes were lowered, like he couldn't bear to look at me anymore.
"I don't even deserve your kindness…"
He let out a broken laugh, so soft, so bitter.
"Even after you being all kind to someone like me… I yelled at you. Just because you ignored me for a few days."
His shoulders shook.
"I don't… I don't really deserve your kindness, Usagi-chan…"
He slowly let go of my wrist, like he was letting go of a lifeline.
"But even if I don't… I know I don't…"
He finally looked at me, and my heart shattered.
"What do I do, Usagi-chan? You ignoring me… it hurts so much."
And just like that, I forgot how to stand still.
Because I was the one hurting him.
The one he believed in the most.
The one he thought would never leave his side.
I let my hands tremble, and I stepped forward.
My voice came out softer than I wanted—barely above a whisper.
"Okami-kun…"
I don't know what came over me, but my body moved on its own. I simply leaned closer and hugged him. It wasn't like me—but it didn't make me blush or feel shy. I just felt like... he needed it.
My head rested against his chest. I couldn't see his face, but after a few seconds, he held me back—gently. His arms wrapped around me, and his cheek rested on my head as he whispered,
"Usagi-chan... I tried... I tried... really hard."
I loosened my hug and looked up at him, confused. His eyes met mine, and the look in them… it wasn't weakness. It was the weight of something he'd been carrying for far too long.
"I've seen you a thousand times... yet this restlessness—it won't go away. I keep telling myself to stop, to not feel this way... but my heart just doesn't listen."
He paused, his voice soft but heavy.
"Just one more glance, one more moment… it's never enough. I don't need the sunshine, Usagi-chan... I just want the warmth of you—your presence, your comfort. Even if I'm scared... even if I shouldn't..."
His hand trembled slightly as it brushed against mine.
"I want to stay in your heart... like you've been staying in mine all this time."
"I... I love you, Usagi-chan. Will you be the one I can finally call home?"
is voice echoed in my chest, "Will you be the one I can finally call home?"
Huh...?
My breath hitched, eyes widening. The world around me felt like it stopped moving, the wind halting mid-air, even the soft hum of the city seemed to fade into silence.
I just... froze.
The way he looked at me—so raw, so vulnerable, like everything he ever had left to give was in that one sentence—it felt too much, too sudden. My heart pounded so loudly I was afraid he'd hear it.
And then he repeated it again, softer, almost a whisper, like he was scared I didn't hear it the first time.
"Will you be?"
That's when it hit me—he was scared.
Scared that he ruined something.
Scared I'd walk away.
Scared that he opened up only to be abandoned again.
I saw it... in his eyes. That trembling flicker—of hope being crushed before his very eyes.
I panicked.
My body moved backward, just a step. But that step… it hurt him more than a slap could ever do.
His expression shattered. Like a boy realizing he shouldn't have spoken. His lips parted slightly, his eyes wide, his breath caught—
Don't look at me like that, Okami-kun… please...
I wanted to speak—say something, anything. But words refused to come out.
Why am I the one shaking now…?
His scared, lost eyes turned determined as he took a step forward. He reached for my hand, holding both of my hands tightly. He leaned his head down, resting his eyes on the back of my palm, as if trying to gather his thoughts before speaking.
"I don't have anything to give you..." He paused, his voice soft but heavy with the weight of his insecurities. "Family? No. House? No. Money? No. Even I'm not someone you can proudly say, 'he's my boyfriend.' I'm a scaredy-cat, awkward, introverted, socially anxious, and I don't know anything. I'm not good at anything. I'm not even good-looking… I probably shouldn't have said this, but..."
His voice faltered, but he didn't look away. He looked up into my eyes, still holding my hand, his grip firm as though he was trying to hold onto something real.
"I have no world. I have nothing in my world. But after meeting you..."
He took a shaky breath, his eyes searching mine as if trying to find the right words.
I don't know why but...
"I wish to build a whole new world with you. May there never be even the slightest distance between us. Let it be just you, just me—no one else."
His voice grew softer, more vulnerable.
"Since I've picked up your habits, even a moment without you feels like a lifetime."
Then, he smiled, the first real smile I'd seen from him in a while. "Since I met you, I've learned how to smile again... You brought me onto this path of love, usagi chan. Today, I've understood what it means to truly live."
His grip tightened around my hand, the raw emotion in his gaze undeniable.
"Don't ever make me a stranger, usagi chan... for if you do… I'll be shattered."
His hands… were warm. Shaking. Clinging to mine like they were his last lifeline.
When he rested his forehead on the back of my hand, my breath caught. It was so quiet, yet every word from him crashed into me like waves—soft but unrelenting.
Each sentence, each truth he laid bare—it wasn't just a confession. It was a soul unraveling before me.
He thought so low of himself.
So undeserving.
So broken.
And yet… he still had the strength to hold my hands and say he wanted to build a world with me.
My chest ached, and I didn't know why… but my eyes burned.
I wanted to scream, "You're wrong!"
I wanted to say, "You've always been someone worth loving!"
But I stood there, stunned by the sheer honesty in his voice. No excuses. No filters. Just... him.
That smile—
That real, tender smile...
It made my heart twist.
Even though I had reasons for my distance... even though I thought I was protecting something precious...
Maybe I ended up hurting the one person who treasured me the most.
His words weren't poetry. They weren't perfect.
But they were the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard.
He was right here—offering me not gifts, not dreams, but himself.
And when he said, "Don't ever make me a stranger…"
I felt my soul break.
Because I never wanted to. Not once. Not ever.
I took a deep breath and said, "No."
His eyes widened, and I felt his hands loosen, like he was already preparing to walk away.
But I quickly held his hands tighter and stepped closer.
"No, not like that. I'm not rejecting you—I'm stopping you from misunderstanding everything."
He looked at me, confused, almost scared.
"I never wanted you to feel like a stranger. Not even for a second."
I exhaled slowly. "These past few days... we weren't avoiding you. We were planning your birthday surprise, you idiot."
His brows lifted in shock, and I gave a small, wobbly smile.
"We didn't want you to find out too early. That's all. No one's gotten tired of you. No one's leaving you behind."
I lowered my gaze for a second, then looked back into his eyes.
"And as for me..." I hesitated, then nodded slightly. "Even after seeing you every day... it still doesn't feel like enough."
"My birthday?" he mumbled, almost in disbelief. "It's… it's the 23rd tomorrow. How did you even know?"
He looked completely stunned. His voice softened even more as he continued,
"Even my family… they never celebrated it. Not even before they abandoned me. So I just… I stopped thinking about it a long time ago."
His eyes dropped to the floor as the weight of everything hit him at once.
"So you were… all this time… you were busy planning something like that?"
He took a step back, releasing his hands from mine. "And I… I yelled at you. Said all those awful things."
Before I could say anything, he quickly bowed his head, again and again.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of it. I'm really sorry. I ruined all the effort you put in... and I hurt you. I'm so, so sorry, Usagi-chan."
"Gruh… wait," I said, quickly stepping forward. I placed my hands on his head mid-bow, gently stopping him. "Just stop saying sorry, okay? Let me speak first."
I slowly lifted his head so he was looking at me. And then… I don't know why—I slapped him.
He didn't flinch. He just stared at me, confused, like he was trying to process what just happened.
"I… I'm sorry," I said softly, lowering my hand. "I didn't mean to hit you like that, I swear. I know I have no right. I just—needed to let something out."
My voice trembled a little, frustration catching up to me. "I'm human too, okay? And you… you keep trash-talking yourself like you're nothing—and I hate it. I hate when you do that."
I looked him straight in the eyes, voice cracking slightly.
"And yeah… maybe that slap was for ruining the surprise and also for making me feel like I'm the bad person here—like I'd ever treat you like a stranger, when all I was trying to do was plan something special for you!"
I paused, taking a breath.
"Can't you trust me even a little, baka? Ugh… anyway, I'm sorry for the slap."
"Uh… it's… it's fine," he mumbled, rubbing the spot I slapped, but not letting go of my hand. "But, you know… no one's ever hit me before. Like, ever. So… I guess I'm kinda mad. But not the kind of mad where I wanna yell or anything…"
"Eh?!" My eyes widened. I quickly bowed my head. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I swear! I-I don't know why my hand moved on its own. Please don't get mad… If it helps, you're free to hit me back too!"
He blinked at me, caught off guard… then gave a small smirk.
"Nah… I won't hit you back."
"Eh?" I tilted my head.
He leaned a little closer, eyes playful now.
"Just give me something else to make up for the slap."
"Something else…? Like what…?"
He looked right into my eyes, no hesitation this time.
"Say yes to my confession."
Ah—oh… right. We were in the middle of that... That was a confession... I totally forgot with everything going on!
My heart skipped. My brain scrambled.
Guhhh how do I say yes again?! Why is it so sudden?! Now I feel all shy…
I looked away, cheeks warming up, fiddling with the hem of my sleeve. "U-um… c-can I… say it with a nod instead…?"
He just chuckled, and the way he looked at me in that moment—like I was the most precious thing in his entire world—yeah, maybe that was my answer too.