It's been days. No, weeks. Time moves at its usual pace, unaffected by the monotony of my existence. Days are just another string of unimportant moments.
Yuzuki still sits next to me. Every day, she speaks. Some words about school, others about the weather. Simple things. Trivial. But each word... it hits differently. It's strange. I don't know why it's happening, but I can't ignore it anymore.
I've never cared about people, about what they say or do. But she's different. Even though I never respond, she continues. Her persistence is... almost admirable. It doesn't matter how cold I am. It doesn't matter that I don't engage. She keeps coming back. As if her words are enough to bridge the distance I've built.
"Kaoru," she says one morning, "Why do you never smile?"
I turn my gaze to her. She's sitting there, with that same warm expression on her face. Her eyes are bright, full of sincerity, and it unsettles me. I don't know how to answer. I don't even know if I need to.
"People don't need to smile," I say, my voice flat, emotionless. "It's not important."
"But it's nice to see people happy, isn't it?" she asks, her tone playful yet gentle.
I stare out of the window, avoiding her gaze. "Happiness is... just another fleeting moment. It's pointless."
Her words hang in the air, but she doesn't press further. Instead, she just waits. Her silence is different from mine. It's not uncomfortable, not full of expectations. It's just... there. It makes me feel something. And I don't like it.
The days continue. I remain silent, absorbed in my own thoughts. But there's something nagging at me now. A shift. A pull. Something about her words and presence makes my indifference harder to maintain. I don't want to acknowledge it, but it's there. In every quiet conversation, in every shared moment of silence.
She speaks more and more, and I listen. Not because I care, but because her words are different. They don't follow the same pattern of predictable, meaningless chatter I'm used to hearing. Her words feel... real.
And I don't know what to do with that.
One day, she doesn't speak. She simply sits next to me, watching the rain fall outside the window. I glance at her. Her gaze is distant, but her presence is steady. She doesn't ask for anything. She doesn't demand anything from me. She just is.
I can't stand it.
"You don't need to sit here," I say, my voice harsh. "There are plenty of other people. Why waste your time on someone like me?"
She looks at me then. Her expression is calm, understanding. And in her eyes, there's no judgment. No pity. Just... quiet. She doesn't say anything. She just nods and continues to sit there. As if her silence is a choice, not a failure to engage.
And somehow, it bothers me even more.
Days pass. Her presence, like a quiet storm, lingers around me. I can't push her away. Not physically, not mentally. I find myself observing her. Not with interest, but with curiosity. Why does she persist? Why does she keep coming back, knowing how cold I am? What is it about her that makes her different?
I don't know. But I'm starting to wonder if I ever will.