The Evening Arrived Quieter Than Expected. After The Long Hours Of Revision And Notes Spread Across Desks, The World Outside Began To Blur Into A Soft, Distant Hum — The Kind That Made Everything Feel Temporarily Still.
Ren Sat By His Window, The Pale Orange Light Of Dusk Brushing Against His Face. His Notebook Lay Open, Filled With Equations And Half-Scribbled Thoughts. But None Of Them Mattered Right Now. His Mind Drifted Somewhere Else.
He Wondered How Miyu Was Studying. Whether She Was Still Awake. Whether She Felt That Quiet Fear That Seeped In Right Before An Important Day — The Fear Of Not Meeting Expectations. He Knew That Feeling Too Well.
He Reached For His Phone, Hesitated For A Moment, Then Typed.
[Ren]: You Still Awake?
The Message Was Read Almost Instantly.
[Miyu]: Yeah… Trying To Be.
[Ren]: Tired?
[Miyu]: A Little. It's Hard To Focus Tonight.
[Ren]: Same Here. Everything Feels Loud For Some Reason.
There Was A Pause. The Kind That Didn't Feel Empty, Just… Thoughtful.
[Miyu]: Do You Ever Get Scared Of Forgetting Everything Tomorrow?
[Ren]: Every Time. Even When I Know I Studied Enough, My Mind Starts Doubting Itself.
[Miyu]: …Me Too.
For A Moment, Ren Leaned Back Against The Chair, Letting Out A Breath He Didn't Know He Was Holding. It Was Strange How Her Words Could Make Him Feel Seen — Like They Shared The Same Quiet Fear That No One Else Admitted Out Loud.
[Miyu]: It's Funny. Everyone Thinks I'm Confident. But I'm Just… Scared Of Falling Behind.
[Ren]: You Won't. You're Stronger Than You Think.
[Miyu]: You Sound So Sure Of That.
[Ren]: Because I've Seen You Work For It. You Don't Just Study, You Fight For It. I Admire That.
The Typing Bubble Appeared, Then Stopped, Then Appeared Again.
[Miyu]: …Thank You. That Means More Than You Think.
Ren Looked At The Screen For A While, Unsure Of What To Say Next. He Just Smiled A Little To Himself — The Kind Of Smile That Stayed Quiet, Hidden Beneath The Breath Of The Evening.
[Miyu]: Ren?
[Ren]: Yeah?
[Miyu]: I Hope You'll Do Well Too. I Know You Will.
[Ren]: We'll Both Do Fine. Maybe Not Perfect, But Fine.
[Miyu]: That's Enough.
The Conversation Stayed On Screen For A Long Time, Even After It Ended. Neither Of Them Wanted To Close The Chat, As If Doing So Would Break The Stillness They Had Built Between Words.
Outside, The Wind Shifted. Somewhere, A Night Bird Called.
Ren Closed His Notebook At Last. The Notes Could Wait. For Tonight, This Quiet Exchange — This Honest, Unspoken Understanding — Was Enough.
He Typed One Last Message Before Turning Off His Phone.
[Ren]: Good Night, Miyu.
[Miyu]: Good Night, Ren.
And Just Like That, The Night Grew Gentle Again — Carrying Their Small Fears And Soft Hopes Into The Next Day.
—
The Morning Arrived Wrapped In A Thin, Gentle Coldness.
The Kind That Slipped In Through Half-Closed Windows, Carrying The Smell Of Dew And Distant Silence.
Ren Woke Earlier Than Usual. The Room Still Rested In Faint Shadows, His Desk Scattered With Books From The Night Before. He Sat There For A While, The Quiet Stretching Beside Him Like A Familiar Companion. His Eyes Drifted Over The Half-Open Notebook, Words Blurring Into Thought.
He Didn't Feel Nervous—Not Exactly. It Was Something Softer. A Restless Kind Of Awareness That Lingered In His Chest, Knowing The Day Would Test Him In Its Own Quiet Way.
Downstairs, The Scent Of Toast Hung In The Air. Riko Sat At The Table, Swinging Her Legs As She Ate.
"You Look Half Dead," She Said Between Bites.
Ren Reached For His Cup, Barely Lifting His Eyes. "Morning To You Too."
"Did You Even Sleep?"
"A Bit."
Riko Grinned. "You Should Rest More. You're Not Gonna Look Cool If You Faint In The Middle Of The Exam."
He Let Out A Small Sound That Might Have Been A Laugh. "I'll Keep That In Mind."
The Morning Passed In That Easy, Domestic Rhythm—Riko's Casual Teasing, The Soft Clink Of Cups, The Unspoken Sense That Both Knew This Week Mattered More Than They Said Aloud.
By The Time Ren Reached School, The Hallways Were Alive With That Familiar Pre-Exam Buzz. Students Whispered Formulas, Flipped Through Notes, Pretended To Be Calm. The Noise Wasn't Loud—Just Constant, Like A Low Hum Beneath The Fluorescent Lights.
Kaito Was Already In The Classroom When Ren Walked In, Leaning Against His Desk With His Head Tilted Back.
"You Survived The Night," Kaito Said, Voice Flat But Eyes Still Sharp.
"Barely," Ren Replied, Dropping Into His Chair.
"I Tried To Study History," Kaito Added, "Ended Up Staring At My Ceiling For Two Hours. Maybe That's Mental Preparation."
Ren Smiled Faintly. "That's Still Something."
Their Laughter Was Quiet, The Kind That Stayed Between Friends Who Knew How Little Either Of Them Slept.
Then Miyu Walked In. Her Hair Was Neat, Her Books Stacked Perfectly In Her Arms. She Looked Composed, But Her Eyes—They Carried That Same Quiet Strain Everyone Else Tried To Hide. The Kind Only Someone Paying Close Attention Would Notice.
When Her Gaze Met His, Ren Gave A Small Nod. Not Quite A Smile, Not Quite A Greeting—Just Something Wordless That Said, You'll Be Fine.
And For A Brief Second, He Saw Her Shoulders Ease, Like She Understood Without Him Having To Say Anything At All.
The Bell Rang. Desks Straightened. Question Papers Passed From Hand To Hand. Then Silence—That Deep, Pressing Kind That Always Came With Exams. Only The Scratch Of Pens, The Turning Of Pages, The Soft Shifting Of Breath.
Ren Focused, But His Thoughts Drifted Now And Then. At One Point, His Eyes Lifted—Just A Glimpse. Miyu Sat Two Rows Ahead, Her Head Bent Over The Page, Light From The Window Tracing A Line Through Her Hair. There Was Something Steady About Her—Something That Made The Room Feel Less Heavy.
By The Time The Exam Ended, The Air In The Room Felt Looser. Desks Shifted, Voices Returned. Kaito Let Out A Long Breath Beside Him.
"Well," He Said, Stretching His Arms Over His Head. "That Was A War."
"At Least We Survived," Ren Replied, Gathering His Papers.
As They Stood, Miyu Passed By Their Desk, Her Bag Slung Over One Shoulder. She Paused Briefly, Just Enough For Her Words To Find Him.
"You Did Fine, Right?"
"I Think So," He Said.
Her Smile Was Soft, Barely There, But Real. "Good. That's Enough For Today."
She Walked Toward The Door, Sunlight Catching The Edge Of Her Hair As She Stepped Out.
Ren Watched For A Second Longer Than He Meant To. Somehow, That Small Moment—Her Smile, Her Calm Voice, The Quiet Ease Between Them—Felt Like The Only Reward He Needed For The Day.
—
The Evening Fell Slowly — Like The World Was Taking Its Time To Breathe After A Long Day.
Ren Sat By His Window, Elbows Resting On The Desk. The Streetlights Outside Flickered One By One, Filling The Room With A Soft Orange Glow. His Notes Lay Open In Front Of Him, But The Words Had Stopped Meaning Anything An Hour Ago.
He Traced A Line On The Page With His Pencil, Not Reading — Just Thinking. About The Exam. About The Days Left. About How Each Evening Felt A Little Quieter Now.
Riko Knocked Lightly On His Door Before Peeking In.
"Still Studying?"
"Trying To," He Said Without Looking Up.
"You'll Burn Out If You Keep That Up."
He Smiled A Little. "You Sound Like Mom."
"That's Because She Told Me To Say It."
She Walked In, Holding A Cup Of Warm Milk, Setting It Next To His Notes. For A Moment, She Looked At Him — Then At The Pile Of Books — And Said Softly, "You're Different This Week."
Ren Raised A Brow. "Different?"
"Yeah. Quieter. But… Not The Usual Quiet. Feels Like You're Thinking About Something You Won't Say."
He Didn't Answer Right Away. Just Looked Out The Window, Watching The Street Emptying Below.
"Maybe," He Said Finally. "Just… A Lot On My Mind."
Riko Nodded, Not Pressing Further. "You'll Be Fine." She Turned Toward The Door, Then Added, "Don't Overthink Too Much. That's Miyu's Job."
He Glanced Up, Half Surprised, Half Amused. "What?"
Riko Smirked. "Everyone Can Tell. You Two Think Too Much For Your Own Good."
Before He Could Reply, She Slipped Out, The Door Clicking Softly Behind Her.
The Room Fell Quiet Again. The Kind Of Quiet That Didn't Feel Empty — Just Full Of Thoughts He Didn't Know How To Shape Yet.
He Reached For His Phone Without Thinking. The Screen Lit Up, Showing Their Group Chat — Kaito Complaining About The Exam Again, Chika Sending A Picture Of Her Notes Doodled With Angry Faces, Vicky And Mahito Joking In Between.
It Felt Normal. Warm, Even. But Then His Eyes Drifted To One Name.
Miyu.
Her Messages Were Short, Simple. "Study Breaks Are Important."
Followed By, "We Should Go Over English Together Before The Next One."
Ren Typed For A Moment — Then Erased It. Typed Again — Erased Again.
Finally, He Wrote: Maybe Tomorrow Evening?
The Message Stayed On The Screen For A Few Seconds Before He Sent It.
He Waited.
The Reply Came Quicker Than He Expected.
Tomorrow Works. Let's All Meet After Lunch. My Place Is Quiet.
Ren Stared At The Message Longer Than Necessary. His Fingers Hovered Over The Screen, Then Typed Back, Sure.
He Put The Phone Down. The Room Felt The Same, Yet Something Small Shifted Inside Him — Like The Promise Of Tomorrow Had Pulled His Thoughts A Little Closer To Somewhere He Couldn't Quite Name.
Outside, The Wind Moved Through The Trees, Carrying The Sound Of The Night With It.
And For The First Time That Week, Ren Closed His Notebook And Let Himself Rest.
To Be Continued....