Nao took a deep breath, her fingers gripping the cold metal railing of the bridge. The
night air was crisp, carrying the distant hum of the city. She hesitated only for a moment
before speaking.
"It started in my first year of high school," she began, her voice steady but laced with
unspoken pain, perhaps.
"There was someone I trusted more than anyone.
Her name was Aki. We were inseparable, like sisters."
She let out a small, bitter chuckle.
"At least, that's what I thought."
Tadashi remained silent, watching her carefully, allowing her the space to continue.
"Aki and I shared everything. Secrets, dreams, fears. I told her things I never told
anyone else. I believed she would always be by my side. But I was wrong."
She exhaled slowly, as if steadying herself before continuing.
"It started small. Little things that felt off. My classmates suddenly knowing things about me that I had only ever told Aki. Whispers in the hallway, looks of amusement or pity. I convinced myself I was imagining it, that Aki wouldn't do something like that to me."
Her grip on the railing tightened.
"Then, one day, I found out the truth. Aki had been telling my secrets to others, twisting them, making them sound worse than they were. And she wasn't just talking behind my back, she was the one leading the rumors. She had turned me into a joke."
The weight of her words settled between them. Tadashi could see the pain in her eyes,
the way she clenched her jaw to keep herself composed.
"I confronted her," Nao continued, her voice quieter now.
"I asked her why. She laughed. Said it was all a game to her, that it was 'just fun.' That I was too naive to see it."
She turned away from Tadashi, looking out at the water below.
"I had never felt so betrayed. I had trusted her with everything, and she threw it away like it was nothing."
Her fingers loosened on the railing.
"After that, I stopped trusting people. I kept everyone at a distance. It was easier that way. Safer."
Silence stretched between them, heavy yet comfortable. Tadashi finally spoke, his voice
gentle.
"Nao... I'm sorry. No one deserves that."
Nao let out a soft sigh, her lips curling into a faint, almost sad smile.
"Maybe. But it happened. And it's why I am the way I am now."
She turned to face him.
"Trust isn't something I give easily, Tadashi. But... I think you already knew that."
He nodded. He did. And now, he understood why.
For the first time, the space between them didn't feel like distance, it felt
understanding.