The air between Tadashi and Nao remained heavy with the weight of her story. The city
lights shimmered in the distance, but the park felt like an isolated world, untouched by
time. Nao had laid bare a part of herself she had long kept hidden, and for a moment,
neither of them knew what to say.
Finally, Tadashi broke the silence. "After Aki... did you ever try to trust someone
again?"
Nao hesitated, as if considering her answer. "Not really," she admitted. "I had friends,
acquaintances, but I never let anyone get close enough to hurt me again." She crossed
her arms, hugging herself. "It's easier that way."
Tadashi understood that sentiment more than he wanted to admit. He, too, had been
keeping secrets, shielding himself from the weight of his own past. But Nao's honesty
was like a mirror, reflecting his own fears back at him.
"You don't think you'll ever try again?" he asked carefully.
Nao let out a small, hollow laugh. "And risk another betrayal?" She shook her head. "I
don't know if I can."
Tadashi looked up at the sky. It was the same night he had seen the vision—the star-like
spark that had slipped through his fingers again and again until he had finally caught it.
He clenched his hands into fists, remembering the desperation and determination he had
felt.
"Maybe trust isn't something you just give," Tadashi said after a moment. "Maybe it's
something you build, piece by piece."
Nao turned to look at him, her expression unreadable. "And if it breaks?"
"Then you try again," Tadashi said simply. "Not everyone will betray you, Nao."
She sighed, glancing away. "That's easy for you to say."
He gave a small smile. "Is it?"
Nao blinked, caught off guard by his response. Tadashi wasn't sure where this
confidence had come from, but something about their conversation made him want to
believe in his own words. Maybe it was because, for the first time, he wasn't just trying
to convince her, he was trying to convince himself, too.
She didn't respond right away, but the guarded look in her eyes softened, just a little.
"I'll think about it," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Tadashi nodded, not pushing any further. This was enough for now.
The night air grew colder, and the two of them stood side by side in silence, lost in their
own thoughts. For the first time in a long while, Nao felt something unfamiliar stir
within her, a fragile, hesitant hope.
And Tadashi? He felt that same spark from his vision flicker inside him once more,
waiting to be grasped.