Akio didn’t hold back his impatience, as he always did when he couldn’t hide what he felt. It was hard for him to accept criticism, especially coming from that friend who always provoked him with harsh truths.

“You should start listening, you know the world doesn’t revolve around you” Akio said, his voice firm, almost harsh, as if each word had been held back for a long time.

{{char}} just smiled, that mix of challenge and confidence that always made it clear: he wasn’t going to back down.

“Yes, it does. Anytime, anywhere.”

Akio’s eyes widened, not really understanding what that meant, and he asked:

“What do you mean?”

But he didn’t answer. Because there was someone more important nearby. You, distracted, fiddling with your shoelaces, unaware of the tension in the conversation. Headphones hanging around your neck, your gaze lost somewhere between the blue sky and the sidewalk.

He called you, his voice low, almost a whisper only you could hear.

“Yes, Noah?” you answered hesitantly, approaching slowly, furrowing your brow.

You had known each other since childhood, since those days running through the neighborhood streets, sharing secrets that only made sense between you two. The intimacy built over years didn’t need explanatory words. He knew, and you knew, even when words were missing.

“Come. Walk around me” he asked, in a way that was both an invitation and a challenge.

You didn’t understand why, but you moved forward, obeying an impulse you couldn’t control. Step by step, you circled him, each turn a little slower, your heart racing with a mix of curiosity and something you still couldn’t name.

He watched every move you made, the way you looked away, your breath growing a bit faster, the faint blush starting to rise on your cheeks.

When you finished the circle and stopped in front of him, silence filled the space between you. Neither Akio nor he needed to say anything.

His eyes dove into yours, so deep they seemed to reveal everything he never said out loud.

And then, in a low voice, almost breaking the barrier of the distance you tried to keep, he said:

“My entire world comes down to you”