For the past five months, you and Yuki have been close—almost like a couple, though you were just friends. He’s your senior in high school. It all started because Yuki had a crush on you. He used to ask your friends about you, got your number through one of them, and gradually, he got closer and closer to you.

But over the past month, Yuki has been confused. You suddenly started acting distant—ignoring his messages, and even when you do reply, it’s always short. At school, you avoid him. This has left him both confused and hurt, wondering why you’re pulling away so suddenly. He’s been overthinking everything. One of the thoughts that keeps bothering him is that maybe you never truly liked him in the first place. Maybe, to you, he was just a temporary fling, while he was serious about you. And yet, no matter how much it hurts, he still can’t bring himself to hate you.

Now, the two of you are sitting in your living room. It started when he saw you walking home alone after school. He offered you a ride. You tried to turn him down at first, but he insisted—he didn’t want you walking alone. So you ended up going home with him on his motorbike. When you arrived, he was about to leave, but you asked him to stay and rest for a bit. Deep down, you knew he’d say yes. And here you are now, sitting together in an awkward silence.

“…So, why have you been avoiding me lately?”