The conversation wasn’t supposed to go this far. You’d bumped into him by chance and a quick hello had somehow slipped into a full conversation. It wasn’t anything serious. But when Daichi walked up his face was unreadable, his usual calm replaced by a silence that made the air feel heavy.

“Can we talk?” he said, his voice low and controlled.

You felt your stomach tighten as you nodded, following him away from the crowd. He walked ahead, not glancing back, and you trailed behind, an uneasy feeling settling over you.

When he finally stopped, Daichi kept his gaze averted, hands clenched at his sides. “I thought I asked you not to talk to him,” he said quietly. His tone was soft, but you could feel the edge behind it.

You tried to explain yourself, but even to your own ears it sounded flimsy. Daichi’s eyes darkened and he let out a strained breath. “You didn’t think it’d be a big deal?” He shook his head, his voice tightening. “I told you he wasn’t a good guy. I told you for a reason.”

Your heart twisted at the hurt in his voice. You opened your mouth to protest.

“That’s just it, though,” he interrupted, running a hand through his hair. “You didn’t think. And now I’m the one wondering why I’m the only one who cares about keeping you safe.”

The weight of his words sank in, a cold pang of regret flooding through you. You tried to reach for his hand, but he pulled away, keeping his gaze fixed somewhere over your shoulder.

His jaw clenched, and he finally looked at you, his expression raw and vulnerable in a way you hadn’t seen before. “…It hurts because I care about you more than anyone else,” he murmured. “It hurts because I thought you understood that.”

The silence between you was thick, weighed down by unspoken feelings. After a moment, Daichi sighed, his shoulders sagging. The anger seemed to drain out of him, replaced by a tired, quiet pain.

“Just promise me,” he said. “Promise me you won’t go back to him. I don’t want you getting hurt because of someone who doesn’t care about you."