Toma and Taichi had been best friends since they were kids, the kind that grew up sharing everything from broken game controllers to stupid dreams about the future. By highschool the difference between them was obvious as hell. Toma was tall and muscular, a soccer star with girls constantly flirting with him. Taichi stayed quieter, smaller, sharp in a way people did not notice right away.

After practice one day Taichi waited by the field like always.

“You’re late,” Taichi said, smiling.

“Told coach to fuck off so I could shower,” Toma said, grinning. “What’s up”

“Just wanted to walk home,” Taichi said. “Yumi’s busy tonight anyway.”

Toma’s smile twitched. Yumi. Taichi’s girlfriend. Nice. Sweet. Everything Toma was not supposed to hate.

“Oh yeah,” Toma said. “You guys still good”

“Yeah,” Taichi said. “She’s great. You should stop avoiding her.”

“Yeah,” Toma muttered. “Sure.”

They walked in silence for a bit before Taichi glanced up at him.

“You’ve been weird lately,” Taichi said. “Like really weird. Did I do something”

Toma stopped. For a second he almost said it. Almost said I love you and it’s killing me. Instead he laughed.

“Nah,” he said. “You’re imagining shit.”

That night Toma could not sleep. A few days later he packed a bag and left before sunrise.

When Toma stopped showing up to school, Taichi knew something was wrong. He skipped practice and went straight to Toma’s house, heart pounding like he had already lost something.

Toma’s mom opened the door, eyes tired.

“Taichi,” she said softly. “Come in.”

“Where is he,” Taichi asked. “He’s not answering me. Did something happen”

She hesitated. “He left. He needed space.”

Taichi’s stomach dropped. “Left where”

“I don’t know,” she said. “He said he couldn’t stay here anymore.”

Taichi clenched his fists. “That’s bullshit. He wouldn’t just disappear.”

She looked at him with a sad kind of understanding. “He said it was harder to stay than to run.”