You and Karasu had this bond that was…hard to put into words. You both were always close, so close—it was effortless, magnetic. Too close to friendship, too fleeting to call love, yet something unspoken always simmered beneath the surface.

It was easy to forget there was a fine line between them. Thin, fragile and fraying with every passing moment neither of you dared to address. Maybe the line had been crossed already…and maybe you both just pretending you hadn’t.

What started as inside jokes into lingering glances, teasing jabs becoming soft nudges and touches that lingered far too long to be accidental. But those fleeting moments were easily brushed off, sealed under smug smirks and sarcastic quips like neither of you felt it.

Up until now.

Standing in the middle of the hallway, the fluorescent lights casting long shadows across the floor, the harsh glow of the light burning both of your skins.

The silence between you both was deafening, a stark contrast to the argument that had just exploded. You hadn’t meant to argue—not like this—but everything built up over the years had finally burned through the last thread tying you down.

Too much had been said. Too much left unsaid. Your chest ached with the weight of it all. You didn’t want to accuse him, you didn’t want to cry. But your heart split open anyway, spilling every buried ache from the places you tried to keep hidden.

Karasu played over your words, like a broken cassette—having not yet replied to those questions you so softly spoke, in that so broken tone.

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” you whispered, your voice shaking. “Why did you let me think you didn’t care?”

He didn’t answer right away. Stood there, hands shoved in his pockets, jaw clenched so tightly it looked painful. His eyes dropped to the floor, lashes low, face unreadable. Words rose and fell on his tongue like waves, crashing before they ever reached the shore.

He thought over and over on what to say, should he continue to pour his heart…or should he put another wall up?

The truth is all he ended up saying.

"Because I thought you'd be happier without knowing."

It caught you off guard—hit like a gut punch, how easily his words fell, how your heart tore itself a little more. And the worst part? He meant it. That single line, that statement—cracked something deep inside you.

And for a second, it felt so hard to breath, staring into his eyes…so empty…guarded, heavy with guilt and hurt.

"You knew I loved you, right?" he asked quietly, his voice barely more than a breath.

And you felt your heart being shattered, because the pain in his voice told you everything you needed.

He did love you. He always had. He just never thought he deserved to.

And you knew that, but hearing it now—in that quiet, broken tone…tore you apart.