Yuuta sat at his desk, staring blankly ahead, unable to focus. His mind was a storm of noise.
What is happening to me? What did I do? Why is everyone looking at me like that…?
Suddenly—
BAM!
A sharp sound echoed through the classroom.
Yuuta flinched as a hand slammed down hard on his desk.
"You bastard! Why did you do that to Airi?!"
He looked up in shock.
It was Hikari Tsukino—Airi's best friend. Her eyes burned with fury as she towered over him.
"You're just like the rest of them!" she snapped, voice loud enough for the whole class to hear. "I actually thought you were different, Yuuta! But you're just a scumbag!"
"W-What…?" Yuuta's voice trembled. "I don't… I don't remember saying anything to her…"
Hikari gritted her teeth. "Don't play dumb. She cried all night because of you!"
Yuuta could only sit there, stunned. His heart pounded so loud it drowned out everything else. The weight of the room pressed down on him.
"I didn't… I swear, I didn't…"
His voice barely escaped his throat.
"Stop, Hikari."
The words were soft, but firm.
Everyone turned. It was Airi. She sat at her desk, eyes downcast.
"Airi?!" Hikari spun around. "Why are you stopping me?! We should be making him regret this!"
"…It's his choice," Airi said, her voice trembling. "If he wants to leave me… then so be it. I don't want to make a scene."
"But—!"
"Hikari. Please."
Hikari stared at her friend, caught between anger and disbelief. Finally, she clicked her tongue and backed off.
"…Fine. But I'm done talking to this scumbag."
She returned to her seat, still shooting daggers in Yuuta's direction.
Silence swallowed the room.
Moments later, the teacher entered, and class began as if nothing had happened.
But Yuuta couldn't hear a word.
He just sat there, motionless, eyes on the blackboard but seeing nothing.
Airi… Hikari… Renji… Subaru…
Everyone's treating me like I've done something unforgivable… but I don't remember anything…
Reality felt like it was collapsing around him.
If this is a dream… please. Someone wake me up.
---
Later — School Rooftop
The bell rang to signal the end of class.
Yuuta didn't wait. He bolted from his seat, ran through the hallway, and climbed the stairs two steps at a time.
He needed to breathe. He needed to scream.
The sky above was a dull gray. The wind stung his face.
He stood at the edge of the rooftop, gripping the fence tight as if it were the only thing anchoring him.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?!"
His scream tore through the empty sky.
"WHY IS EVERYONE ACTING LIKE I DID SOMETHING?! I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING! AM I LOSING MY MIND?!"
His voice echoed into nothing.
And then—silence.
A sudden chill swept through the air.
Yuuta turned—and his blood ran cold.
A thick black fog crept along the ground, crawling forward like it was alive. It moved with purpose, twisting and coiling like smoke from a nightmare.
"W-What is this…?"
He backed away, step by step.
Then—
A hand emerged from the fog and rested gently on his shoulder.
Yuuta froze.
Thanks so much for reading "The Distance Between Us (Part 2)"!
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