*Ryo Asahi's POV*
//June 28, 2040//Thursday//
"Sigh… I'm asking this for a friend, okay?"
"A friend? Hahahaha, dude, we have been here for a month now, you can't expect me to believe what you just said."
I'm bad at lying, and that excuse was horrible.
"Shut up…"
"Okay, okay sorry, but it was really funny. Then? What do you want to ask for that friend of yours?"
I looked at Raku, and he is mocking me. I just looked away, and continued talking with him.
"This friend of mine doesn't know what to do at all. He has been with this girl for quite a while now. They kept on arguing with each other, and they only talked when someone needed something from the other."
"Oh, I also know someone like that here inside." Raku mockingly said.
"But then suddenly, this friend of mine learned that the girl has been facing something terrible for a long time. This friend of mine knows the girl's situation, but she doesn't know that my friend knows about it."
"Then?"
"But my friend wants to help the girl, but he is afraid that the girl will be overwhelmed, and she might lose her trust in that friend of mine."
"Yeah, that may be true. After all, if someone told your secret even if you didn't tell it to that person. You might get surprised, and worse, your relationship with that person can end."
"But, Raku, what should my friend do? Only he can reach out to that girl. My friend told me that he is the only one that the girl trusts. But is it really okay to meddle with the lives of others even if what you will do can break your relationship with that person?"
After I finished asking Raku that question, he gave a long sigh, stood up from where we were sitting then gazed at me.
"This is between you, and Ichika that you are talking about, am I right?"
I instantly blushed a little, and I kept on fidgeting my fingers from what he just said while avoiding eye contact.
"I told you, I am asking this for a friend."
"Hahahaha, you're a bad liar, Asahi."
"Shut up…"
There was a short awkward silence between the two of us, and Raku kept on chuckling because of how stupid my excuse was, and how similar me, and Ichika was to the two people I told to Raku. Well, I suck at lying, and sometimes I really am an awkward person.
"Then what's the problem? You already know what to do. The only thing you need to do is to do it."
Raku lent me a hand, and I also stood up from where we sat while I was talking with him. Then, he continued from where he stopped talking.
"You already said it yourself that you wanted to help her. Then why don't you just do it?" Raku asked.
"It is harder than it looks. Besides, you know what kind of person Ichika is. If I tried to lend her a hand, and told her that I knew about her past, she would definitely freak out."
"Asahi, what if Ichika really wants someone to reach out to her?"
"What do you mean?"
"You understand her more than anyone else here inside."
"Well, that is what you think. I only learned about her past life yesterday., and I don't even know when is the perfect time to open up this topic to her."
"You know, dude? No one knows when is really the perfect time to talk about something to a person. So why not just go for it, and let us see where the conversation will take you."
"Easier said than done. What I learned about Ichika was really horrible."
"I see. Then if this thing you are talking about is really that bad, then she really will get pissed at you since you knew about it. And, knowing Ichika, there is no way she will talk about her past to someone else."
"See, then we are on the same page after all."
"But, we only know a few things about Ichika, right?"
"..."
"Listen Asahi, it's not because you know Ichika as someone who acts harsh towards others, that doesn't mean that was her true self. If it really was horrible, and you feel like she needs someone to rely on, do you think she even knows that someone else had that kind of intention towards her?"
What Raku said struck me. I wanted to reach out to Ichika, and lend her a hand, but I was afraid. But, Raku had a point.
Ichika has been dealing with this on her own without telling to anyone, she doesn't know if someone wants to help her, and carry the burden she has with her whole life.
"There is a possibility that Ichika might hurt you or anything when you talk to her about that kind of stuff. But, will that really be her reaction? Who knows? Have you considered the possibility that she is just waiting for someone that she can cry on, who she can rely on, who she can truly trust from the bottom of her heart?"
"I-I haven't thought about it…"
Raku placed his hand on my shoulders, and crouched a little while gazing at me since he wanted to look at me at the same eye level.
"Just like I said earlier, you understand her more than anyone else here inside. If Ichika showed another side to you, for sure that you can work it out."
"B-But…"
"Dude, no more buts. I think it is your time to reach out, and help her with what she is currently facing. I have this feeling that it will turn out ugly at first, but it will work out well in the end. This is you we are talking about. If it comes to a heated conversation with Ichika, you are the only one who can handle it, and finish it."
Raku started walking away, and he suddenly stopped and looked behind where I was with a smile on his face.
"You're hilarious, Asahi. So it turns out this friend you are talking about was you all along."
"Oh… Fuck…"
I just realized that I had blown my cover, and confessed to this guy that I was the one who needed help.
Sigh… I really am stupid. Raku was laughing at my embarrassing reaction, and I just shrugged it off while walking away to get out of this room.
"You may be an awkward person, Asahi. But you have a good heart."
I stopped for a second and smiled.
"Thanks, Raku."
I left the room leaving Raku alone to do his own business. He was right, why am I hesitant to do it? I will never know unless I do it.
It's better to just do it than do nothing.
******** TO BE CONTINUED ********