The night sky bore witness to the thin, white smoke emanating from Kenji's slowly burning cigarette. The atmosphere seemed unusually calm, only disrupted by the distant wail of an ambulance siren echoing through the residential area.
As Kenji exhaled, he pressed the cigarette bud into an ashtray, seemingly devoid of any intrigue. The residual smoke curled and twisted before dissipating into the air. He made his way back to his room, a space that held almost everything he needed.
A low table sat in the middle of the room, serving various purposes – dining table, workstation, or simply a place to keep his belongings. Along the wall beside the balcony sliding door, a platform single bed stood, often doubling as a couch for TV viewing, and on occasions, a place where he and Yuuji shared intimate moments.
Looking at the middle school-aged boy quietly seated on his bed, with his head buried between his knees, Kenji sensed that Yuuji seemed uninterested in the historical drama playing on the CRT television.
Deciding he wasn't interested in watching either, Kenji picked up the remote and turned off the TV.
In the ensuing silence, he spoke in a calm voice, though disappointment and hurt simmered beneath the surface. "Why did you lie to me, Yuuji? You know how much I care about Kaoru and what he went through, but you—"
"I'm sorry…"
"Seriously, I can't believe this."
Frustration flushed Kenji's voice as he fought to keep his disappointment in check. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he covered his forehead with both palms, attempting to ease the tension between his eyebrows.
"Using someone else's tragedy for your gain is selfish, especially when he's your friend… I can't believe you would do that," he uttered.
"Ueda-san, I… I didn't mean to lie to you…"
Yuuji tried to reach out and hold Kenji's arm in remorse, but he was nudged aside, leaving him to grapple with the pain alone.
"You should apologize to him, not to me."
Yuuji pursed his lips, tears streaming down his face as he listened to every word Kenji uttered. He yearned to defend himself but realized he had no right to do so.
Despite it all, he clung to the hope that Kenji might give him a second chance.
But before he could make another attempt to reach out, his heart sank at Kenji's cutting words: "You don't know what it's like to lose someone."
Yuuji felt a sharp sting in his heart as those words pierced him like daggers. His hands trembled, and so did his jaw as he struggled to find the strength to defend himself. But despite his internal turmoil, his voice remained trapped within, unable to break free.
Feeling utterly helpless and unable to pledge his innocence, Yuuji found himself at a loss. There was no space for him to plead his case.
Realizing he couldn't muster the strength to quell the fire of Kenji's anger or articulate his feelings, Yuuji left just one thing – running away.
He got up from where he sat, gathered his belongings, and left the room. He didn't expect Kenji to stop him, and sure enough, he heard no calls from behind. With a heart shattered by hurt, Yuuji ran through the darkness, raindrops falling around him like tears of the night.