After noticing my panick attack, a gentle waiter arrived at the table with a glass of water, placing it gently in front of me.
"Are you okay , Mr.?" He asked, with a very polite but worried voice.
His hands were steady, unlike mine, which trembled as I reached for the glass.
I felt the weight of everyone's stares pressing down on me, though it was likely just my imagination.
I nodded my head and thanked him with a forced smile, while my body was still trembling from anxiety.
The only thing I could feel were the cold feeling of the glass on my hand and Benjiro's hand on my back.
Taking a sip, the cool water slid down my throat, offering a brief reprieve from the tightness in my chest.
It felt really refreshing, and I enjoyed every single sip.
But, I still felt a lot of eyes on me.
Some voices were mumbling something that I couldn't understand properly.
But I knew that they were talking about me.
Well… I gave them quite the show…
But then…
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Benjiro suddenly exclaimed, rising from his seat and clapping his hands.
With his usual disarming smile, he launched into an exaggerated story about how he had mistaken coffee for broth the previous day.
His dramatic hand gestures and infectious energy immediately drew attention to him, pulling it away from me.
People began chuckling, and the oppressive weight of their gazes started to lift.
My lips curved into a small but grateful smile.
He had probably done that to make me feel more at ease and move the attention on him.
I took a deep breath, clutching the glass tightly.
I couldn't go on like this.
I had to say something, to explain—though not everything.
My friends had to know everything about what happened between me and Ema.
I couldn't hide something that big from them.
Setting the glass down, I locked eyes with Kazuha, her calm, patient gaze steadying me.
Suzuki then leaned closer to me and gently rubbed my back and helping me to sit down.
And that's what we all did after Benjiro's little show.
Once all of us sat down , I finally gathered some courage and began to speak.
I took a deep breath and then…
"My relationship with Ema is over," I said finally, my voice low but firm. "It's been over for a while. And... yes, the cheating was real." I said, while feeling a slightly painful grip on my chest.
The words felt heavy, scraping against my throat as they came out.
It wasn't the full truth, but it was all I could manage.
Silence fell over the table.
Benjiro's eyes widened, and even Suzuki stared at me in disbelief.
Kazuha froze, as if holding her breath.
Only Evangeline remained composed, though a flicker of concern passed across her face.
She already knew what happened to me.
"Ah... this is the last thing we needed," Benjiro muttered, running a hand through his hair. "But honestly? It's better this way. She didn't deserve you." His voice was steady, but there was an edge of restrained anger in his tone.
Those words, though meant to comfort, started to dissolve into nothingness.
The voices around me grew faint, like distorted echoes.
I could see their mouths moving, but the sounds didn't register.
It was as if I were drifting into a void, cut off and trapped in my own thoughts.
I was about to go into another dimension.
Words blurred together, and the world around me seemed to lose its shape.
A wave of confusion engulfed me, pulling me deeper into isolation.
"Fumi!" Evangeline's cheerful voice cut through the fog, jolting me back to reality. Her tone was playful, almost sing-song. "I'm about to order something amazing, so you better be ready to try it!" she said with a wide grin.
She immediately called the waiter over, requesting menus.
Her vibrant energy seemed to lift the mood of the entire group.
Even Benjiro stopped brooding and joined in her banter, while Suzuki managed a faint smile.
Kazuha, however, remained silent, her fists clenched under the table.
I noticed but said nothing.
She was particularly angry for some certain reasons.
The dinner continued with a lighter atmosphere.
Nobody asked me about further details, and Evangeline seemed to have returned to her normal and joyful self, like the first time I met her.
Everyone tried to cheer me up, tossing out jokes and sharing anecdotes to distract me from thoughts of Ema.
Kazuha stayed quiet but she was also interacting and speaking with us, her gaze occasionally meeting mine with an intensity I couldn't decipher.
I could see that she looked sad too see me in such situation.
The dinner kept going and, before I could notice, I found myself lost in Evangeline's joy.
It seemed like my heart moved the pain away for some time.
Me and my friends actually enjoyed a very delicious meal.
Italian food is amazing.
Moreover, this place was truly nice. Really.
These were the things I was thinking to distract my mind from overthinking.
"So, any plans for tomorrow?" Benjiro asked, with a smile.
"Oh. I have family things to do." Suzuki said.
"Me too." Kazuha said.
"Mmmmm… I'll let you know tomorrow." Evangeline said.
Benjiro's smile disappeared, replaced by a frown.
He then looked at me.
"What about you, brother?" He asked.
"Mmmh… I didn't know if I'm free tomorrow, to be honest…" that's all I could say.
I would've probably spent the whole time alone the next day.
Benjiro then sighed.
"Fine… I'll get some extra sleep then." He said, while placing his head on the table for some instants.
We all chuckled.
~
Between a talk , a laugh and some food, the dinner finally ended.
As we finished our meal and prepared to leave, Kazuha approached me.
"I'll call you tomorrow." she murmured, her voice low enough that the others couldn't hear.
Before I could respond, she turned and walked out of the restaurant, but not before telling goodbye to everyone.
She just left, saying that she had some "family issues" to fix.
Only me, Evangeline and Suzuki remained.
We decided to go home together.
Evangeline lingered, turning to me with a gentle smile.
"Tomorrow's a new day, Fumi. Don't forget that." Her tone was light, but her eyes conveyed a deeper sincerity.
I nodded slowly, following them with hesitant steps.
The weight of the evening still lingered, but a faint glimmer of hope seemed to flicker on the horizon.
Then, the three of us began to walk, in the evening lights of the town, heading towards our homes…
I had a strange feeling in my heart, like something was about to happen anytime…