The weight of his actions hung heavy on Hanada's shoulders as he stumbled out of the bar, the neon lights blurring into a kaleidoscope of colors around him. His heart felt like a lead weight in his chest, each beat a painful reminder of the hurt he had caused.
"Damn it," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "What have I done?"
The streets were eerily quiet as Hanada made his way home, the sounds of the city muffled by the fog of his own thoughts. He replayed the events of the evening in his mind, each memory a dagger to his already wounded heart.
Akari's face haunted him, her expression a mix of disbelief and betrayal as she walked out of the bar. He had never seen her look so hurt, so broken, and it tore him apart to know that he was the cause of her pain.
"I'm sorry, Akari," Hanada whispered into the night, his words lost in the void. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."
But apologies felt empty in the face of his betrayal, mere words that couldn't undo the damage he had done. He knew he had to make things right, to somehow find a way to earn back Akari's trust, but he had no idea where to start.
As he reached his dormitory, Hanada slumped against the door, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He felt lost, adrift in a sea of guilt and regret, and he didn't know how to find his way back to shore.
"Pull yourself together, Hanada," he scolded himself, pushing himself off the door and stumbling into his room. "You can't keep wallowing in self-pity. You have to fix this."
But the task ahead seemed insurmountable, a mountain of remorse that threatened to crush him under its weight. Hanada collapsed onto his bed, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and despair.
Hours passed in a blur as Hanada lay there, his mind consumed by thoughts of Akari and the mess he had made of their relationship. He tossed and turned, unable to find peace even in sleep, his dreams haunted by visions of her walking away from him, her eyes filled with tears.
As dawn broke and the first light of morning filtered through the curtains, Hanada finally succumbed to exhaustion, his body spent from the emotional turmoil of the night. But even as he drifted off into an uneasy slumber, he knew that the pain of his actions would linger long after the darkness had lifted.
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[End of Chapter Twenty-Five]