I managed to escape the awkward situation, but that brief encounter with Sato lingered in my mind longer than I expected. Up close, he was... different. His voice, his expression—it felt strangely personal, as if, in those few seconds, I had glimpsed something deeper. But why did I care? I barely knew him. Still, I couldn't stop thinking about him, and it frustrated me. Why now? Why him?
The next few days were filled with those frustrating thoughts. I found myself watching him, unintentionally at first, and then, almost obsessively. The way he laughed so easily with his friends, the way he walked down the hall as if he owned the space, carefree and confident. People naturally gravitated toward him. He had that magnetic charm, the kind I could never hope to understand. Yet behind the warmth of his smile, there was something else—something darker. I couldn't quite place it, but it bothered me.
Then, one afternoon, as I was leaving school, I noticed him again—this time sitting by the school gates. He was alone, his usual carefree smile absent. Instead, he looked... distant. His gaze was fixed on something far away, lost in thoughts that seemed too heavy for someone like him. That's when it hit me.
Loneliness.
It was a look I knew too well, one that lived in the mirror every morning when I faced myself. I watched him for a while, debating whether to approach or walk away. My feet stayed rooted to the ground as I struggled with the decision. What would I even say?
Before I could convince myself to leave, a gust of wind sent my hair flying across my face. I quickly brushed it away, hoping he hadn't noticed. But he had. Sato's eyes flicked toward me, his expression momentarily surprised before softening into that familiar smile. But this time, it felt hollow.
I hesitated before taking a few tentative steps toward him.
"Uh… hey, Sato," I mumbled, almost tripping over my own words. Why was I even talking to him?
"Hey," he said, his voice lighter than his expression. He shifted slightly, making room on the bench. "Want to sit?"
I blinked, caught off guard. "Oh, um... sure." My legs moved before my mind could catch up, and I awkwardly sat down beside him. For a moment, neither of us spoke, the silence heavy between us.
"Long day?" I finally asked, trying to break the tension.
Sato chuckled, but it lacked his usual energy. "You could say that. What about you?"
"Yeah... kind of." I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. He wasn't looking at me. Instead, his eyes were fixed on the ground in front of us. I bit my lip, unsure if I should press further, but something told me he needed to talk. "Are you... okay?"
Sato's fingers drummed lightly on the bench, a faint smile playing at his lips. "You ever feel like... no matter how many people are around you, you're still alone?"
His words took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting him to be so honest, so direct. I swallowed hard, suddenly feeling exposed. "Yeah... I know what you mean."
He turned to me, really looking at me for the first time since I sat down. His eyes, usually so bright, were clouded with something deeper. "It's weird, right? You can laugh, joke around, and people think you're fine. But inside... it's like you're just waiting for something. Something that never comes."
I nodded, my chest tightening. "Yeah. It's like... like everyone thinks they know you, but no one really does."
For a moment, we just sat there, two lonely people sharing a silence that said more than words ever could.
"You know," Sato began again, breaking the quiet, "I've noticed you before."
I felt my face heat up. "Noticed me?"
"Yeah," he said, smiling slightly. "You're always so quiet. I guess I figured you were the type that didn't want to be bothered. But I get it now. It's not that you don't want people around... it's just hard to let them in, isn't it?"
I looked down at my hands, fidgeting with the edge of my skirt. "Yeah. Something like that."
We stayed there for a while, not saying much. It wasn't awkward, though. For once, it felt like someone understood without needing a thousand explanations.
As the sky began to turn orange, Sato stood up and stretched. "I should probably head home" He smiled down at me, and this time, it felt real. "Thanks for talking, Emma."
I looked up at him, feeling a strange warmth spread through me. "Yeah, anytime."
He gave me a small wave before turning and walking away, leaving me sitting there by the gates, staring after him.
For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel so alone.