Saki didn't realize what she had done until it was too late. When her friends stopped laughing and looked around her, she noticed the Makoto had been standing. The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. Her stomach churned. She stood up quickly, glancing around the café as panic set in.
"W... Who was... that...?" she asked with a trembling voice.
Her friends looked at her, puzzled. "It was Makoto... He just left."
Saki bolted from her seat, her heart racing. She rushed outside, her breath shallow, her pulse quickening. The rain was falling in sheets, soaking her as she looked frantically around. She spotted him at the end of the street—his familiar figure, walking slowly, his shoulders slumped.
"Makoto!" she called, running toward him. Her voice cracked with desperation.
He didn't stop.
"Makoto, wait!" she shouted again, her voice louder this time, filled with panic. She ran faster, her feet splashing in the puddles as she closed the distance between them.
Finally, she caught up to him, grabbing his arm, her fingers trembling.
Makoto stopped, but he didn't look at her. His face was turned slightly away, the rain streaming down, but he didn't react to the cold or the wetness. He stood still, his posture rigid, like a man holding onto his last ounce of control.
Saki's heart raced as she called his name again, but he still didn't look at her. She could hear the rain pattering against the pavement, but there was nothing else. No words, no answers.
Finally, Makoto spoke, his voice quiet, as if every syllable cost him something.
"You don't have to apologize," he said, his voice flat, emotionless. "It was my fault trusting you in the first place."
Saki's chest tightened. "No… no, you don't understand! I didn't mean it. I didn't mean any of it. Please, Makoto. Please, let me explain."
But his words were cold, cutting through her like ice. "You said it. You've said everything you feel. And now I see it clearly. I see who I really am to you."
He turned his back to her, the rain soaking him, but he didn't seem to care. His voice was distant, detached, like he was already miles away from her.
"Goodbye, Saki."
And with that, he walked away.
Saki stood frozen, her heart sinking as she watched him disappear into the rain, his figure growing smaller with every step. She felt a coldness settle in her chest, a void that grew larger with each passing second. She wanted to scream, to run after him, but her legs felt like they were made of stone.
For a long moment, she stood there, drenched, her tears mixing with the rain.