The next few days felt like a fog. Saki tried to reach out to him. She sent texts, tried calling, and even showed up at his apartment, but each time, Makoto remained distant. His messages were short, emotionless. When she tried to see him, he would simply look at her without saying a word, his eyes as cold as the rain that had poured down that night.
Her words had broken something inside of him, and she could feel it. Every attempt she made to get close only pushed him further away.
One night, she found herself standing outside his apartment building again, drenched by the rain. She couldn't take it anymore.
"Makoto," she whispered into the storm, her voice barely audible. "Please, let me explain. I'm sorry. I love you. I was just scared, okay? Scared of what it meant to care for you. I never wanted to hurt you."
But there was no answer. No footsteps, no figure in the window. Only the rain, the relentless sound of it hitting the pavement.
She was about to turn away when, at last, the door creaked open. Makoto stood there, his face impassive, his eyes empty.
"You don't have to say anything," he said in that same emotionless tone. "You've made your choice. I've made mine."
Saki's heart shattered as she watched him turn and walk back inside, closing the door softly behind him.