It had been a week since Hana left, and Kaito still couldn't get used to it. Every morning, as he walked into the classroom, his eyes would unconsciously drift to the seat beside him—the one that used to be occupied by Hana.
The seat was now empty.
It was like a hole had opened up in the room, one that no amount of laughter or distractions could fill. He tried to focus on his lessons, but his mind would always wander. What was Hana doing right now? Was she okay? Had she found new friends?
He hated the silence that followed her departure. The chatter of his classmates, once a background noise to him, now felt intrusive, as if it mocked his pain. No one seemed to notice the change, not like he did.
During lunch, Kaito sat alone by the window, picking at his food. He hadn't felt like eating much since Hana left, and even though his friends would occasionally join him, the atmosphere was different. The jokes felt forced, the laughter hollow. The group wasn't complete without Hana's sarcastic remarks and quiet presence.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out, half-expecting a message from Hana, even though he knew it was impossible. But it wasn't from her.
It was from his best friend, Yuto: "You okay, man? You're kind of out of it lately."
Kaito hesitated, staring at the message. He didn't know how to answer. How could he explain that he felt like a part of him was missing? That every day without Hana felt emptier than the last?
He typed back, "Just tired. I'll be fine."
He wasn't sure if he believed it himself.
Later that day, in the middle of a boring class, Kaito found himself doodling absentmindedly in his notebook. It was a simple sketch of a