The days felt like a blur to Haruto—each one blending into the next, an endless repetition of emptiness. Since Miyuki had left, he had become a shadow of himself, moving through life like a ghost. His phone had gone silent, and his heart had become heavier with each passing moment.
He couldn't bring himself to hate her for leaving, even though it broke him more than he ever imagined. She had done it for him, for his own well-being. She had wanted him to have a life free of pain, free of the burden of her illness. But now, it felt like he was drowning in that same pain, unable to find a way out. He had nothing left to live for.
Haruto had been thinking about this for days now. He couldn't continue pretending that everything was okay. The loneliness, the emptiness in his heart—he couldn't escape it. His thoughts grew darker by the hour, and the more he tried to push them away, the more they consumed him.
It was a familiar place, the lake. The spot where he and Miyuki had spent so many quiet moments together. It had been their sanctuary, where the world outside didn't exist. It felt like the only place he could finally escape from the suffocating grief.
He sat on the balcony, looking out at the city lights, his phone in his hands. It trembled slightly as he typed the message. His fingers hovered over the screen for a long time, the weight of what he was about to do sinking in.
---
To Miyuki
I don't know how to keep going without you. I've tried to pretend, but it's impossible. I thought maybe things would get better, but it feels like the world is fading away.
I can't keep pretending anymore. I'm not strong enough. I'm at the lake. I know you probably don't want me to do this, but I can't live without you. You were my everything, Miyuki.
I'm sorry. I wish I could have been enough for you, but I wasn't.
Goodbye, Haruto.
---
Haruto stared at the message for a long moment, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't want to do this. But every part of him was broken, and he couldn't keep carrying the weight of it all. With a deep breath, he pressed send.
Then, he sent one more message. One he had been meaning to send for a while.
---
To Sakura
Sakura... I don't know how to say this, but I can't go on like this. I've been pretending for so long, but I can't keep lying to myself anymore. I'm at the lake. I don't want you to feel responsible for me. I'm sorry for everything. You deserve a life without my pain.
Goodbye, Haruto.
---
The silence that followed felt deafening. He could almost hear the echo of those words in his head as if they were the final goodbye to everything he had once loved.
Haruto stood up and walked out of his room, his footsteps slow and deliberate as he made his way through the empty house. The night air was cool against his skin, and as he walked, the weight of his decision settled deeper into his bones. He didn't know if he had the strength to go on, but he knew one thing for sure: the lake would be the place where everything would finally end.
---
Miyuki sat on her bed, staring at her phone. Her heart had skipped a beat when she saw the messages from Haruto. She had known something was wrong, that he was struggling, but she had never imagined this. Her breath caught in her throat as she read his words.
I'm sorry... I wish I could have been enough for you.
I'm at the lake.
Her chest tightened, and panic surged through her. She didn't know what to do. She hadn't expected him to do something so drastic, but now she had no choice but to act.
Her hands shook as she stood up, but just as she did, a sharp pain seized her chest. She gasped, clutching at her heart, but there was no time to waste. Miyuki fought through the pain, her body moving on autopilot as she rushed to the door.
She grabbed her coat and keys, her mind reeling. She knew the lake. It was the place where they had spent countless hours together, and it was the place where Haruto had chosen to say his final goodbye. She couldn't lose him. Not like this.
The cold night air hit her like a shock as she ran outside, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her heart was racing—not just from the exertion, but from the fear that she was losing him forever. Her legs felt weak, but she kept going, driven by the desperate need to get to him. She had to tell him one last time that she loved him.
As she neared the lake, the world felt like it was closing in on her. She had no idea how much time had passed, but she could feel the weight of it all pressing down on her. Her heart pounded harder in her chest with every step.
---
Haruto stood at the edge of the lake, staring at the still water. The moonlight reflected off the surface, casting an ethereal glow on everything around him. He didn't want to do this, but the pain was unbearable. He couldn't imagine a life without her.
His hand reached out, brushing the water's surface, and he closed his eyes, letting the coolness of the night wash over him. He could hear the faint rustle of leaves in the wind, but it was the sound of his own heartbeat that drowned everything else out.
Just as he was about to make his final decision, he heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him. His heart skipped a beat, and he turned to see a figure running toward him.
---
Miyuki.
Her face was flushed from the cold, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she reached him. The moment she saw him, standing at the water's edge, her heart stopped. She didn't care about the pain that gripped her chest, didn't care about the illness she had been hiding for so long. All she could think about was Haruto—losing him.
She rushed toward him, her voice breaking as she shouted his name.
"Haruto!" she cried out.
Haruto's eyes widened as she stumbled toward him, barely able to catch her breath. For a moment, he thought he had imagined it, but then he saw the desperate look in her eyes, the pain that mirrored his own.
"Miyuki... What are you doing here?" he whispered, his voice hoarse.
"I—" Miyuki gasped, her chest tightening. She reached for him, her hand trembling as she took a step closer. "I couldn't—Haruto, you can't... You can't leave me."
Haruto shook his head, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't know how to keep going without you. I love you so much, Miyuki. But I can't live with this emptiness anymore."
Miyuki's eyes filled with tears as she moved toward him, her heart breaking with each step. "Please don't say that," she begged, her voice shaking. "You can't do this. You can't leave me like this."
But before she could reach him, her body betrayed her. The pain in her chest became too much to bear, and her legs buckled beneath her. She gasped for air, clutching her heart as everything around her spun. She collapsed to the ground, her vision blurring.
"Haruto," she whispered weakly, her voice barely audible.
---
Haruto turned just in time to see her fall, and everything inside him froze. He rushed to her side, but as he reached out to touch her, the world around him started to spiral. Miyuki's eyes closed, and a single tear fell from her cheek.
"Miyuki!" Haruto cried out, his voice frantic as he shook her. "Miyuki, please... don't leave me too. Not like this."
But it was too late. The reality of her condition, her fragile heart that had been slowly giving out, caught up with her in that very moment.
Haruto's world shattered. He had wanted to end his life in the water to escape his pain—but now, he had to face the most unbearable reality of all. Miyuki, the love of his life, was slipping away in his arms.