The next day rolled around, and sure enough, Kaede was knocking on my door again. Her energy was as relentless as ever. I let out a deep sigh, but I couldn't hide the small flicker of excitement at seeing her again. It was frustrating how she had that effect on me.
When I opened the door, Kaede stood there, a smug grin on her face. She twirled, showing off her crisp new school uniform.
"Well?" she said, her voice teasing. "What do you think? Oh, and—" She held up another uniform, neatly folded and pressed. "I've got one for you too!"
My stomach sank. "You're joking," I muttered, already backing away.
"I'm not joking. Come on, try it on!" she insisted, stepping inside.
Without thinking, I bolted for my bedroom door and slammed it shut behind me. The lock clicked into place. Safe, for now.
I heard Kaede's footsteps trailing down the hallway, then a loud knock on my door. "Mahito! Don't be a baby. Just try it on already!"
"Not happening," I called back.
She groaned dramatically and stomped away. The next thing I heard was the creak of the front door opening and closing. Did she leave?
I cracked my bedroom door open slightly to check.
Big mistake.
Kaede pounced from the shadows like a wild cat, tackling me to the floor with surprising force.
"Gotcha!" she declared triumphantly, pinning me down before I could even process what had happened.
"Let me go!" I protested, struggling against her grip.
"Nope! We're doing this the hard way." She grabbed the uniform and leaned over, clearly planning to force it on me. But as she tried to lift my shirt, her eyes went wide, and her cheeks turned bright red.
"Uh, umm…" she stammered, practically leaping away like I'd burned her. "S-Sorry! That was… yeah… not what I meant to do."
The silence that followed was painfully awkward. We both stared at anything but each other.
Finally, I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Fine. I'll put it on. Just… give me a minute."
Her face lit up, the earlier awkwardness vanishing in an instant. "Really? Yay! You're going to look so cute!"
"Don't push it," I muttered, snatching the uniform from her hands and retreating into the bathroom to change.
As I closed the door behind me, I stared down at the uniform in my hands. This was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Yet, somehow, I couldn't bring myself to be completely annoyed.
I put on the uniform as quickly as I could, tugging at the collar awkwardly. It felt strange and unfamiliar, like it belonged to someone else. I stared at myself in the mirror for a moment, adjusting the tie. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't me either. With a deep breath, I stepped out of the bathroom.
Kaede was waiting, leaning casually against the wall. When she saw me, her eyes widened, and for once, she was speechless.
"You look…" she started, her voice unusually soft. "…really good."
I scratched the back of my neck, unsure how to respond. "It's just a uniform," I muttered.
But Kaede's face lit up with that signature grin of hers, and before I could say anything else, she grabbed my arm. "Perfect! Now let's go!"
"Go where?" I asked, although I already knew the answer. My stomach sank.
"To school, of course!" she declared, dragging me toward the door.
I dug my heels into the floor. "Wait—stop! I don't want to go!"
Kaede didn't even look back, her grip on my arm firm. "Nonsense. You're going. You've been cooped up for too long. Trust me, this will be good for you."
I tried pulling back, but she didn't let go. Her determination was like an unstoppable force, and I was caught in the middle of it.
"Kaede, seriously! Let go!" I pleaded.
She finally stopped, turning to face me. Her expression softened, but her resolve didn't waver.
"You're never going to feel ready, Mahito. Sometimes you just have to dive in."
Her words stung because part of me knew she was right. But it didn't matter. My chest tightened, and a wave of panic surged through me.
"STOP!" I shouted, louder than I intended. The sound echoed in the quiet street.
Kaede froze, her hand still gripping my arm. Slowly, she turned to look at me. Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears.
"I just wanted to help you," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why are you so difficult?"
The sight of her like that—vulnerable, hurt—hit me harder than I expected. I took a deep breath, steadying myself, then gently took her hands in mine.
"Kaede," I began, meeting her gaze. "Thank you. Thank you so much for everything. I know you're trying to help, and I appreciate it more than I can say. But…" My voice faltered for a moment. "I need to move at my own pace. Today was fun, but I'm not ready yet."
She stared at me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, to my surprise, she stepped forward and wrapped me in a tight hug.
Her voice was soft in my ear. "Whenever you're ready, I'll be right here with you. Always."
I didn't know how to respond, so I just stood there, letting her warmth and reassurance sink in. For the first time in a long time, I felt a little less alone.
After what felt like forever, Kaede pulled away, brushing a tear from her cheek. She gave me that warm, sunny smile that seemed to make everything feel lighter.
"See you tomorrow," she said, waving as she turned to leave.
I watched her go until she disappeared down the street. With a heavy sigh, I made my way home, my mind a chaotic swirl of emotions.
Collapsing onto my couch, I stared at the ceiling, replaying the events of the day over and over in my head.
Maybe Kaede was right. Maybe I wasn't as stuck as I thought.
Before I could dwell on it any further, exhaustion took over, and I drifted off to sleep, still wearing the uniform.