Into The Rain With You
Kai is popular in high school—charming, surrounded by friends—but always feels alone, as though he's the one constantly reaching out while no one truly sees him. His life changes when he meets Haruka, a quiet and mysterious girl reading alone in the cafeteria during a rainy afternoon. Unlike anyone he's known, Haruka doesn’t demand attention, and her soft-spoken nature pulls Kai in. P.S. THERE WILL ONLY BE ONE GIRL IN THIS NOVEL, and some bros helping another bro out.
Chapter 9.3: A Rift Forms
The next few days were a bit hazy. I went through the motions—school, friends, homework—but something had changed. A part of me wanted to open up, wanted to reach out, but every time I tried, I found myself retreating into the safety of silence.
It wasn't like Haruka was pushing me. In fact, she had been incredibly patient. But I could see the way things were starting to shift. She wasn't asking me for answers anymore. She wasn't pushing me to talk. But there was something in the way she looked at me now—something that told me she was starting to pull away, not in a dramatic way, but in the quiet, subtle way that people do when they've been waiting for something that never comes.
I could feel it. I was losing her, and I didn't know how to stop it.
And it wasn't just Haruka.
I had been distant with Kaito too. I had been avoiding him, unsure of how to talk about everything I was feeling. Every time I thought about reaching out, the fear stopped me. I didn't want to burden him with my problems. He had enough of his own.
But that fear, that constant need to keep people at arm's length, was pushing everyone away. And I knew it. I knew I was isolating myself, but I couldn't stop.