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 5.1: The Hidden Weight
After school, I walked home in a daze. My mind was fogged with thoughts I couldn't put into words. I kept thinking about the conversation with Kaito earlier that week. His words about "distractions" and "focusing on what matters" stuck with me. The more I thought about it, the more it felt like he was right. Everything I did—everything I said—was a distraction. A performance. A way to keep the real me hidden.
I was tired. So tired of pretending. But the hardest part was that I didn't even know what to stop pretending to be.
That night, I stayed up later than usual, lying in bed with my phone in hand, scrolling through pictures, through old messages, through reminders of the past. It was funny—how I could look at photos of myself smiling, laughing, posing with friends—and yet none of it felt real anymore.
Was I really happy? Was I really the person I was pretending to be?
I stared at the screen, feeling a strange ache in my chest. Why does it feel like I'm missing something?
Just as I was about to put my phone down, a new message lit up the screen.
It was from Haruka.