Back in his room, Riku found himself picking up his phone over and over again.
On the screen was a single name.
Haru.
He opened their chat.
Closed it.
Then opened it again.
I should send him something… right?
He knew he should.
But his fingers refused to move.
After a moment, he typed:
“Thanks for today.”
The message sat there on the screen.
Ready to be sent.
Yet he couldn’t bring himself to press the button.
What if it’s weird?
What if I come across as too eager?
The longer he stared at it, the more self-conscious he became.
In the end, he deleted the message entirely.
With a sigh, he dropped onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling.
For some reason, he kept remembering Haru’s smile.
The gentle way he spoke.
The way he had put him at ease so naturally.
Riku wanted to message him.
He really did.
“…I can’t.”
The words slipped quietly from his lips.
Rolling onto his side, he hugged a pillow to his chest.
It’d be nice if Haru messaged me first.
The thought crossed his mind before he could stop it.
Immediately afterward, he felt a little embarrassed with himself.
It was selfish.
And completely unrealistic.
Still…
He couldn’t help hoping.
