The door clicked shut, and Tatsuya leaned against it, his breath shallow. He could feel the pressure in his chest, the weight of his decision sinking in. Yuki's face, filled with disbelief, was still etched in his mind. The way her eyes had shone with hope, only to be crushed in an instant. It hadn't been easy, but he knew what had to be done.
"Are you okay?" Misaki's voice broke through his thoughts. She stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. Her gaze was soft but filled with concern.
Tatsuya didn't answer immediately. He was still reeling from the confrontation. He had known Yuki for so long, and rejecting her felt like tearing a piece of his past away. But it was necessary. The past was something he could never return to, not after all that had happened.
"I'm fine," Tatsuya muttered, though the words didn't feel true. He straightened up, glancing back at Misaki. "I didn't expect it to be this hard."
Misaki nodded understandingly. She had known him long enough to understand his internal battles. She could see the conflict, the guilt gnawing at him. But she also knew that Tatsuya had made his choice. She was his future now, and their journey together was only beginning.
Himawari, who had been silent throughout the conversation, tugged at Tatsuya's sleeve. Her golden eyes met his, a mixture of innocence and wisdom in her gaze. She didn't speak, but her presence was enough to remind him of the love he had for her — the love that had given him the strength to defeat Ryouma and move forward. Himawari was his family now, more than anything Earth could offer him.
"You'll be alright," Misaki said softly, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze before stepping back. "We're together. That's all that matters."
Tatsuya's chest tightened at her words. He nodded slowly, but even as he did, something inside him was unsettled. He had returned to Earth, but not to the life he had left behind. The person he was now, the person who had seen unimaginable loss and fought through a war in another world, couldn't simply pick up where he had left off. He wasn't the same.
"I need to go to school," Tatsuya finally said, his voice distant.
"Are you sure?" Misaki asked, her tone worried. "It might be better to stay here for a while."
"I need to face it," he said quietly. "I need to know if I can still be… me."
Misaki sighed, but nodded. She understood. He was looking for closure, even if it meant confronting the familiar, painful parts of his past. Tatsuya stepped toward the window, staring out at the quiet street below. It was so normal here. So mundane. Nothing had changed.
Nothing except for him.
The following morning was a blur. Tatsuya found himself sitting in the classroom of his old high school, surrounded by familiar faces and the hum of normalcy. The desks were the same, the walls decorated with the same posters. His classmates went about their routines, chatting and laughing, as if nothing had ever happened. They didn't know the truth. They didn't know the horrors he had faced in that other world, or the battle that had shaped him.
As Tatsuya sat at his desk, he felt the heavy weight of the day ahead. He had to endure the awkwardness of being away for so long and then suddenly returning as if nothing had changed. What would his classmates think? What would she think?
His thoughts were interrupted as the classroom door opened. A group of students entered, and among them, Tatsuya's eyes immediately locked onto Yuki. She walked in like she always had, with a soft smile on her face. But there was something different in her eyes today — something that had been missing before. She was looking at him, but there was no warmth, no familiarity. Only a coldness, a distance he hadn't expected.
Yuki sat at her desk without saying a word, her gaze occasionally flicking up to Tatsuya. He could feel the weight of her silence, and it made his heart ache.
As the bell rang and the lesson began, Tatsuya did his best to focus on the material, but it was impossible to ignore the tension between them. He could feel Yuki's eyes on him every now and then, but he couldn't bring himself to look at her. It was as if the moment they had shared in his room had shattered everything between them. There was no going back. No returning to the easy friendship they once had.
Lunch break came all too quickly. Tatsuya sat at his usual spot in the cafeteria, his appetite nonexistent. The chatter of his classmates filled the air, but it only added to his sense of isolation. He couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't belong here anymore, in this world that had once been so familiar. He was a stranger in his own life.
Just as he was about to push his tray aside, Yuki appeared at his side. She stood there, her hands fidgeting with the strap of her bag, her expression unreadable. The sound of the bustling cafeteria seemed to fade into the background.
"Tatsuya," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "Can we talk?"
Tatsuya's heart skipped a beat. He didn't want to face her. He didn't know how to explain his decision, the rejection, the overwhelming feeling of loss that had consumed him ever since they returned to Earth. But he couldn't avoid her forever.
"Sure," he said softly, his voice strained.
Yuki led him outside to the courtyard, away from prying eyes. She stood there for a moment, her back to him as she stared out into the distance. When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I don't understand, Tatsuya. I thought… I thought we had something. I waited for you to come back, and when you finally did, I thought maybe… maybe we could start again." Her voice cracked, and she quickly wiped her eyes, as if trying to hold back the tears.
Tatsuya's heart sank. He could feel the weight of her hurt, but he also knew that he couldn't give her false hope. He had already made his decision. Misaki was his future, the one who had stood by him through the darkest moments of his life. She had fought alongside him, and she had become the pillar that kept him going.
"Yuki," Tatsuya said softly, "I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't be what you want me to be. I've changed. I'm not the person I was before. And you… you deserve someone who can love you like you deserve."
Yuki looked at him, her expression a mix of sadness and disbelief. "But I love you, Tatsuya. I've always loved you."
Tatsuya's chest tightened. "I know," he whispered. "And I'm sorry. I wish I could be the person you want me to be, but I can't. I've already chosen my path."
Yuki stood there for a moment, her face pale, her lips trembling. She opened her mouth as if to say something more, but then she just nodded and walked away, leaving Tatsuya standing alone in the courtyard.
Later that evening, as Tatsuya sat in his room, the weight of the day began to settle in. Misaki and Himawari were still in the living room, watching TV, but Tatsuya couldn't shake the feeling of guilt. He had hurt Yuki, and it was something he couldn't undo. But he also knew that this was the path he had to walk.
He had chosen Misaki. He had chosen the future they could build together, not the past that had been left behind.
He stared out the window at the quiet city, the fading light of the sunset casting long shadows across the streets. It was a new beginning, but it felt like a chapter that would never truly close.