Yoshi sat at the back of the classroom again, as quiet as always. The world around him felt far away, like a dream he couldn't wake up from. People laughed, talked, and smiled. But not him. His eyes stared at the window, watching the trees move in the wind.
He didn't hear the teacher's voice. He didn't care about the lesson. To him, every day felt the same. Cold. Quiet. Grey.
He was used to this silence.
Even at home, he didn't say much. At breakfast, Mika sat across from him.
"You have enough rice?" she asked gently.
Yoshi gave a small nod. He didn't lift his eyes.
Mika sighed softly. "You smiled a little yesterday. What happened?"
Yoshi didn't answer. He just kept eating.
Mika smiled a little to herself. So… something did happen.
She decided not to ask more. But in her heart, she felt a little hope.
At school, Shiori Aiko sat with her friends, but her eyes kept going back to the quiet boy in the corner.
"Are you looking at that guy again?" one friend asked.
Shiori smiled. "Yeah."
"Why? He's always ignoring everyone."
"I don't know," Shiori replied. "There's something about him. I want to understand him."
"You're wasting your time."
Shiori didn't respond. She just kept watching Yoshi.
Later that day, Yoshi was walking down the hallway. His hand was full of books. One slipped and fell.
Before he could pick it up, a hand reached down.
Shiori stood there. "Here."
Yoshi stared at her hand, then slowly took the book.
"…Thanks," he said quietly, almost in a whisper.
Shiori smiled but didn't say anything else. She turned and walked away.
Yoshi stared at her back.
Why… didn't she say more?
After school, Yoshi opened his bag and noticed something strange inside. A small folded paper.
He opened it. The handwriting was neat:
"If it's hard to talk, maybe writing is easier. –Shiori"
He stared at the note for a long time. He didn't throw it away. He folded it again and placed it in his pocket.
That night, Yoshi had another dream.
He stood in a dark room. His mother's voice echoed.
"You shouldn't smile."
"You killed me."
"You should've never been born."
Yoshi held his head and fell to his knees.
But suddenly… two faces appeared.
Mika's smile.
Shiori's eyes.
The voices faded. The darkness paused.
Yoshi opened his eyes.
His heart was beating fast.
He looked at the ceiling.
Why… do I feel warm?