Hoshino POV
It was Friday, 10:00 p.m. My parents usually went grocery shopping on Fridays until late at night, and Lily was hanging out with her friends since exams had just ended, so I had the house to myself.
I had just gotten out of the shower and was currently on the game with Sora. For the longest time, whenever I played a game, I usually did so alone. Yu and Remi didn't play games, and Luna didn't have the same taste as I did. So it was a surprise to find out that not only did Sora and I play the same things, but we were also the same rank.
We had just finished a game and were about to go for another one when suddenly, the bell rang.
My mic seemed to pick it up as Sora asked, "Is someone there?"
"I think so. I'll go check it out. Be right back."
I took my earphones out and went downstairs to the front door. It couldn't have been Lily or my parents; they had the house keys.
I normally never really bothered whenever someone rang the doorbell, but it was night and raining hard—so whoever was here had to have a good reason.
I opened the door, and slowly, her familiar figure came into view.
I froze, staring at her with wide eyes for a few moments. Out of anyone it could've been, she was the last person I expected. Aside from the alley, we never really hung out anywhere—much less somewhere as private as one of our houses.
Most of all, it was just so unlike her to randomly appear without even giving me a text. I just couldn't wrap my head around it, nor could I fully keep my composure.
"...Mei?" I said, the words barely making it out of my throat. "What are you–"
But before I could even finish, I snapped my mouth shut, the reality gradually setting in.
Even though she was standing right there, she hadn't looked at me a single time. Her signature bright purple-and-pink eyes were devoid of their usual lustre—containing absolutely nothing.
Her white shirt uniform was soaked through, and her hair clung in strings to her bruised face. But even with all of that, nothing caught my attention more than her sleeves. One of her sleeves—around the wrist area—was stained a pale shade of pink.
I squinted and looked away, unable to take the full sight of it any longer.
I normally didn't care about things like this, but when it was someone I was close to—especially Mei—that was a whole other thing.
Should I ask her what's wrong?
I killed that thought as quickly as it came. Even if I did know, what could I do? Obviously, something serious happened to her. Even if she told me, I know I wouldn't be able to understand, much less help. Most of all—I didn't know if she'd even want to tell me. After all…
That isn't what we are.
So, I let out a deep breath, then held out my hand. "Come in. You're going to catch a cold if you stand there like that. You need to dry off."
She didn't move. She didn't even look at me. I didn't move either. I just stood there and waited—hand still out.
Her finger twitched. The first sign of life.
I blinked, and in that split second my eyes closed, something crashed into me.
I—no, we—were falling down.
We fell to the floor, Mei's arms wrapping tightly around my waist. Her body trembled as she clung to me. I lifted my hand and gently patted her head.
In the next second, a cry broke loose in the house. She dug her nails into my back as she buried her face into my chest, her tears soaking through the fabric of my shirt.
It stung, but I never said anything—and I never stopped patting her.
She called my name over and over in a wheezing, shaking breath between sobs. I just kept holding her close to me.
There was nothing else I could have done, even if I'd wanted to. I could have said something along the lines of 'it's okay' or 'everything will be fine,' but I didn't believe in those words—and I knew Mei didn't either. They never did anything for you.
So—I stayed silent. And I intended to stay silent the whole time—but that silence was broken. Not by me, but Mei.
She brought herself closer to my ear, her breath brushing against my skin.
"Hey," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why… are you doing this? Why did you just let me in? Why did you help me? And why… aren't you asking anything?"
Even though she was asking all these questions, I was sure she already had an answer to every single one. So, I answered her question with my own.
"How about you? Why did you come here, of all places? I'm sure you have other friends who are more reliable than me."
Mei didn't say anything. Instead, she pulled herself closer until she was sitting on top of me. She drew her face away from my ear until she was looking me directly in the eyes.
Her hands traced upwards, settling on my cheeks, keeping me from looking away from her.
Her lips slowly curved up—revealing a smile. A type of smile I'd never seen before in my life. One that cleared my mind of every unnecessary thought and made all resistance leave my body.
Her lips slowly parted. "It's because… I love you."
Her thumb brushed against my skin, as if wiping away every doubt before they could even form.
We stayed clung to each other, my warmth passing to her, and her cold passing to me.
I didn't even need to think. The answer came on its own.
I brought my hands up, gently holding her waist and pulling her in closer.
"Then I'm the same way."
Our faces drew closer, our breaths brushing against each other's lips.
I opened my mouth. "I… love you, too."
End of volume 5: A Confession