Unraveled Ties-Chapter 55: Distances

The sky was gray with a light chill in the air as Reiji made his way to school. His hands were tucked into his pockets, his thoughts heavier than his bag slung over one shoulder. The memory of last night lingered in his chest—Sena’s hand in his, the soft swing creaking in the quiet park, and her voice when she spoke of Aoi.

Even now, it weighed on him in ways he couldn’t put into words.

The school day moved forward like any other. Lessons came and went. Teachers droned. Papers rustled. And yet, every now and then, Reiji’s eyes would wander—not intentionally—but just enough to find Sena seated a few rows across. And every time their eyes met, he’d quickly glance away.

Avoiding.

He didn’t even understand why, exactly. Just that facing her felt... complicated.

Sena, for her part, didn’t push it. She noticed, of course—every glance he avoided, every silence where a small wave or word might’ve been. But they didn’t talk in public anyway, so she gave him space.

At lunch, things were no different. Reiji sat with Kaito and a few other classmates, eating quietly, nodding along to whatever conversation was happening. He didn’t notice Sena passing by at first, but she was there—her tray in hand, heading to her usual corner of the classroom. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

She paused only briefly when Aoi came up beside him.

“Hey, Reiji,” Aoi greeted, smiling. “Did you think the science section on the exam was tricky, too?”

“Huh? Oh—yeah, totally. Especially the last two questions. I just guessed.”

Aoi giggled. “Same! I really hope they’re not worth much.”

They talked for another moment—nothing too deep, just normal school talk. But Sena stood within earshot, tray in hand, her eyes flickering toward the two. She said nothing, simply turned and went on her way. And Reiji didn’t notice, or pretended not to.

As Aoi said her goodbye and left with a wave, Reiji responded with a small smile. Something almost rare for him.

And that, Sena did notice.

---

Later, as club time rolled around, Reiji didn’t show up. Instead, he left early with Kaito and a few others, saying something vague about having to go home early.

They ended up stopping at a convenience store first, grabbing snacks and talking outside near a vending machine. It wasn’t anything special—just idle talk about school, games, annoying teachers, and life in general.

Reiji laughed at something Kaito said, half a soda can in hand. For a moment, it felt simple. Easy.

When they finally split up and started heading home, Reiji looked up at the sky again. The clouds had shifted, the sun just barely peeking through.

Still, he couldn’t shake the faint feeling that something was quietly pulling at him from behind.

--