I walked toward her quietly and sat down onto the swing beside her. The chains creaked under my weight as I settled in. Suisen glanced up, brushing a hand across her cheeks, trying to wipe away the tears.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, voice soft but wary.
I shrugged, looking out across the park. "Just came to clear my head."
"Liar," she said, a faint, sad smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "You came to show pity on me just like the others."
I glanced forward across the road. "Why would I do that?".
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence felt fragile, weighed down by all the words we weren't saying. It was quite awkward..
To break the silence I asked. "So… what happened?"
She gave a sharp glance, brushing hair out of her teary eyes. "Why would I tell you?"
I shrugged slightly, looking away. "Okay… fair enough."
We fell quiet again, the sound of the wind rustling the trees filling the space between us. Then, almost in a whisper, she spoke.
"The girls… they pushed me into a mud puddle."
I replied "So why don't you fight back?"
She said "I don't want to create a problem for my family"
I let out a quiet breath, my eyes on the ground.
"…Can I tell you a secret?"
She glanced at me, silent… waiting.
"My life… it hasn't been easy either."
I paused, letting the words settle in the air.
"There was… a time… when I tried to end it. To end everything."
Her eyes flicked toward me, uncertain.
"…Is that so?" she whispered.
I gave a small nod, the ache in my chest tightening.
"I was… betrayed. By someone I trusted. Someone who meant a lot to me. They framed me… and... Everyone believed them."
"People… believe what they want to believe. Even when the truth is staring them in the face."
The wind moved gently between us. Leaves rustled softly.
"Because of that… I lost someone very dear to me. Someone I couldn't protect."
"And after that… I didn't see a reason to keep going."
I looked towards her..
"When I was at my lowest… no one was there. No one saw me. No one stayed."
The silence stretched for a moment. Then I continued, slowly, gently:
"But this time… I'm here."
My eyes met hers.
"I don't know how much I can fix. I don't even know if I can make things better. But…"
I drew a shaky breath.
"If you ever feel like you're drowning… if the world ever feels too heavy…"
I gave a soft, sad smile.
"I'll listen. I'll sit with you. I'll stay."
She didn't reply… but in that silence, something softened in her.
And maybe… that was enough.
She stood up slowly, brushing the dust from her skirt. With a soft scoff and a lopsided smile, she said in a light, teasing voice,
"Jeez… my ears are starting to hurt from hearing your depressing backstory."
She slung her bag over her shoulder and added, almost too casually,
"Just… don't go trying to kill yourself again, alright?"
The words were playful but behind her sarcasm, I could feel the chains that are holding her back are slowly starting to break.
I smiled gently, watching her walk away.
"You too," I said quietly.
She didn't turn around, but her steps slowed for just a moment... and somehow, that was enough.