Rei walked with Haruta until they reached his house.
"So, you and Alya are officially dating, aren't you?" Rei asked with a warm, teasing smile.
"Yes... we are dating..." Haruta replied, his smile soft and real—the kind that made his cheeks hurt in the best way.
Rei stepped inside his home, pausing at the door.
"I'm really happy for you, Haruta. Don't lose her, ever. Aight?"
He said it gently, almost like a blessing, and closed the door behind him.
"I would never..." Haruta whispered to the quiet street, voice low but filled with certainty.
He walked down the road to his own house, just a block away. The air was crisp, the night calm. He looked up at the sky—
The moon was glowing softly, like a shy guardian watching over him.
"Sorry, moon," Haruta said with a chuckle, eyes warm. "My moon's a bit more beautiful than you, y'know?"
With a quiet laugh, he entered his home, kicked off his shoes, and headed toward his room.
"Grandma, I'm bringing some friends over next weekend!" he called out.
His grandma peeked from the kitchen, eyes wide with surprise.
"Really? Who are they? It's your first time bringing friends over."
"Four friends," Haruta said, already halfway to his room, "and one surprise for you."
Grandma stood still for a moment, then smiled softly to herself.
"...My Haruta has grown up," she whispered, wiping her hands on her apron.
Haruta entered his room, took off his glasses, shrugged off his jacket, and lay back on his bed. A deep breath left his lungs.
"Maybe I smiled today... more than I have in my whole life," he murmured, eyes fluttering shut.
Sleep pulled him gently into its warmth.
---
Some time later, Haruta stirred.
He opened his eyes—and froze. He was sitting at a table… in his childhood home. The same one his parents had told him to leave.
And across from him sat two versions of himself.
To his left, a younger Haruta—small, innocent, eyes filled with a silent ache. In front of him, a weird crayon drawing sat on the table.
To his right, a cold, serious Haruta—the distant version of himself from just weeks ago.
"You've got everything you wanted… so will you forget me?"
Kid Haruta asked, voice trembling like a candle in the wind.
Haruta's eyes widened, heart thudding.
"No... I won't. It was you who gave me everything. Every color I lacked... came from you."
"How?" Kid Haruta asked, eyes downcast.
"Think about it. If I didn't have these traumas because of you... and I wasn't so cold and distant..."
He leaned forward.
"...Would Alya have loved me?"
"I don't know," Kid Haruta whispered, voice small.
"I don't know either," Haruta replied with a sad smile. "But I'll never forget you. It was you who shaped me into who I am now."
Kid Haruta's lips twitched into a smile.
And then—
The world around them began to crack, the dream fading.
Serious Haruta's voice cut through like a blade.
"So you fell in love… Does that make you weak? Or are you happy being weak?"
Haruta looked him dead in the eye.
"Maybe if loving is weakness… then I'm happy being weak. Because even if I'm weak—I feel stronger than ever."
"You allowed walls to break…" Serious Haruta warned. "What if history repeats itself?"
Haruta chuckled softly, eyes full of calm fire.
"Y'know... before, when I fell for those two… I fell for their looks.
But this time?"
He looked up.
"I fell for her heart. Her eyes. Her chaos."
He smiled, full of peace.
"I won't forget you two. Ever. Thanks... for watching over me."
Kid Haruta beamed.
"I'll live in a corner of your heart. Whenever you remember me… you'll hear my voice."
Serious Haruta said nothing—only gave a small nod, taking off his glasses.
The world shattered like glass.
---
Haruta's eyes snapped open. It was morning.
His cheeks were wet.
"No... I won't forget my pain..." he whispered, sitting up.
"What a strange dream," he muttered with a small laugh, wiping his eyes.
He walked to the mirror—and for just a split second, he saw them.
Both of his past selves. Standing right behind him.
And then they were gone.
A blink—and only his reflection remained.
Haruta placed his hand over his heart.
"You'll always be safe with me," he said softly.
He looked at the table—and saw the exact same drawing Kid Haruta had made.
That weird one, done in crayons.
His eyes widened.
"Thank you for everything," he muttered.
---
To be continued
-~Rei