Friday felt like it lasted forever.
By the time the last bell rang, Kaito was already tired—and not from studying. Just from pretending. Pretending to listen, pretending to care, pretending he was okay when he wasn't sure if he really was.
But he remembered what Toma said.
"Just pickup games after class."
He didn't promise anything. He didn't even say yes. But Kaito still found himself walking toward the back court behind the gym, the one that barely got sunlight and had a broken net.
There were six people already there—five boys and one girl. He recognized Toma, juggling the ball again. The others were strangers, though one guy had bright orange shoes that stood out like fire against the cracked cement.
"Yo!" Toma spotted him and waved like they'd been friends for years.
Kaito gave a small wave back. His hands were in his hoodie pocket, and he didn't move any faster.
"Didn't think you'd show," Toma grinned.
"I didn't either," Kaito muttered.
Toma handed him a ball. "Wanna warm up? You don't have to play if you're not up for it."
Kaito bounced it once. The sound echoed a little, familiar, but far away—like a memory playing in the next room.
"I'll just shoot," he said.
So he did.
Just free throws. No pressure. No crowd. No one shouting his name. It was... quiet. And he liked it.
"Your form's still clean," one of the guys said, nodding. "I'm Jin, by the way. I'm terrible at this."
Kaito gave a small smile. "You're not that bad."
The girl spoke up next. She was short, wore glasses, and had twin braids. "He is that bad," she said, smirking. "I'm Aya. I'm just here for cardio."
The group laughed, and Kaito couldn't help but smile.
It wasn't much. But it felt real.
After practice, they sat around the court, sipping water and catching their breath.
"You used to play, right?" Jin asked. "For real?"
"Yeah," Kaito said. "A while ago."
"What happened?" Aya asked, curious but not pushy.
He paused. Looked at his knees. "Injury. ACL tear. Never really got back."
"Damn," Jin muttered. "That sucks."
Kaito shrugged. "It happens."
There was a short silence.
Then Aya leaned back on her hands. "That's still cool, though. You actually played. I used to quit everything before I even started."
Everyone chuckled. Even Kaito.
For once, he didn't feel like the broken version of himself. He just felt like a person again.
Later, as the sun started to go down, Kaito walked to the bus stop. The air smelled like grass and sweat, but it was peaceful.
He was about to put in his earphones when he heard a voice.
"Kaito?"
He turned.
It was Emi. She had her school bag slung over one shoulder and a convenience store bag in the other.
"You came from the back court?" she asked.
"Yeah."
She nodded. "Good. That's good."
They stood there a moment, the silence between them comfortable.
"You know," Emi said, "it's okay to not be who you used to be."
Kaito looked at her. "What do you mean?"
"I mean... people change. You got hurt, yeah. But you're still here. And honestly, that already says something."
Kaito didn't say anything. Not right away. But something in his chest loosened a bit.
"Thanks," he finally said.
Emi smiled. "See you Monday?"
"Yeah."
That night, Kaito sat by his window again, the city lights blinking in the distance.
He took out his phone. Opened the notes app.
He didn't write anything long. Just a few words.
"One step is still a step."
Then he put the phone down, leaned back, and let the quiet fill the room.
For the first time in a while, the quiet didn't feel lonely.