After that betrayal, Aiyumi didn't talk about her pain again.
She locked it inside.
But Ren… he didn't let the silence swallow her.
He didn't ask, "Are you okay?" He didn't say, "Tell me what happened."
Instead —
he started teasing her more.
Not to annoy her, but to bring her back to life.
"Why are you looking like a ghost? Did someone steal your lunch again?"
he would smirk. "
She would hit his arm lightly,
"Shut up."
But for a second, she would actually smile.
And Ren watched those rare smiles like they were victories.
He became the reason she laughed,
even when she believed she couldn't trust anyone.
When she didn't talk much, he would poke her shoulder,
"Hellooo statue, I'm talking."
When she forgot to eat,
"If you starve and die, I'm not attending your funeral."
he'd say… while giving her food.
Teasing = his way of care.
Sometimes, without even meaning to, they behaved like something more than friends,
but neither of them realized it yet.
Others used to think,
"Are they dating?"
But they both denied it, because their hearts weren't ready to understand.
Ren never said "I'll protect you,"
but unconsciously, he already had.
He didn't let the world break her completely.
He became: her distraction
her comfort
her safe space
and her laughter…
all in one.