Three weeks passed.
For Miko, those three weeks felt like three years.
She went to school every day. She smiled when people talked to her. She worked in the student council. She laughed when her friends joked. She acted normal.
But inside, her heart was empty.
Tenkei never came back.
His seat remained silent.
His voice never returned.
And she never asked why.
She kept telling herself that she was angry.
That she was hurt.
That she didn't want to see him.
But deep down, something always felt wrong.
One afternoon, after school, Miko was walking through a small park near the station when she heard familiar voices. She stopped behind a tree when she saw Airi sitting on a bench with three boys. They were laughing quietly, talking in low voices.
At first, Miko didn't pay attention.
Then she heard her name.
"…She really believed it," one boy laughed.
"Yeah," another replied. "That acting was perfect."
Airi smiled.
"It was easy," she said calmly. "Tenkei was too weak to defend himself."
Miko's heart froze.
"What about the drink?" one boy asked.
"Worked perfectly," Airi replied. "He passed out like I expected."
"And the crying?" another boy said.
"I practiced it," Airi answered. "Girls crying always win."
They laughed.
Miko felt the ground disappear under her feet.
Her ears rang.
Her body trembled.
"Wait…" she whispered. "Drink… acting…?"
Everything connected.
The collapse.
The nurse's room.
The tears.
The accusation.
The slap.
Tenkei's confused eyes.
His desperate voice.
"I didn't do anything."
Her hands began shaking violently.
"It… was all… a lie…" she whispered.
Tears rushed into her eyes.
Without thinking, she turned and ran.
She ran past streets.
Past shops.
Past cars.
Past people calling her name.
She ran as fast as she could toward Tenkei's house.
Her breathing was heavy.
Her chest burned.
"Please… please be okay… please…" she begged silently.
When she reached his home, the gate was unlocked.
The door was slightly open.
That alone made her heart sink.
"Tenkei…?" she called softly.
No answer.
She stepped inside.
A strange smell filled the air.
It was heavy.
Unnatural.
Her hands covered her mouth.
"Tenkei…?" she called again, louder now.
She walked toward his room.
Each step felt impossible.
When she opened the door, time stopped.
She saw him.
Lying there.
Still.
Silent.
Cold.
Her world shattered.
"AAAAAAAAA!"
Her scream broke the silence.
She fell to her knees.
"No… no… no… please… wake up… please…" she cried, shaking him gently.
But he didn't move.
Neighbors heard her scream.
People rushed in.
Someone called for help.
Someone covered their mouth.
Someone started crying.
The house filled with voices and chaos.
But Miko heard nothing.
She only saw him.
And remembered everything.
The funeral was quiet.
Rain fell softly.
Black umbrellas filled the sky.
Tenkei's photo stood near white flowers.
He was smiling in it.
Like nothing was wrong.
Like he was still alive.
Miko stood there without moving.
Without crying.
Without speaking.
She felt empty.
Like her soul had left her body.
When she saw Airi standing at a distance, pretending to cry, something inside her finally broke.
She walked toward her.
Without hesitation.
Without fear.
She slapped her.
The sound echoed.
"You ruined him!" Miko screamed. "You lied! You manipulated him! You killed him with your lies!"
People tried to stop her.
Airi looked shocked.
"I… I didn't mean…" she tried.
"Shut up!" Miko shouted. "You took away his life! His dreams! His heart!"
Tears poured from her eyes.
"I trusted you!"
After that night, Miko went to Tenkei's house.
Alone.
The house felt empty.
Cold.
She entered his room slowly and began cleaning.
Folding clothes.
Wiping the desk.
Arranging books.
Touching everything he once touched.
Her hands stopped when she found a folded paper inside a drawer.
Her name was written on it.
"Miko."
Her heart shook.
She sat on his bed and opened it.
It was his letter.
She read every word.
Every apology.
Every promise.
Every confession.
Her breathing became uneven.
Her hands trembled.
Tears dropped onto the paper.
"I'm sorry… I love you… please be happy…"
She couldn't read anymore.
She hugged the letter tightly and cried.
Not softly.
Not quietly.
She cried like a child who had lost everything.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" she repeated again and again.
For the first time since his death, she cried.
And that night, under the silent sky, Miko finally understood.
He never betrayed her.
He only loved her.
Too much.