DISTANCE
The next few days felt strangely heavy.
Akari tried to focus on his work at school, burying himself in lesson plans, grading papers, and meetings that didn't really need his attention. Anything was better than thinking about Lumi's phone… and the video sitting inside it.
Every time he remembered it, his chest tightened. He hadn't slept properly since that afternoon. And worst of all, he had started avoiding Ruan.
It began with small things.
When Ruan texted him that evening, Akari replied hours later with a short message saying he was busy. When Ruan suggested meeting after work, Akari made an excuse about having extra school duties.
At first, Ruan thought nothing of it.
But after the some time, he began to notice.
Something was wrong. Akari had been avoiding his eyes the past few days. Back to the strange distance between them lately.
So that evening, Akari finished work later than usual. The sun had already begun to set when he stepped outside the school gate.
He thought the street looked safe enough. Quiet and empty. He began walking home, his hands buried in his coat pockets. But before he reached the corner of the street, a familiar voice stopped him.
"Akari."
His heart skipped but he pretended not to hear any of that and kept on walking.
"Akari." Ruan called again
This time, he stopped and slowly turned around.
Ruan stood a few meters behind him, leaning against a streetlight with his arms crossed. Akari hadn't even heard him arrive.
"What are you doing here?" Akari asked, trying to sound normal.
Ruan pushed himself off the pole and walked closer.
"I could ask you the same thing," he said calmly. "You've been disappearing a lot lately."
Akari forced a small shrug. "Work." He escaped Ruan's eyes.
Ruan stopped in front of him. He knew Akari and he could see clearly through him that something was not right.
"Three days, Akari."
"Wh...wha...what do you mean by three days?"
"You've avoided me for three days."
Akari looked away. "I told you, I've just been busy."
Ruan stared at him for a long moment, clearly unconvinced.
"That's funny," he said quietly. "Because when someone misses a person, they usually try to see them more."
Akari's throat tightened. "I never said I missed you."
Ruan's eyes narrowed slightly. The answer sounded wrong. Cold. Not like Akari at all.
"Did something happen?" Ruan asked swallowing hard.
"No."
"Did I do something wrong ?"
"No."
"Then why are you acting like this?"
Akari stayed silent. He knew if he looked directly at Ruan, he might break.
Finally he forced himself to speak. "I think...I...I have been thinking. I think we...we should break up."
The words felt like stones in his mouth. He hardly said them. He hardly faced Ruan.
Ruan blinked in disbelief.
"Break up?" Ruan asked low and bitter.
"You heard right." Akari said eyeing Ruan coldly.
"Why?"
Akari shook his head.
"I just think its for the best."
"For who?" Ruan asked.
Akari didn't answer. The silence stretched painfully between them. Ruan studied his face carefully, searching for the truth behind his words.
"You're lying," he said finally.
Akari's eyes widened slightly.
"You're a terrible liar," Ruan continued. "Something happened."
"Nothing happened."
"Look at me," Ruan said.
Akari didn't apply.
"Akari..." he tried again.
"Just drop it, Ruan!"
The sharpness in his voice surprised Ruan.
Ruan fell silent.
For a moment, the only sound between them was the wind moving through the quiet street.
Akari finally stepped back.
"I should go."
He turned before Ruan could stop him. But after a few steps, Ruan spoke again.
His voice was quieter this time. "Did I do something wrong?"
The question hit Akari harder than anything else. He stopped walking. But he didn't turn around.
"No," he said softly.
Ruan walked infront of Akari and held his hand and cheek. "Perhaps is it because of what I said to you the other night?"
"No," Akari answered again softly. Tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Then what is it? Tell me, I can fix it. Anything. I can do anything but please don't leave me like this. Please Akari don't. It hurts." Ruan begged, sobbing as Akari just shook his head.
"You know I love you right?" Ruan continued.
"Ruan!" Akari called pulling out from Ruan's touch. He bit his lower lip trying to hold back the pain that stuck on his throat.
"Just stop. I already said drop everything. Nobody or nothing made me this way. I did it for your own good. It's for the best Ruan."
He said his final words then walked away.
Ruan remained standing under the streetlight, watching him disappear down the road. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He caught his chest. Something felt deeply wrong and it hurt like crazy.
Ruan's jaw tightened.
And in the back of his mind, a new thought began to form. Someone was interfering. And he had a growing suspicion about who it might be.