Chapter 6: The Painful Distance

At the pharmacy reception counter, Sayo continued attending to one customer after another.

Her voice sounded as normal as ever. But deep inside, her heart remained heavy and sunken.

(Koyama-kun…)

She couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened a few days ago, when they had unexpectedly run into each other at the station.

She had really wanted to stop and talk to him.

And it was true that her heart had leapt when he smiled at her.

Yet in that instant, she had turned away as if running from him.

Haruki’s expression at the time—the surprise on his face, and the way he had simply watched her leave without chasing after her.

Just remembering it made her chest tighten painfully.

(It’s not that I want to avoid him… But I have no right to stand beside him…)

The image of the woman she had seen that day resurfaced in her mind.

She had looked capable at work, mature, and beautiful.

It had made Sayo feel that there was simply no place for someone like her to step between them.

She knew Haruki had been contacting her.

She wanted to reply. Many times, she had begun typing a message.

But if she sent something as simple as “I’m doing fine”—what would she start hoping for after that?

The thought frightened her, and she could never bring herself to press Send.

Before she knew it, a sigh escaped her lips.

“…I hate being like this.”

The night breeze on her way home only deepened the loneliness in her chest.

She couldn’t stop thinking about Haruki, yet her lack of confidence kept her rooted in place.

Surely he had already noticed.

That she was deliberately keeping her distance.

(What if he starts to hate me…?)

That fear made Sayo’s steps feel even heavier.

After closing the pharmacy, balancing the register, and checking that everything was locked up, Sayo stepped outside.

The moment she did, she stopped in her tracks.

“…Koyama-kun?”

A man in a suit stood beneath the streetlight.

His tie was loosened, one hand tucked into his pocket, and he was staring directly at her.

Her heart jumped in surprise.

Before she could ask why he was there, Haruki slowly walked toward her.

“Finished work?”

“…Why are you here?”

“Lately, I’ve felt like you’ve been avoiding me. So I came to see you in person.”

His words were so straightforward that Sayo caught her breath.

Even when she tried to look away, his gaze never left her.

“…That’s not true.”

The words came out instinctively, but even she knew they weren’t convincing.

Haruki let out a small sigh.

“I thought maybe you hated me.”

“N-No, that’s not it!”

Her voice rose without thinking. A passerby turned to look, and Sayo hurriedly lowered her voice.

“That’s not it… It’s just…”

“Just?”

“…”

Unable to answer, she fell silent.

Haruki continued watching her quietly.

The night breeze passed between them.

Sayo’s chest hurt unbearably, yet she couldn’t escape his gaze.

Under the glow of the streetlights, Haruki remained silent for a while after hearing her words, simply looking at her.

The weight of the silence made her want to run away, and her heart pounded furiously.

“…Matsubara.”

Her shoulders trembled at the sound of his low voice.

“…The other day, I saw you. You were… walking with a beautiful woman.”

The instant she said it, her face burned hot.

Embarrassed that she had revealed something so close to jealousy, she lowered her gaze.

Haruki blinked in surprise, then gave a small laugh.

“…Oh. You mean my coworker from sales, maybe? We were coming back from visiting a client.”

“…What?”

“It was just work. The woman walking with me was a senior member of my team.”

At that casually delivered explanation, Sayo was momentarily speechless.

The anxiety that had clung stubbornly to her heart seemed to collapse all at once.

Haruki stepped closer and looked at her seriously.

“You’re the only one I’m looking at, Matsubara.”

His direct words made her heartbeat thunder in her ears.

Even if she wanted to run, her legs refused to move.

Haruki’s voice sank deep into her heart.

“Back in high school, and when we met again at the reunion… I’ve always been interested in you. In the way you smile, and in the kind of life you’ve been living.”

“…Koyama-kun…”

Heat slowly gathered behind Sayo’s eyes.

It felt as though Haruki’s words were overwriting all of her insecurity and fear.

“You mean a lot to me, Matsubara.”

Those words, spoken into the night, were almost a confession.

Sayo’s heart pounded so hard it felt as though it might break, and she could feel the feelings she had kept buried deep inside slowly being set free.