your important to me

The sky had already turned a deep shade of gray by the time Ren left the library. He pulled his bag closer to his chest, quickening his pace when the first drop of rain touched his cheek. He hadn’t expected the weather to turn this suddenly.

He ducked under the nearest bus stop shelter just as the rain began to fall hard, drumming against the roof in an unsteady rhythm. Ren sighed, wiping the water from his bangs. He didn’t mind getting wet; what bothered him was the storm in his chest that had been growing for days.

Haru’s face appeared in his mind—smiling at someone else, laughing with a group, surrounded by people. He always seemed to shine, no matter where he was.

Someone like that… would never belong to someone like me.

Ren closed his eyes.

“Ren?”

His eyes flew open.

Haru stood before him, breathless, uniform damp from the sudden downpour. Drops of water trailed down his cheeks as if he’d run the whole way.

“H-Haru? Why are you—”

“You left without me,” Haru said, stepping closer. “I told you I wanted to walk home together today, remember?”

Ren looked away. “I… thought you were busy.”

Haru’s brows furrowed. “I wasn’t too busy for you.”

The rain fell harder, the sound growing louder around them. Haru walked under the shelter, shaking out his sleeves.

Ren swallowed. “You look soaked.”

“So do you,” Haru said with a half-smile. “Guess we’re both idiots.”

Ren bit his lip, heart twisting.

“Ren,” Haru said suddenly, voice low. “Are you mad at me?”

Ren blinked. “What? No.”

“Then why have you been avoiding me? You barely talk to me anymore.”

Ren’s grip on his bag tightened. “It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it?” Haru stepped in front of him, blocking his escape. “Did I do something wrong?”

Ren shook his head. “No. You didn’t.”

“Then tell me what’s going on,” Haru insisted, eyes searching Ren’s. “I can’t fix what I don’t understand.”

Ren felt the words pressing against his throat—heavy, painful, dangerous.

I can’t tell you that seeing you with someone else hurts.

I can’t tell you I’ve loved you for years.

I can’t tell you I’m terrified you’ll leave the moment you know how much I care.

Instead, he whispered, “You’re too kind to me.”

Haru blinked. “Is that… bad?”

“Yes.” Ren’s voice broke. “Because it makes me… hope for things I can’t have.”

Haru’s eyes softened—more than Ren expected, more than he could handle.

He stepped closer, slowly, as if giving Ren time to stop him. “Ren… when I saw you talking to that girl the other day, I felt—” He looked down, almost embarrassed. “—jealous.”

Ren’s breath caught. “Jealous?”

Haru nodded. “I didn’t understand it then. I just knew it hurt.”

Ren stared at him, stunned.

Haru met his eyes fully, no hesitation this time.

“You’re important to me, Ren,” he said softly. “More than I realized.”

Ren felt the world tilt—the rain, the noise, the cold—everything fading except the warmth in Haru’s voice.

“But… why?” Ren whispered.

Haru gave him a small smile. “I don’t know yet. But I want to figure it out—with you.”

Ren’s chest tightened painfully—and beautifully.

For once, hope didn’t feel like an enemy.

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