"Saiki Ai?"
That Saiki Ai from elementary school?
The moment I see her, the past I'd buried claws its way back to the surface—sharp, jagged, unhealed.
She never told the truth about what happened.Instead, she lied—said I harassed her. There was no proof.She played the victim.I was cast as the villain.
No one questioned it.They never do.
But why is she here?At this school, of all places?What does she want from me?
My fists clench.A bitter taste rises in my throat, the same one I tasted back then—when everything collapsed.
"Are you here to ruin my life again, Saiki Ai?" My voice cuts like glass—sharp, but not loud. "To humiliate me again? What do you want?"
She flinches. Her lips part like she wants to speak… but she says nothing.
"Just stay away from me."It comes out colder than I intended.I don't take it back.
"You already destroyed my life once. I won't let you do it again."
I walk past her without another glance.
She doesn't follow.Doesn't move.Doesn't speak.
Just stands there—silent.
They say people are stubborn.That we cling to things—regret, guilt, pain—because they start to define us.Even when we know we should let go.
And yet...Why does my chest feel so heavy?
A Few Days Later
That presence again.
I don't have to look to know it's her.Even without seeing her face, I can feel it—the weight of her gaze, always behind me.
I've been ignoring it.Letting it happen.Pretending it's not there.
But today, it's too much.
I stop walking. Let out a tired sigh.
"…What do you want, Saiki Ai?"
My voice is quiet this time. Not sharp. Just… worn out.
"Do you want to see me suffer again? Is that it? Does it make you happy—watching me fall apart?"
She flinches again. Just like before.
But this time… she speaks.
"I… I just wanted to apologize."
I stay silent. Watching.
Her fingers grip the hem of her sleeves tightly, knuckles white. She can't look me in the eye.
"I was weak back then," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "I couldn't tell them the truth… so I lied. I was scared. I didn't want people thinking I was just some girl desperate for attention."
Her words tremble.
"So I made you the villain."She swallows hard."I'm sorry. I really am."
A single tear slides down her cheek.
For just a moment… my resolve shakes.Just a little.
I exhale and rub the back of my neck. Damn it…
"Sorry doesn't change anything."It comes out steadier than I feel. Not angry—just tired.
"What's done is done."
She wipes her tears quickly. "I—"
"Just stop following me."I cut her off.
I don't raise my voice. I don't look at her.
"If you really regret it…"My voice lowers to barely a whisper,"…then leave me alone."
I walk away.
She doesn't follow.Doesn't call out.Just stands there—again.
The silence between us is thick. Unspoken. Unmoving.
And yet… I feel it.
That uncomfortable weight pressing against my ribs.
I don't know if it's her regret I'm carrying.Or mine.
But something unsettles me.A small crack forms in the walls I built long ago.
I want to stay angry.I should stay angry.
But deep down, where I pretend nothing matters—
—something does.