The days since their last study session had been weird for Kaito. He was used to keeping to himself, staying focused on his work, and not bothering with people too much. But ever since he’d started working with Ryu, something had been... different. They’d spent hours together at the library, and even though Kaito liked to pretend it was just for the project, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was something more.
One afternoon, Kaito was already sitting at the library, waiting for Ryu. He didn’t mind; he had his routine. He pulled out his phone and mindlessly scrolled through it while pretending to read a textbook. It was better than just staring at nothing, but part of him kept wondering when Ryu would finally show up. Of course, it was Ryu—always late.
When the door finally opened, Kaito glanced up, and there he was, looking kind of... off. Ryu walked in, but instead of his usual carefree swagger, he seemed a little down. His eyes were a little tired, and his steps were slower than normal.
"Yo," Ryu said, dropping his bag onto the table and slumping into his chair across from Kaito.
Kaito raised an eyebrow. "What’s up with you? You look like you’ve been run over by a truck."
Ryu half-smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Nah, just tired. You know how it is."
Kaito narrowed his eyes, suspicious but not wanting to push it. "Uh-huh. Sure." He glanced at Ryu’s slouched posture. "You’re not gonna nap during this study session, are you?"
Ryu laughed, though it was a little forced. "I’ll try not to."
The two of them sat in silence for a while, Kaito trying to get some work done while Ryu fidgeted with his pencil, tapping it against the desk. It felt off, but Kaito didn’t want to pry. He could tell something was bothering Ryu, but he wasn’t going to ask unless he had to.
After a while, Ryu broke the silence. "You ever feel like you’re just stuck in some kind of loop?" he asked suddenly, glancing up from his doodles.
Kaito paused, looking up at him. "What do you mean? Like school?"
Ryu nodded slowly. "Yeah, but more than that. Like everything’s always the same, and nothing feels... different, you know?"
Kaito thought about it for a second. It wasn’t exactly the kind of thing he usually talked about with people, but with Ryu, it didn’t feel weird. "I get that. Sometimes it feels like I’m just going through the motions, too."
Ryu let out a soft sigh. "Yeah, exactly. I don’t even know what I’m doing half the time. Like, I’m here, but I’m not here, you know?"
Kaito looked at Ryu for a moment, something inside him clicking. He’d always seen Ryu as the laid-back guy who didn’t care much about anything, but now, he looked more like someone who didn’t know where he was headed. Kaito felt a strange tug in his chest.
"Sometimes, you’ve just gotta make your meaning, you know?" Kaito said, feeling like he needed to say something, even if it wasn’t the perfect advice. "It doesn’t just come to you."
Ryu met his gaze, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "I don’t know, man. I don’t know how to do that."
Kaito felt a weird kind of connection in that moment, like they were both kind of lost. He didn’t know how to help Ryu, but somehow, he wanted to. Instead, he just shrugged. "You don’t have to figure it all out right now. Just... take it one step at a time."
Ryu leaned back in his chair, still staring at Kaito with that same tired look in his eyes. For a second, Kaito thought maybe Ryu was gonna say something else, but instead, he just stood up and grabbed his backpack.
"Yo, I’m gonna go grab some snacks," Ryu said. "Want anything?"
Kaito shook his head. "Nah, I’m good."
Ryu nodded and walked off, leaving Kaito to sit there in silence for a few minutes. Kaito didn’t know why, but something about their conversation felt... different. He was starting to see Ryu in a new way. Maybe he wasn’t just the guy who barely passed his classes and liked to joke around. Maybe, just maybe, he was someone who had his struggles, too.
Ryu came back with chips and a can of soda, throwing the bag of chips onto the table. "Alright, let’s get back to work," Ryu said, cracking open the soda.
Kaito reached for the chips, then raised an eyebrow at Ryu. "You’ve been acting weird today. Everything okay?"
Ryu smirked, but it was kind of a sad smirk. "Yeah, yeah. I’m good."
They went back to work for a while, and even though they didn’t talk much, the air between them wasn’t so uncomfortable anymore. Kaito didn’t quite understand why, but somehow, things were starting to feel... easier.
As they packed up to leave, Kaito caught Ryu looking at him again, his expression softer than usual.
"Hey, Kaito," Ryu said, pausing before heading out the door. "Thanks for... you know, listening. You’re not as bad as I thought."
Kaito blinked. "Uh, sure. No problem."
Ryu gave him a small grin before walking out the door. Kaito stood there, watching him leave. For a moment, he felt a little confused. It wasn’t like Ryu had become his best friend overnight, but something between them had changed. Kaito didn’t know where this was going, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever it was, it was important.
ns 15.158.61.44da2
