The autumn wind carried the scent of distant rain as Aika stood by the classroom window, watching the gray sky stretch endlessly over the city.
It had been two weeks since everything changed.
Or maybe, nothing had changed at all.
Maybe the only thing different was that she was noticing things now.
The way Riku sometimes stared off into space, lost in thoughts he never spoke of. The way his fingers trembled when he thought no one was looking. The way his smile felt… off.
Like a mask.
Aika clenched her fists.
She wanted to believe he was fine. She wanted to believe she was imagining it, that she was just overthinking everything like always.
But deep down, something in her kept whispering:
You're running out of time.
She shook her head.
No. That was stupid.
Riku was fine. He was always fine.
And yet, that fear wouldn't leave her.
---
Lunch Break – On the Rooftop
"Oi, Aika."
She turned just in time to see Riku toss her a can of iced coffee. She barely caught it, fumbling slightly before scowling at him. "What was that for?"
He grinned, taking a seat on the bench. "You looked like you needed it."
Aika narrowed her eyes but popped the tab open anyway. The bitterness of the coffee grounded her, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Riku stretched, leaning back with his hands behind his head.
"You've been staring off into space a lot lately," he remarked casually, his eyes half-lidded against the sun. "Something on your mind?"
You.
The answer sat on the tip of her tongue, unspoken.
Instead, she took a sip of her coffee and shrugged. "Just thinking about my next painting."
It wasn't a total lie.
Riku hummed, tilting his head slightly. "Must be something deep, then."
Aika hesitated. Should she ask? Should she push?
She stared at the can in her hands.
"…You'd tell me, right?" she asked suddenly, her voice quieter than she meant it to be.
Riku blinked. "Huh?"
"If something was wrong," she clarified. "If something was bothering you, you'd tell me, wouldn't you?"
For a second, his entire body stilled.
Then, so quickly that she almost missed it, his smile returned—too easy, too practiced.
"Of course," he said lightly.
Liar.
Aika felt her stomach twist, but she said nothing.
Because what else could she say?
---
After School – Walking Home
The walk home was quiet, but not in the usual comfortable way.
Aika wasn't sure what to say.
She kept glancing at Riku, trying to find the right words, the right moment.
He looked normal.
But that was the problem.
He looked normal.
Like a painting where the colors were just slightly off. Something you wouldn't notice unless you were really looking.
"…Aika?"
She snapped out of her thoughts to find Riku watching her, a curious look in his eyes.
"What?" she muttered.
He smirked. "You were staring."
Aika huffed. "You wish."
Riku chuckled but didn't press. Instead, he looked up at the sky, his expression thoughtful.
"Do you ever think about how fast time moves?" he asked suddenly.
Aika blinked. "Huh?"
"I mean… one moment, we're just kids, and the next, we're here. And before we know it, everything changes again."
Aika frowned. "What's with the weird existential talk?"
Riku laughed. "Just thinking."
There was something about the way he said it that made her uneasy.
Like he was holding something back.
She wanted to ask.
She wanted to demand an answer.
But she knew him too well.
If she pushed too hard, he'd only pull away.
So instead, she sighed and kicked a loose rock on the pavement. "Yeah, well. Time's annoying like that."
Riku smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
---
That Night – Aika's Room
Aika sat at her desk, sketchbook open, pencil hovering over a blank page.
She didn't want to draw.
She didn't want to think.
But her hands moved on their own.
Before she realized it, the lines began forming.
A boy.
Standing alone in a vast, empty space.
Looking up at a sky filled with stars that felt just a little too far away.
She gripped her pencil tighter.
Something about the image made her chest hurt.
Like she was trying to capture something slipping through her fingers.
She bit her lip.
What are you hiding from me, Riku?
And why did it feel like, no matter how hard she tried…
She was running out of time to find out?