Two years had passed since Haruto buried himself in work. The constant hum of the office, the glow of computer screens, the endless flow of tasks — it had become his world, a protective cage that kept the memories of Emi both close and distant.
And yet, life has a way of shattering even the strongest walls.
Emi had changed too, though in a different way. The arrival of her childhood sweetheart, Kaito, had initially swept her off her feet. Letters, calls from abroad, and the promise of a shared past had tempted her heart. She had believed in him — believed that love could be rekindled, that the man who once held her hand in youth was still worthy of her heart.
But Kaito was not who he appeared to be.
It started with small signs. A lingering touch that made her uncomfortable, a gaze that lingered too long, words that felt more like manipulation than affection. Emi tried to ignore them, telling herself that perhaps she was overreacting. But her instincts, the quiet voice in her chest, screamed otherwise.
The final proof came one night when Kaito suggested they meet at a secluded place under the pretense of rekindling their connection. Emi hesitated, heart pounding, a sense of dread washing over her. And then, in the shadows of that encounter, she realized the truth: he only wanted her body, never her heart.
The betrayal cut deeper than any words Haruto had inflicted. She had almost left a man who had loved her unconditionally, who had sacrificed himself silently for her happiness, for a man who had never cared about her at all.
Emi's chest tightened with guilt. Memories of Haruto flooded her mind — the countless small gestures, the quiet love he had given, the unwavering patience he had shown even as she drifted away. And now, seeing Kaito's true face, she understood the depth of what she had almost lost.
But Haruto was gone from her life. Two years of absence, two years of silence. He had buried himself in work, and she had no idea where he was, or if he even thought of her anymore.
She tried to reach out once, twice, but the calls went unanswered, the messages ignored. Haruto had built a new world around himself, and she was no longer a part of it.
Sitting alone in her room, Emi whispered his name, almost in a prayer, almost in despair. "Haruto… I… I was wrong."
But some things, she realized too late, cannot be undone.