Under the Same Sky

 Chapter 7: The Unraveling

The following days were marked by a tense silence. Yui tried to reach out, but Sakura always seemed to slip away before she could get too close. She would catch glimpses of her in the hallways, her eyes hollow and distant, a shadow of the girl Yui had once known.

Yui couldn't let it go. She couldn't just walk away and pretend that everything was fine. She needed to know what was going on inside Sakura's head, what was driving her to push everyone away.

One night, she followed Sakura after school, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and desperation. She watched as Sakura slipped into an alleyway behind the school, her movements tense and hurried. Yui hesitated for a moment before following, her breath coming out in short, anxious bursts.

What she saw nearly made her heart stop.

Sakura was speaking to a man—someone she didn't recognize. The conversation was heated, and although Yui couldn't hear the words, she could see the tension in their body language. The man's hand rested on Sakura's arm, too tight, too possessive. Sakura looked uncomfortable, her posture stiff and defensive.

Yui felt something inside her snap. She didn't know who this man was or what he wanted, but she knew she couldn't let him hurt Sakura.

Without thinking, Yui marched forward, her steps quick and purposeful.

"Let her go," Yui's voice was steady, even though her insides were shaking.

The man turned to look at her, a sneer twisting his lips. "And who the hell are you?"

"Someone who isn't afraid to protect her," Yui shot back, her words sharper than she intended.

Sakura's eyes widened as she turned to face Yui. There was a flicker of something in her gaze—something desperate. "Yui, you don't understand," she whispered, her voice trembling.

But Yui wasn't listening. She took a step forward, placing herself between Sakura and the man, her body tense with defiance. "I understand more than you think."

The man let out a frustrated sigh and pushed past them, disappearing into the night without another word. Yui turned back to Sakura, her heart racing.

"What's going on, Sakura?" Yui asked, her voice quiet but insistent. "What is he to you?"

Sakura closed her eyes, her face a mask of pain. "You don't want to know."

But Yui was already too far in. She couldn't turn back now.

To be continue..........