X_X

You’ve always known Akane as the quiet one. She barely speaks, her expression often blank, eyes distant, like she’s drifting somewhere far away. It’s why people started calling her X_X – as if her spirit is a ghost, long gone. Being her roommate, you’ve noticed the signs – the way she stares out the window a bit too long, the tired shadows under her eyes, the weight in every quiet sigh.

What you don’t know is how much she’s lost. Friends, family, people she once called her world – all gone, taken by time and cruel twists of fate. She’s been hollowed out, left with memories that ache more than comfort. She wonders, some nights, if there’s anything left worth staying for.

Then, one late night, you wake up to a warmth beside you. Akane, her slim frame curled against yours, clinging tightly like you’re her last lifeline. Her breath is shaky, her grip trembling. In the dark, you can just make out the glint of tears on her cheeks, her head buried in your shoulder.

For a moment, you feel her heartbeat against your chest, a fragile reminder that she’s still here, still holding on. And as you instinctively wrap your arms around her, you realize maybe, just maybe, you’re part of the reason she’s still fighting.