"Some truths are buried not by lies, but by love."
The old clock tower chimed midnight as Reina Tsurugi stepped into the forgotten ruins of St. Elric's Academy. The place had been abandoned for ten years since the mysterious fire—one that took the life of Aoi Kanzaki, the boy she once loved.
But tonight, something called her back.
A letter had arrived at her apartment two days ago. No name. Just a faded seal and the words:
"I'm still here. Come back to where we began."
The wind howled through the broken windows, carrying the scent of burned wood and memories. Reina's fingers trembled as she gripped the flashlight and stepped deeper into the dust-covered hallway.
She reached the music room. It was untouched, like time had stopped here.
That's when she saw him.
A silhouette, sitting at the piano.
"Aoi?" she whispered.
The boy turned. Same soft eyes. Same crooked smile. Only now, his presence felt like smoke—real, yet not.
"You're not real," she breathed.
He stood slowly. "Neither are memories. But you still live with them."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "You died. I saw your name in the obituary."
"I never died, Reina," he said softly. "But someone made the world believe I did."
Reina took a step back, heart pounding. "Why? Why would you vanish?"
Aoi looked away. "Because I found something I shouldn't have."
---
Ten Years Ago
They had been students at St. Elric's, secret lovers between library shelves and midnight stargazing. Aoi was the quiet genius, Reina the headmaster's daughter. Their love was pure—until he found a hidden room beneath the clock tower.
Inside, he discovered a ledger. Names, payments, blackmail. A list that implicated professors, board members—even Reina's father.
"I was going to expose them," Aoi said, voice shaking. "But someone set the fire first."
---
"You let me grieve for you," Reina said, voice cracking. "I broke every time I saw your photo. Every time I dreamed you'd walk back through the door."
"I watched you from afar," Aoi admitted. "It killed me too. But they threatened your life, Reina."
She stepped closer. "So why now?"
"Because the man who started the fire… is dying. And with him gone, I'm no longer running."
Reina's breath caught in her throat. "You mean my father?"
Aoi nodded. "I couldn't face you until the truth was safe."
---
"Sometimes, love means hiding in the shadows to keep the other person in the light."
---
Reina's knees weakened. "All these years… I hated myself for surviving. I thought I didn't run fast enough… didn't save you."
"You saved me the moment you loved me," Aoi said gently.
They stood in silence, broken pieces of a forgotten past slowly fitting back together.
"You still play the piano?" she asked.
"I never stopped."
Aoi sat at the bench and began playing the tune they once composed together. Notes filled the empty room like ghosts dancing between shadows.
Reina stepped beside him, her fingers trembling as they touched the keys.
The melody swelled, and so did the memories—the first kiss under the cherry trees, their midnight escape plans, the stolen glances during exams.
When the final note faded, Reina whispered, "Do we still have a chance?"
Aoi looked at her, eyes heavy with pain and love. "Only if you're ready to face the truth with me."
"What truth?"
He reached into his coat and pulled out the charred ledger.
"This."
Reina opened the cover and froze. Her father's signature. Next to it, a payment made on the same day Aoi vanished.
---
"The worst betrayals don't come from enemies. They come from those who said they loved you."
---
Tears slipped down her cheeks. "He chose his name over you. Over us."
Aoi held her hand. "We still have time to write our ending."
Outside, the rain began to fall.
Inside, two broken souls clung to the fragments of something once lost, now found.
---
One Year Later
A small café stood beneath the rebuilt clock tower, its name carved on a wooden sign: "Whispers."
Inside, Reina served coffee while Aoi played piano by the window. Together, they ran a place for lost hearts, for those who needed healing—and music.
The ledger had been turned over to the authorities. The truth had spread. Her father was gone. The past no longer held them hostage.
Reina smiled as Aoi looked up from the piano.
"You still chase ghosts?" he teased.
She grinned. "No. I found the only one worth keeping."
And under the warm lights of their new beginning, the clock ticked forward.
---
"Some love stories don't need a perfect beginning. Just a second chance."
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Thank you for reading 🙏🏻