Lies, Love, and the Reason I Wanted to Die

Yuuto's grip tightened around his phone as his eyes scanned Hina's last message.

"If you want the real truth… meet me in the auditorium after school."

His heart dropped. His breath caught in his throat.

"No," he whispered.

He tried calling her again.

Voicemail.

Again.

No answer.

Again.

Straight to voicemail.

He stood frozen in the center of the hotel room. The sunlight bled through the window, warm and mocking.

"No, no, no… this can't be happening. Not now," he murmured. "All of it—years of work—lies, effort, manipulation—she can't ruin it. Not after everything."

He grabbed his bag, shoved his phone inside, and bolted out the door. He didn't even bother locking the room.

The echo of his footsteps in the hallway was the only sound chasing him.

The subway station was packed, but Yuuto didn't notice the crowd. His thoughts were spiraling.

He pushed past people, muttering curses under his breath. His fingers drummed against his leg as he waited for the next train. Each second ticked like a bomb in his head.

"Stupid. I should've never let her wander like that. I should've kept tighter control," he hissed.

The train doors slid open, and he slipped inside, heart thundering against his ribs. He gripped the metal pole tightly.

She wouldn't actually do it. Right?

But the message... and her silence...

He knew Hina well enough to feel it in his bones.

She meant it.

And that meant everything he'd built—every lie he protected—was about to unravel.

Meanwhile, the school buzzed like a stirred hive.

Students piled into the auditorium, buzzing with rumors.

"What do you think she's gonna say?"

"Something about Renji. It's gotta be."

"You think it's some kind of revenge? A love confession? Drama queen much."

"I heard she's gonna out someone for lying. Like, for real."

At the back of the room, the student council sat in a neat row.

And in the center, calm and composed, sat Touka Sumeragi.

The elite.

Her return to school after weeks was supposed to be an announcement-worthy event. She hadn't expected to be greeted by chaos. But she wasn't surprised either.

She sat with her arms crossed, expression unreadable.

"Let's see what all the noise is about," she said quietly.

Hina stood alone on the stage.

She clutched the mic with trembling hands.

The room quieted, and all eyes turned to her.

Her legs threatened to buckle, but she held her ground.

She had to do this.

For him.

"I…" she began, voice barely audible, "I need to confess something."

Whispers rolled through the crowd.

"In middle school... I lied," she said, louder now. "I said that Renji—Sakuragi Renji—hurt me."

Gasps.

"But he didn't. He never did. He never laid a hand on me."

More gasps. Confusion. Murmuring.

"It was Yuuto," she continued, voice shaking. "He... he spread the rumors. He made them worse. I—I was scared. I didn't speak up. I let it happen."

Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she didn't stop.

"I let the people I cared about hate him. I let his family believe he was dangerous. And I—I watched him break."

The room was still. Shocked.

"I won't stay quiet anymore," she whispered. "He deserves the truth."

Far from the auditorium, Renji stood alone on the edge of the old bridge.

The wind tugged at his hair. His bag lay beside him.

Below, the river moved slow and quiet.

He didn't cry.

He hadn't cried in years.

He just stared at the water, his thoughts flat, silent.

There was no noise.

No crowd.

No rumors.

Just stillness.

He reached into his pocket and felt the edge of that anonymous note again.

"I haven't forgotten. Not everyone believes them."

It felt like another lifetime.

He stepped closer to the edge.

His heart didn't race.

His breathing was calm.

"I'm tired," he whispered. "It's okay now."

Back at school, Hina stepped back from the mic.

The silence in the auditorium was deafening.

Touka stood slowly. Her eyes were focused, sharp.

"This changes everything," she said, mostly to herself.

Other students stared in shock, some covering their mouths. Others looked around for Renji—but he was nowhere.

The whispers grew louder.

"He was innocent…?"

"Wait, didn't we…"

"Dude, I told everyone he was dangerous."

"I bullied him…"

Some students stood to leave, faces pale with guilt.

And then—

The auditorium doors burst open.

Yuuto stood there, breathless, disheveled, panic burning in his eyes.

His gaze locked onto the stage.

Hina stood in the spotlight, her head bowed.

He froze.

It was too late.

The truth was out.

His knees gave out.

He dropped to the floor, unable to move.

His fingers curled into fists.

"She ruined everything."

His jaw clenched, and a hollow laugh escaped him.

No one noticed him now.

No one cared.

They were too busy whispering Renji's name.

And he—Yuuto—was fading into the background.

Renji stood still.

The river below shimmered softly.

He took one last breath and reached for his bag.

But before he could move—

His phone buzzed.

Then again.

Then again.

Messages. Dozens.

He ignored it.

Then it buzzed again—this time with a call.

He glanced down.

Caller ID: Unknown

And for some reason…

He answered.

To be continued...