And When the Stars Forget My Name

CHAPTER 10: A Quiet Confession

CHAPTER 10 — A Quiet Confession

The autumn wind tugged gently at the leaves, swirling golden and crimson around the school courtyard. Hana and Kael walked side by side after class, the rest of their friends having gone home early. The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable—it was the kind that felt… safe.

Kael kept his hands in his jacket pockets, eyes on the ground, kicking at a stray leaf. Hana glanced at him, her brow furrowed slightly.

“You’ve been quiet today,” she said softly. “More than usual.”

He paused, then looked up, meeting her warm gaze. “…I just… think,” he murmured.

Hana tilted her head. “About what?”

Kael hesitated. For a moment, he considered brushing it off. He always did. He didn’t want anyone to know the shadows he carried. But something in Hana’s eyes—her calm, attentive presence—made him want to say more.

“…About… everything,” he admitted quietly. “The past. The… things that happened. Things I don’t usually tell anyone.”

Hana slowed, letting him set the pace. “You can tell me, if you want,” she said gently. “I’m… a good listener.”

Kael’s lips twitched faintly, almost a smile. “…I don’t usually let people see me like this,” he whispered. “But… with you, it’s… easier.”

Hana’s chest tightened. “Kael…” she said softly, unsure how to respond, but she reached out, lightly touching his arm. The contact was small, but it felt like a lifeline.

He took a shaky breath, staring down at the pavement. “…I’ve had… hard times. Things I don’t talk about. And sometimes… I feel like I don’t have much time. Not really.”

Hana’s heart skipped. She wanted to ask, to pry, but she remembered the gentle way he had let her in yesterday, how he had let Momo and her laughter reach him. She didn’t push. She simply nodded.

“I understand,” she said softly. “And I’ll be here. Even if you can’t talk about it all, just… let me be here.”

Kael’s eyes flicked up to meet hers. In them, she saw something fragile, something almost like fear—but also trust. Something he rarely allowed anyone to see.

“…Thank you,” he whispered.

They walked a few more steps in silence, the wind rustling the leaves above, the setting sun casting long, soft shadows across the path. And for the first time in a long while, Kael felt… lighter. Not free of everything, but enough to let someone in.

Hana glanced at him again, smiling gently. “You know,” she said softly, “you don’t have to face anything alone. Not anymore.”

Kael’s lips twitched into a faint, almost shy smile. “…I think… I like that,” he admitted quietly.

Hana’s heart warmed. It wasn’t a grand confession of love, not yet. But it was the start of something delicate, fragile, and beautiful.

And in that quiet moment, with the autumn wind brushing past them, Kael realized that maybe—just maybe—he could allow himself to be seen, and Hana realized that she wanted to be the one who saw him through it all.