Leo wasn't sure when writing had become a coping mechanism.
He never used to keep a diary. That felt too exposed, too vulnerable. But ever since transferring to this school, he'd started saving unsent drafts on his laptop—little pieces of thought and feeling he didn't have the courage to say aloud.
Tonight, he opened a new file.
Untitled.txt
And began to type.
---
> I don't know if I'm the hero of this story or the obstacle in someone else's.
I keep thinking about the word timing. How cruel and kind it is. Right person, wrong time. Wrong person, right time. And sometimes, you don't even know which one you are.
Rin made me feel calm. Like the world stopped rushing when she looked at me. But Yuki... Yuki made me laugh when I forgot I even knew how.
They're both bright in different ways. Rin is quiet sunrise. Yuki is chaotic fireworks. And I'm standing between them like a scared moth, drawn to light but terrified of getting burned.
I don't want to hurt anyone.
But I think I already am.
He stared at the screen.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard.
He didn't hit save.
Instead, he just sat there.
Until a knock came at the door.
---
"Leo?"
It was Mr. Nakamura, their Creative Writing instructor.
Leo straightened, surprised. "Sir?"
The teacher stepped in, holding a clipboard. "I saw the lights were still on. Just checking in. Everything okay?"
Leo hesitated. "Yeah. Just...writing."
Mr. Nakamura peered at the screen, then at Leo.
"You look like a boy carrying bricks on his shoulders."
Leo blinked. "I do?"
The man smiled faintly. "Bricks made of feelings. Heavy, right?"
Leo nodded.
"Want to talk about it?"
Leo thought about lying. Then shook his head.
Mr. Nakamura didn't press. Instead, he walked to the bookshelf and pulled out a worn paperback.
"Here," he said, handing it over. "This book got me through my worst semester in university. Maybe it'll help."
Leo looked at the title: Letters to a Young Poet.
He accepted it with both hands.
"Thanks."
The teacher smiled. "Don't get too lost in other people's words. But don't be afraid to write your own either."
Then he left.
---
Leo stared at the cover for a while.
Then glanced at his own screen.
He copied the draft.
Pasted it into a new file.
Renamed it: Things I Won't Say
And finally hit Save.
---
The next day, Creative Writing class felt different.
Mr. Nakamura stood at the front and said, "This week's assignment: write something you're afraid to say."
A few students groaned. Others looked nervous.
Leo's heart skipped.
He raised his hand. "Does it have to be fiction?"
"No," the teacher said. "But it has to be honest."
Leo nodded slowly.
Yuki sat two rows ahead. Rin, by the window.
He looked at his notebook.
And began to write again.