Chapter Text
"Ryo! Come downstairs, we need to talk."
Ryo dragged himself out of bed, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes as his feet hit the cold floorboards. Downstairs, his parents were standing side by side near the kitchen table. The atmosphere was far too heavy for a typical weekday morning.
"Yes, Mom?"
"Your dad and I decided it’s time for a change," she said softly, exchanging a quiet glance with his father.
"We’re moving at the start of summer."
The world seemed to freeze. Now it might seem dramatic but this felt like the worst thing to Ryo.
Everything he knew was anchored right here. His routine, his neighborhood, the high school where he had worked tirelessly to earn the top spot in his class and above all of it, Sakuya.
Leaving meant leaving the person who mattered most.
Moving? Ryo thought, his mind spinning into complete chaos. Why? We’ve lived in this house since I was born. Why are we randomly moving now?
He swallowed the sudden tightness in his throat and looked up at them, desperate for logic.
"Why now? High school ends in a month! I’m starting college soon, and I already accepted an offer right here-"
His mom cuts him off, “Well we think you have better opportunities elsewhere! You can transfer! We plan on moving to America. California specifically…”
Ryo’s dad finally chimes in.
“The decision is final, Ryo. We found a place to stay and your mother and I have already secured jobs.”
"This... this has to be a joke," Ryo said, letting out a weak, breathless laugh. "Like, you guys are actually comedians. The joke's over now, right?"
He forced a wider smile, scanning their faces for any sign of a punchline, a smirk, a lighthearted nudge, anything to confirm it was all just a setup. But as the silence stretched between them, his chuckle faded into nothing.
“I’m sorry we told you so late honey, we wanted you to enjoy the rest of the spring without having to worry as much” Ryo’s mom said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ryo just stared blankly at her. The room suddenly felt small.
Enjoy the spring??
How was he supposed to enjoy anything after he just heard this sudden news? Was he supposed to enjoy counting down his final weeks he had left? He wasn't looking forward to this at all.
“This is so unfair,” Ryo mumbled, turning away from his parents.
He walked back upstairs without another word, shutting his bedroom door behind him.
The second he was alone, he leaned against it and slowly slid down to the floor. Summer was coming.
And suddenly, every day between now and then felt like a countdown.