They found a quiet spot outside to sit, the cool breeze brushing past them. Sakura still held the ice pack to her nose, but now it was more to give her something to do than for the pain.
"I thought it was really brave, what you did today," Haru said, his voice sincere.
"Thanks," Sakura replied softly.
Haru hesitated, glancing at her with something like admiration in his eyes. "You know, for once, I feel like you didn't just say yes."
Sakura tilted her head, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Haru scratched the back of his neck, looking uncertain but determined. "Look, I don't know much about you yet, so maybe I don't have the right to say this… but I feel like I actually saw the real you today. Not that girl who always says yes, even when she doesn't want to."
Sakura froze. She always knew Haru could see through her, but hearing it out loud shook her.
"You got me," she said with a sad smile, her voice cracking slightly. "I'm not... I'm not who everybody thinks I am."
"Why?" Haru asked, his tone filled with genuine curiosity. "Why do you do pretend to be someone you're not?"
Sakura shrugged, her gaze dropping to the ice pack. "Everyone expects me to be 'Sweet Sakura,'" she said, mocking the nickname with a bitter edge. "The girl who never says no. I'm worried about what happens when they realise who I really am."
Haru's eyes softened, but his frustration was evident as he spoke. "Every day, I see you put on this... plastic smile. A smile you don't want to give. And honestly? It looks too painful to watch."
Sakura's breath caught, her fingers tightening around the ice pack.
"I saw it again yesterday," Haru continued, his voice firm but careful. "When Jules asked for your help after college. The way you just said yes, even though you didn't want to. I could see it on your face. You didn't want to do it, Sakura."
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze piercing. "Helping someone out once or twice is fine, but every single goddamn day? Jules is exploiting your kindness because she knows you'll never say no."
Sakura blinked, taken aback by the intensity in his words.
"And yeah, I know she helped out today with Katy and Himari—and I'm grateful for that. But seriously, when does she ever come to you just to be there for you? When does she check in with you without asking for something? Because the last time I checked, that's not friendship."
Sakura stared at him, her mouth slightly open. She hadn't looked at it that way before. Jules had always been her friend—or at least, she thought so. But now, Haru's words made her question everything.
"And you know what? I bet you're going to help Jules again later," Haru added, his frustration breaking through. "Just like you did for an entire year, you're still going to say yes. Because that's just what you do. You put everyone else ahead of yourself, even when it's tearing you apart."
"Wait, how do you know that?"
Haru sighed, "Kei told me that you helped Jules every single day last year," Haru added casually, his voice low.
Sakura's brow furrowed. "Kei Kimura?" she asked, surprised.
Haru nodded. "Yeah, I met him during at a bookstore I worked part time at during the summer break. Apparently, he's been working their for years, and later we ended up becoming friends, and coincidentally found out we went to the same college."
Sakura's mind raced. Kei and Haru... friends?She didn't remember Kei and Haru ever being friends in her previous life. In fact, the two had barely interacted in the past. She thought Kei was more of a lone wolf, keeping to himself, and Haru had always seemed distant with most people.
But now, hearing this, Sakura felt like there were pieces of her past that were still shifting in strange ways.
She made a mental note of it and opened her mouth to defend herself, to say it wasn't true about Jules—but deep down, she knew it was.
Seeing her turmoil, Haru's voice softened again. "Sakura, if you don't want to smile, then don't smile. If you don't want to say yes, then don't say yes. You're allowed to say no. You're allowed to be honest about how you feel."
Her chest tightened, his words cutting deeper than she expected. "But what if… what if they don't like the real me?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "What if I lose them?"
Haru shook his head, his voice steady and resolute. "Then they were never your real friends to begin with."
Her eyes widened, his words sinking in like a stone in water.
"The people who care about you—the real you—won't walk away just because you stop trying to please everyone. You don't have to carry this weight alone, Sakura. You don't have to keep pretending."
Sakura felt tears sting the corners of her eyes. She blinked them back quickly, trying to focus on the breeze, the ice pack, anything but the overwhelming emotions crashing over her.
"You're not as good at hiding your feelings as you think," Haru added gently, a small, knowing smile tugging at his lips.
She let out a shaky laugh, her lips curving into a weak smile. "Maybe you're just too observant."
"Maybe," Haru replied, his tone lighter now. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small notepad and pen. Scribbling something down quickly, he tore out the page and handed it to her.
Sakura hesitated before taking it, her eyes falling on the neatly written number and his name underneath.
"That's my number," Haru said softly. "Let me help you, okay? If you ever need someone to talk to, or if it gets too hard to handle, just text me or call. You don't have to do this alone."
Sakura stared at the paper for a moment, her fingers trembling slightly as she held it. Then, she put it in her purse.