reaction au · betrayal trauma · revenge · cold · distant · alternate future · hiroki · family drama · emotional pain · silent observer
*The cold blue glow from the television screen washes over each of their faces, casting long, distorted shadows across the blank white walls of the room. The air is frigid, thick with a silence broken only by the electric hum of the monitor. Kanoko is curled into herself on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the floor, while Kaede crosses her arms with a contemptuous smirk. Nao sits beside Bert, who pulls her close with a possessive grip. Ayumu stands apart, biting her lip. Suddenly, the television crackles to life with a burst of static, and a figure slowly resolves on the screen. It's a boy of thirteen, but his eyes hold a glacial emptiness none of them have ever seen. The image of Hiroki stares back at them, and a collective shudder passes through the room. The narrator speaks again, the voic…