The notebook sat on my desk at home for three days before I opened it again.
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I told myself it was for research. I told myself I needed to understand Hana better in order to help her write. I told myself a lot of things, most of them lies.
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Entry Five:
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He gave me his manuscript today. The full draft, not just the edited pages. He said he wanted my opinion.
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What he actually wanted was for someone to see him.
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I know this because I do the same thing. Every essay I write is a confession disguised as an argument. Every story is a window I open and immediately draw curtains over.
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His city is drowning. His characters are trying to save it. But none of them know how to swim.
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I think he's asking for help. Not with the story. With the drowning.
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I think I might be the only person who understands.
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I closed the notebook. My chest felt tight, like someone had wrapped a band around it.
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She was right. She was always right. That was the thing about Hana—she saw through the walls I built and named the things I was hiding.
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And the worst part? I didn't mind. I didn't mind her seeing me.
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I wanted her to keep looking.
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A-Note:
This is the quietest chapter so far, and it's one of the most important. Akira isn't just reading a notebook anymore—he's reading a mirror. Hana sees him in a way nobody else does, and instead of feeling exposed, he feels relieved. That's a terrifying thing to admit at seventeen. Have you ever had someone see right through you like that? Let me know in the comments!9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjbqbXL9in
and then Add to home screen.