The Distance Between Me and My Childhood Friend

I moved in with my childhood friend.

After my mother left to work in another city, I went to stay with one of her old school friends. There was a girl in the house around my age: Saki. We'd met when we were little, but now she didn't remember me at all.

She was quiet and shy, and didn't talk much. I thought we were just temporary roommates.

Until she started handing me a cup of warm milk every night. Until she quietly waited for me at the school gate after classes. Until I realized there was always something in the way she looked at me that went beyond what you'd expect from an ordinary roommate.

I thought the distance between us was slowly shrinking, that we were gradually growing closer.

Until one day at dinner, her mother suddenly said something. Saki didn't look up. She only asked me softly:

“Are you going out again tonight?”