The boards shattered. The sound echoed through the silent dojo.
Sensei didn’t gasp. He didn’t cry. He simply nodded, as if Kenji had told him the weather was rainy. “That is a heavy storm to carry alone. Have you told your parents?” karate survivor nsp
He touched the first board. “The night you called for help.” He touched the second. “The first time you told your friend how you really felt.” He touched the third. “This morning, when you got out of bed even though the weight was still there.” The boards shattered
Kenji was sixteen, and he hadn’t slept in three days. Not because of nightmares about monsters, but because of the silence. The silence in his head was the loudest thing he’d ever heard. It told him he was worthless. It told him his friends were better off without him. It told him the world wouldn’t notice if he just… stopped. He didn’t cry
Kenji shook his head. “They’ll just worry. They’ll think it’s their fault.”