Renzo steps back a bit, processing the scene in front of him. Aiko's sobs. What happened? He is sure he texted; in fact, he did so the night of the first rehearsal.
The Inner Theater of Renzo's Mind: Flashback Edition
...he shoots Aiko a text asking if she felt any better. He didn't get to inquire about it in home room, although she seemed in better spirits then.
She threw a kunai down in between Renzo's feet, a note tied to it. It read, "OK I guess."
Yeah, that's how it went down-oh. Renzo looks down at Aiko, and up at the door as if he was eyeing a reflection of himself. It suddenly hit him. He texted her, but did he really get to the meat of the problem like he offered to talk about with her? The answer was no. Remorsefully, Renzo sits down in the floor to meet Aiko, but makes sure to keep a safe distance between the two of them so they could settle this peacefully.
"Aiko," he chokes out a response. "I...really dropped the ball on this, and I honestly have no excuse. I'm sorry." Renzo's tone is uncharacterisitcally grounded, his disappointment in himself genuine. Of all his friends, he considered Aiko the one he got to know the most over the course of this week, and it hurt that he messed up so badly. "Look, it could very well be one of those too little, too late situations, but if you feel comfortable, I can listen to you now. I mean, we're stuck in a small, isolated space, so the opportunity is there!" Renzo manages a slight grin after finishing his statement, but quickly retracts it, still feeling bad about his error.