DEMO
I was going to say yes, but…
でも、まだ準備が
crossed out twice, still visible
BECAUSE
because the light was wrong / because the tea got cold / because the sentence blinked first
だって
it had a reason-shaped shadow
it had a reason-shaped shadow
because I rehearsed the apology too loudly
えっと
maybe after the bell
maybe if nobody asks
maybe the door opens inward
maybe this counts as courage
maybe, maybe, demo...
the sentence runs away from the cursor
↘︎ not there, here
DATTE
but I meant it
but I didn't
because yes
because no
でも
だって
All the excuses collapse into: I was scared.
でも
BUT
ほんとうは
I wanted to be brave before I had proof.
The theatre gets quiet. The correction tape stops pretending to be a road. A tiny window opens where the excuse used to stand.