[Naoki Aiba POV]
Even after my mother dressed my wound and I got into bed, sleep eluded me.
A fresh protective bandage covered my right shoulder. Lying on my side would press against the injury, so I stayed flat on my back, staring up at the dim ceiling.
Tomorrow, I would see Mikage.
From the moment my discharge was set, I had planned to introduce myself once I returned to school.
I would tell her that I was the one who went into the fire to rescue her, and apologize for not giving her my name back then. If Mikage remembered, we could talk about our promise to get crepes, too.
While in the hospital, I had thought it was that simple.
Yet, now that the day was actually here, I couldn't ignore the fact that Mikage thoroughly disliked boys.
That day, she had entrusted her weight to my back, wrapping her arms around my neck of her own accord. I still remembered her hands clutching my clothes, and her trembling voice right beside my ear.
But that had only happened because she couldn't escape on her own.
There was no guarantee that, back in her daily life, Mikage would accept me at school.
Between the smoke and the chaos, she had barely seen my face, and my voice had sounded different from usual. If I kept quiet, she probably wouldn't even realize it was me.
Even so, I didn't want to pretend our promise never happened.
"Once we get outside... tell me... your name..."
"I'll tell you outside. When we go get crepes."
The words she had confirmed over and over amid the flames still echoed in my ears.
I hadn't given that answer just to comfort her. I had made the promise because I genuinely wanted to do it, imagining the future waiting for both of us once we got out.
First, I would give my name.
If Mikage didn't want to be reminded of the fire, I wouldn't push any further. If she didn't remember the promise, I had no intention of forcing her to recall it.
Whether we went for crepes could be entirely up to her.
Once my thoughts reached that point, the unease in my chest slowly settled.
I had no intention of showing her the wound on my right shoulder.
Even Koharu had cried the moment she saw it. If Mikage—who had blamed herself relentlessly during the fire—learned that it might leave a lasting scar, she would only carry an even heavier burden of guilt.
If she asked, I would just tell her it was healing up.
I didn't expect to hide it forever, but there was no reason to confront her with both my name and my injury at once.
To keep pressure off my right shoulder, I shifted my weight slightly to the left.
As I closed my eyes, the memory of her weight on my back came rushing back.
The arms wrapped around my neck.
Her voice, pleading with me not to leave her behind.
I even remembered the way the fingers clutching my back had loosened just a fraction when I promised to tell her my name once we were outside.
"I haven't forgotten."
I murmured the words into the dark room.
I had spoken that exact phrase when I woke up in the hospital. Back then, it hadn't reached Mikage, but tomorrow, I could tell her directly.
I remembered her name, and I remembered our promise.
This time, I was going to say it to her face.
◇◇◇
The next morning, I slipped my arms into the sleeves of my uniform shirt in front of the mirror.
To protect the wound from sunlight and friction, I had chosen a long-sleeved shirt despite the lingering summer heat. Even though it was made of a soft fabric my mother had picked out, a dull ache flared deep under my skin every time the cloth brushed my right shoulder.
Being careful not to move my shoulder too much, I worked on the buttons, only to fumble with the cuff.
"Let me."
With that, Koharu reached in from the side.
"I can do it myself."
Keeping my eyes on the cuff, I answered, but Koharu leaned in to inspect my hands.
"You've been fiddling with the exact same spot for a while now."
"I can manage if I take my time."
"I'm helping because we don't have time. You're going to be late."
Without waiting for my permission, Koharu gently lifted my right wrist.
Unlike last night when she had seen the burn, her expression was composed. Still, her fingers were noticeably gentler than usual, taking care not to pull on the sleeve.
"Does it hurt?"
"I'm fine with this much."
Even after I answered, Koharu didn't button it immediately. She looked up at my face, searching for any sign that I was hiding the pain.
"Tell me if it hurts even a little."
"Got it."
"Really?"
She gave me a skeptical look, drawing a sigh from me.
"I won't hide it like yesterday. Happy?"
Koharu still looked unconvinced, but she finally set to work with her fingers.
Once the cuff was fastened, she smoothed the wrinkles from the shirt, checking to ensure the fabric wasn't pulling tight over my shoulder.
"I'll believe you for today."
"Just today?"
"Whether I believe you tomorrow depends on how you behave today, Big Brother."
After making the declaration with a straight face, Koharu reached for my collar, which was slightly crooked.
"Hold still."
"You don't need to fix it that much."
"You're finally going back to school; you can't show up looking like a mess."
"I can fix it myself."
"I'm already doing it."
Her adjustments finished, Koharu took a step back to assess the full picture.
Satisfied, she gave a small nod.
"That'll do."
"Thanks."
"When you thank me so obediently, it actually makes me nervous."
Koharu knit her brows slightly, wearing a genuinely troubled look.
"What do you want from me, then?"
"Just rely on people normally when you can't do things on your own."
"I'll look into it."
"The way you say that makes it sound like you definitely won't."
Though Koharu put on an exasperated front, a faint smile played at her lips. Seeing her back to an expression that let us move past last night's tears brought a sense of relief to my chest as well.
"Mom is waiting. Let's head downstairs."
Prompted by Koharu, the two of us went to the living room.
Along with breakfast, my post-lunch medication was laid out on the dining table. Each dose was sealed in a small bag labeled with the exact time to take it.
"You didn't have to go this far. I won't forget."
As I pulled out my chair and picked up a packet, my mother raised an eyebrow while setting down the miso soup.
"I can hardly trust the word of someone who tried to dress his own wound in secret yesterday."
"I just thought I could handle it on my own."
"And you couldn't, could you?"
My mother placed the soup in front of me and cast a sharp glance at my right shoulder.
The wound was hidden beneath the long sleeves, but her eyes narrowed as if checking whether the fabric was rubbing against it.
"Are your clothes irritating it?"
"It brushes a little when I move, but it's fine."
"Don't stay in sweaty clothes. If the pain gets worse, go straight to the nurse's office."
"I know."
"Sit out of P.E. Don't carry anything heavy. If you feel sick, call us."
"I heard you the first time."
As I reached for my chopsticks, my mother kept her gaze fixed on me.
"Hearing it means nothing if you don't actually follow through."
"I won't push myself."
Her eyes narrowed further at that.
"Your 'I'm fine' and 'I won't push myself' carry zero credibility."
"...You don't have to be so harsh."
"That's because you do things that make people lose faith in you, Big Brother."
Koharu, sitting across from me, piped up to back our mother.
"Whose side are you on, Koharu?"
"Mom's, today."
"You've been on her side since yesterday."
"It's your punishment for hiding the injury."
Koharu took a sip of her miso soup.
She didn't seem as angry as her words implied; behind the rim of her bowl, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
"I could drive you, just for today," my mother offered, pulling out a chair.
"No, I'll take the train. I'll just avoid the crowded cars."
"But what if someone bumps into your shoulder?"
"I'll be with him, and I'll block anyone from getting close to his right side," Koharu interjected, as though it were the most obvious solution in the world.
"You don't need to go that far."
"Then do you want Mom to drive you?" Koharu shot back instantly.
My mother glanced at the car keys resting at the edge of the table.
Neither of them would accept me riding the train alone.
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
When I gave in and took a bite of rice, Koharu nodded with satisfaction.
"You should have just said that from the start."
"If anything happens, it's on you, Koharu."
"Nothing's going to happen, so don't worry."
Seeing Koharu answer without a shred of doubt, my mother let out a quiet chuckle.
◇◇◇
After breakfast, Koharu and I left the house.
It had been a long time since I had walked any real distance outside of the hospital.
Students in uniform and commuters hurrying toward the station passed us on the sidewalk. Even though it was a scene I had witnessed countless times before summer break, it felt strangely novel today.
Bicycles whizzing past.
Shops opening their shutters.
Crowds waiting for the signal to change.
I truly felt that I had returned on my own two feet to the everyday world I had only watched from a hospital window.
"Tired yet?"
We hadn't been walking for long before Koharu looked up at me.
"We haven't even been walking five minutes."
"Yesterday, you crashed the second we got home."
"That was just from letting my guard down."
I didn't think I had slowed my pace, but Koharu stepped half a pace ahead and glanced back to check my footing.
"Even after we get to school, take a rest if it gets rough."
"If I head straight to the nurse's office the day I come back, what was the point of going at all?"
"Making yourself worse just to sit through class makes even less sense."
Faced with such solid logic, I had no comeback.
Satisfied that I had surrendered the argument, Koharu eased her pace.
At the station, we picked a car with fewer passengers and boarded.
Without a word, Koharu moved to my right, placing her body between me and the commuters boarding behind us.
"You don't need to act like a human shield."
"I'm not a shield."
"You were on my left two seconds ago."
When I pointed that out, Koharu looked away toward the window.
"It's better than someone bumping into you."
"It's dangerous for you if you get shoved, Koharu."
"My shoulder isn't the one injured, so I'm fine."
"That's not the point."
"Then stand against the wall, Big Brother."
When I moved to the wall of the train car as instructed, Koharu stepped right alongside me.
Her stubborn streak wasn't going away anytime soon.
Once the train got moving, Koharu peered at my reflection in the window glass.
"Are you nervous?"
"Do I look nervous?"
"Ever since you mentioned meeting that person yesterday, you keep spacing out."
I thought I had been acting completely normal.
Apparently, Koharu had seen right through me.
"Are you having second thoughts about what you decided?"
"No. I'm definitely going to tell her my name."
There was no hesitation on that front.
Leaving things without giving her my name, or letting the promise we made in the fire fade away—I refused to leave it like that.
"Then what were you thinking about?"
"I was just wondering what kind of face I'll make when I actually see her."
"Not her face?"
"Yeah."
I didn't know if Mikage remembered the promise.
She might not even want to talk about the fire. Introducing myself might only put her in an awkward spot.
Even so, when I finally stood face-to-face with Mikage after she made it back to school safe and sound, what would be the first thing out of my mouth?
No matter how many times I had turned it over in my hospital bed, I couldn't picture my own expression.
"Even you get nervous about that sort of thing, Big Brother."
"What do you take me for?"
"I figured you'd have every single word planned out beforehand."
"I've got some things decided. But I can't script how the other person will react."
"I guess not."
Koharu glanced out the window, then lowered her voice a little.
"Do you want to see her?"
"We made a promise, after all."
"What if you hadn't?"
"Where is this coming from?"
Caught off guard by the pointed question, I turned my gaze toward the window this time.
Seeing her because of a promise.
Giving my name because I hadn't been able to back then.
If that was all there was to it, I wouldn't be searching for Mikage this desperately.
"...I think I want to see her."
Regardless of whether Mikage remembered the promise, I wanted to see with my own eyes that she was safe.
And if possible, I wanted to talk with her once more, in a place free from fire and smoke.
When I gave my honest answer, Koharu blinked in surprise before her lips curved into a quiet, satisfied smile.
"Look at you, saying it out loud."
"You asked, so I answered."
"Fair enough."
Koharu fell silent after that, keeping her gaze out the window.
Reflected in the glass, her profile looked faintly bashful.
I wanted to see Mikage.
Giving voice to that desire helped me understand the true nature of the tension coiled in my chest.
I had already made up my mind to tell her my name and bring up the promise.
What came after that was entirely up to Mikage.
◇◇◇
We arrived at the station closest to our school and stepped onto the familiar route.
As we neared the gates, the crowd of students in matching uniforms thickened, and I drew several surprised looks from familiar faces.
"You really stand out," Koharu murmured, taking in our surroundings.
"Probably because of how long I was absent."
"Not just that—isn't it because you're wearing long sleeves?"
"It's to protect the burn, so it can't be helped."
Just then, a voice called out to Koharu from ahead.
"Koharu!"
A girl with black hair tied in a high ponytail jogged over to us.
She wore the same first-year ribbon as Koharu, slowing her pace slightly when she noticed me.
"Morning, Anna."
"Good morning. Is this your brother, Koharu?"
"Yeah."
Koharu looked between the two of us.
"Big Brother, this is Anna Sawamura from my class. I mentioned her a few times while you were in the hospital, remember?"
"I remember the name. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Anna Sawamura."
Sawamura gave a polite bow, then looked up, studying my face.
"Congratulations on getting discharged. Koharu told me you were coming back to school today."
"Thanks. Sounds like you've been looking out for her."
"Oh, she's the one who helps me out. Besides, Koharu was so worried about you at school that the least I could do was listen."
"Anna, you don't need to tell him that!"
Flustered, Koharu gave Sawamura's arm a light tug.
"Why not? It's the truth."
"You don't have to say it right in front of him!"
While trying to hush Sawamura, Koharu kept darting glances at me.
Her embarrassed attempt to look away coaxed a smile out of me.
"Don't laugh."
"I'm not laughing."
"You're totally smiling."
"I'm just glad to know you were worried about me."
"We're family, of course I was."
With that, Koharu nudged Sawamura forward, urging her to walk.
I followed a step behind them.
"I heard you were in an accident," Sawamura said, keeping her eyes forward and lowering her voice. "I don't know the details, but I'm really glad you're okay."
"Thank you."
"Koharu was truly worried sick."
"Anna," Koharu whined, sounding thoroughly cornered.
Seeing her face, Sawamura hesitated for a second before offering a warm smile.
"I'm just glad your brother is back, Koharu."
Koharu didn't answer right away.
Perhaps the sight of my injury from last night had flashed through her mind. She lowered her eyes slightly and tightened her grip on her bag strap.
"...Yeah."
Her reply was barely a whisper.
"I'm glad I could come back, too."
At my words, Koharu looked back at me in surprise.
Then, as if hiding her embarrassment, she faced forward again and pushed Sawamura's arm.
"Come on, we're going to be late!"
"We've got plenty of time."
"Just hurry up."
The three of us passed through the school gates and headed for the entrance.
Beyond the shoe lockers, the hallway split toward the first- and second-year buildings.
"Well then, Big Brother. See you after school."
"Yeah. If my class finishes early, I'll go ahead and—"
"No."
Before I could finish, Koharu cut me off.
The soft expression she had shown Sawamura instantly turned dead serious.
"We agreed to walk home together yesterday, didn't we?"
"I might end up making you wait."
"I'm the one who said I'd wait, so that's fine."
Koharu glanced at Sawamura.
"Anna said she'd wait a bit, too."
"I don't mind at all. Time flies when I'm chatting with Koharu."
Sawamura nodded without a second thought.
Given how this morning had gone, they weren't going to take no for an answer.
"Alright, fine. Once homeroom wraps up, I'll come down to the first-year classrooms."
"Promise?"
"Yeah."
Even with my answer, Koharu didn't move.
"If you start feeling sick, message me first. Don't you dare sneak off to the nurse's office and just go home on your own."
"I won't."
"Promise me."
Meeting Koharu's unwavering gaze, I gave a firm nod.
"I promise."
Relief finally washed over her, and the tension left her shoulders.
"Okay. See you later, Big Brother."
"Yeah. See you after school."
"Please don't push yourself, Koharu's brother."
Sawamura bowed politely as well, and the two of them walked side by side toward the first-year building.
Partway down the hall, Koharu looked back just once.
She gave a small wave near her chest, and I lifted my left hand in return.
Once she saw that, the two girls finally melted into the morning crowd.
I turned toward the second-year building.
Mikage was somewhere in this school.
I would make sure she was safe, tell her my name, and let her know I remembered our promise.
What came after that was up to her.
At that moment, I truly believed today would be the day I fulfilled our promise.