[Naoki Aiba POV]
The moment the chime signaling the end of fourth period rang, the tension that had filled the classroom unraveled all at once.
Before the teacher could even step away from the blackboard, several students were already on their feet, lunches or wallets in hand. Some gathered around friends' desks, while others bolted out into the hallway toward the cafeteria store. It was the typical lunchtime scene I had witnessed almost every day before summer break.
I closed my textbook and leaned back against my chair.
Although I had tried to ignore it during class, my right shoulder ached with a heavier throb than it had this morning. It wasn't as if I had moved violently. I had merely held the same posture while copying from the board, yet the skin around the wound felt stiff and tight, and even resting my arm down from the desk sent a hot, prickly discomfort coursing through it.
"Your complexion looks worse than it did this morning."
Turning around from the seat in front of me, Togo peered at my face.
"I'm just hungry."
"How's your shoulder?"
"A bit tired. Not enough to take painkillers."
"You should just say that from the start. It's far more believable than claiming it's nothing."
I gave a wry smile at hearing almost the exact same words my mother and Koharu had said.
Togo glanced down at my bag beside my desk.
"What are you doing for lunch?"
"I brought a bento."
"I can see that. I'm asking if you want to eat here or head somewhere else."
I looked around the classroom.
Even during the break, plenty of students were still looking for a chance to come over and talk to me after my return. While I appreciated their concern, having to answer the same questions over and over felt like it would wear me out mentally before my injury even had the chance to.
"Somewhere quiet would be nice."
"Then let's head to the far end of the connecting corridor. It's shaded over there, and there's a good breeze."
Holding his own bread and drink, Togo naturally reached for my lunch bag.
"I can carry my own lunch, at least."
"It's not about whether you can or can't. I've been telling you since this morning to cut down on unnecessary strain."
"You don't have to tell me; I'll carry it with my left hand."
"Carrying heavy stuff on just one side the whole time isn't good for you either."
"Don't you get overprotective on me too."
"If you don't like it, hurry up and heal."
"If I could change my healing speed by sheer willpower, I'd have healed a long time ago."
"If you've got enough energy to talk back like that, you must still be doing all right."
Chuckling, Togo picked up my bag and walked out of the classroom ahead of me. Realizing it would be foolish to strain my right arm just to wrestle it back, I followed after him.
The second-floor connecting corridor had far fewer people than the classroom.
A breeze passing between the school buildings blew in through the wide-open windows, slightly cutting through the lingering late-summer heat. As I sat down on a bench against the wall, Togo set my bag down beside me.
"Here, you won't have to worry about anyone bumping into your shoulder."
"You really don't need to go out of your way to be this considerate."
"Coming from a guy who showed up to school the day after being discharged from the hospital, that has zero persuasive power."
Taking out my bento box, I pried the lid open with my left hand.
While I could use chopsticks with my right hand, trying to avoid angles that put strain on my shoulder made my movements stiffer than usual. Without mentioning it, Togo tore open the wrapper of his bread and began talking about our morning classes.
"They moved pretty far ahead in math while you were out, didn't they?"
"More than I expected. But since you sent me your notes, it's not like I'm completely lost."
"Did you actually look over what I sent?"
"I wouldn't have asked for them if I wasn't going to look."
"You just left me on read without replying, so I thought you were asleep in the hospital."
"That was back when I could barely speak, and moving my right hand was rough."
"Even so, you could've at least sent a sticker or something."
"...A bit late now, but thanks."
Togo slightly widened his eyes just as he was about to take a bite.
"Did you get more honest after being hospitalized?"
"You said something similar this morning, didn't you?"
"Well, this time it wasn't an apology; you actually thanked me."
"Fine, I won't say it again."
"Hey, don't do that."
As we went back and forth with our silly banter, the tension that had clung to my body since morning gradually melted away.
While in the hospital, I had assumed I would slip right back into my old routine the moment I returned to school. In reality, though, just sitting through classes exhausted me, and those around me worried constantly. In a classroom that seemed entirely unchanged, I was the only one lagging behind our old pace.
Even so, having Togo beside me acting the exact same as always kept me from feeling completely left behind.
When I had finished about half of my lunch, bright laughter drifted in through the window.
I casually glanced down toward the courtyard.
Sitting side by side on a bench in the shade of the school building were four girls.
Among them, I spotted bright ash-beige hair.
It was Mikage.
It looked like she was having lunch with her three friends. Although the distance prevented me from catching the words of their conversation, the girl with chest-length chestnut hair was talking with exaggerated gestures.
While shaking her head in exasperation, Mikage wore a smile on her lips.
The girl with black hair cut straight around her jaw said something to rein in her boisterous friend. Holding a juice carton, the girl with short, dark brown hair quietly watched the three of them interact.
They were the same four girls I had seen at the mall.
I remembered the sight of those three desperately calling out Mikage's name in the parking lot after the fire. They had tried to run back into the building only to be held back, pleading through their tears to the firefighters.
No one was crying now.
Mikage, too, was laughing naturally in the circle of her friends.
Apparently having something said to her by the chestnut-haired girl, Mikage covered both ears and turned her face away. When the remaining two joined in on the laughter, Mikage blushed and retorted with a pout.
Even if their voices couldn't reach me, I could tell they were having fun.
The memory flashed through my mind of her shaking her head by the break room wall, saying it was hopeless.
She had wept when I told her that her friends were safe, and she couldn't bring herself to believe me when I told her we could go home. Even as she repeatedly begged me to leave her behind, in the end, she had wrapped her arms around my back.
And now, that same Mikage was having lunch surrounded by those three.
She had truly returned to the place I had wanted her to go back to that day.
Perhaps some slight lingering trouble remained in her right leg. Even so, she was laughing with her friends, spending her lunch break in a place where nothing was burning.
Just being able to see that gently unraveled the knot deep within my chest.
"Naoki."
Hearing my name called, I turned my face back toward Togo.
"What?"
"Your chopsticks stopped."
Looking down, I realized I had frozen with my chopsticks hovering over my bento box.
"I was just zoning out for a second."
"Were you watching those girls down there... watching Mikage?"
My heart gave a faint jolt.
While I was wondering whether I needed to play dumb, Togo looked out toward the courtyard.
"She really stands out among them, after all. Wait, did you two know each other?"
"No. We're in the same grade, so I just know her name."
"...Well, Mikage's famous for being pretty, so there are probably fewer people who don't know her."
Togo didn't press any further.
It was just like when he had realized I had things I couldn't talk about.
Even if he noticed the possibility that I was hiding something, he wouldn't pry until I chose to open up on my own.
Right now, I was grateful for that distance.
I glanced toward the courtyard just one more time.
With her lunch box resting on her lap, Mikage was listening to her black-haired friend. When the chestnut-haired friend chimed in from the side and the friend with short, dark brown hair delivered a concise remark, laughter rippled through the four of them once more.
I had no intention of approaching them.
I wouldn't reveal my name right now.
That conclusion hadn't changed since before I left the classroom.
Even so, after learning that Mikage still remembered our promise, a tiny pang of loneliness settled deep in my chest every time I caught sight of her.
I was supposed to tell her my name.
I was supposed to bring the promise of eating crepes together back into our everyday lives.
Yet, of my own volition, I had pushed that day away.
Not that I regretted my judgment. Until Mikage could come to know me simply as another guy, and choose of her own free will whether to draw closer or keep her distance, I had resolved to maintain this space between us.
So for now, seeing that she was safe was more than enough.
"...I'm glad to be back."
The words slipped out unconsciously.
"About what?"
Asked by Togo, I gave it a brief thought.
I couldn't tell him I meant Mikage. Even so, I didn't feel like taking back the words themselves.
"Me being back at school."
"Where did that come from?"
Togo let out a small laugh, then quickly returned to a serious expression.
"Well, I'm really glad, too. When I heard you were hospitalized, I thought you'd be out for a lot longer."
"Yeah."
"Still, don't overdo it on your very first day back and end up back in a hospital bed."
"I know."
"That sounded like your usual, untrustworthy reply."
"Fine, I won't push myself."
"Now that, I can trust a little more."
Togo nodded in satisfaction and opened his second piece of bread.
As the end of the lunch break drew near, students in the courtyard began heading back inside.
Mikage and the others stood up from the bench as well.
To avoid putting strain on her right leg, Mikage took only her first step with deliberate care. Noticing this, the other three matched her pace without a word.
Before long, the four of them disappeared into the shadow of the school building.
After gazing at the empty bench for a moment, I closed the lid of my bento box.
There was no need to rush.
We went to the same school.
That alone was an everyday reality I couldn't have even imagined amidst the fire.
"Shall we head back?"
Right as the warning bell rang, Togo picked up my bag.
"I can carry that now."
"Lunch break lasts until we reach the classroom."
"What kind of logic is that?"
"The time our homeroom teacher entrusted to me isn't up yet."
Togo began walking with a grin.
Standing up from the bench, I took care not to move my faintly aching right shoulder as I fell into step beside him.
The laughter that had lingered in the courtyard quietly melted into the bustling noise of the school building as afternoon classes were about to begin.
◇◇◇
[Serina Mikage POV]
When all the afternoon classes had ended and our closing homeroom was drawing to a close, our teacher paused midway through reading the announcements.
"Mikage. Stay behind for a moment afterward."
The instant my name was called, my heart gave a heavy thump.
The first thing that sprang to mind was the letter I had entrusted.
The letter that might reach that person through the police. Even though I knew it was too early to expect a reply, I couldn't help wondering if the teacher was about to tell me something.
"Understood."
I meant to reply in my normal voice.
However, Rio, sitting diagonally in front of me, turned around with an expression that couldn't hide her excitement. Kotoha lightly tapped Rio's shoulder, prompting her to face forward. Only Miu remained calm from the start, looking back and forth between the teacher's expression and mine.
Homeroom ended.
Amidst the students gathering their things to head home, the three of them didn't stand up immediately.
"We'll wait in the hallway," Rio told me in a hushed voice.
"You can go ahead without me."
"Like we could ever do that!"
"Let's wait outside without making a fuss," Kotoha said, leading Rio out of the classroom. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Miu also left me with a single remark as she passed by my desk.
"Even if there's no reply, it doesn't necessarily mean bad news."
"I haven't even heard anything yet, though."
"I just thought I should tell you beforehand."
Without saying anything further, Miu followed the other two out into the hallway.
Waiting until the classroom emptied out, I walked up to the teacher's podium.
"Is this about the letter?"
"Yes. A little past noon, we received a call from the police."
At those words, my heart thumped hard in my chest.
"They said they are making progress cross-referencing records from the day of the fire. However, the person who rescued you was also injured and transported to a hospital. Rather than contacting him hastily just for a letter and placing a burden on him, the police plan to deliver it during their next official follow-up regarding the fire."
"So... it hasn't reached him yet, then?"
"Right. It's not that he refused to accept it. It's simply that he hasn't even been told about the letter yet."
The anxiety that had begun to swell in my chest gently dissolved.
The lack of a reply wasn't because he had read my words and rejected them. That person didn't even know a letter was on its way to him yet.
"Do you know around when that might be?"
"They haven't set a date for the next follow-up yet. The police promised to contact the school whenever there's an update."
"I understand."
Part of me wished it could be delivered right away.
Still, if he was still undergoing treatment for his injuries, I didn't want to burden him for my sake.
"There's no need to rush them. Whenever it can be delivered will be fine."
Bowing once more, I left the classroom.
The three of them were waiting by the windows a short distance away.
The moment I stepped out the door, Rio was the first to rush over.
"How was it?"
"She said there's no reply yet. The police are still looking into it."
"I see..."
Rio slumped her shoulders as if it had happened to her.
"They told us from the beginning that we wouldn't necessarily get an immediate response, didn't they?"
After speaking in a calm tone, Kotoha peered at my face with concern.
"I know. I just got my hopes up a little."
"Anyone would if they were asked to stay behind."
"At least we gained the information that a reply hasn't come yet," Miu stated matter-of-factly.
"Does that really count as gaining information?" Rio furrowed her brows.
"At the very least, it wasn't rejected."
"...That's true."
After thinking for a moment, Rio quickly lifted her head.
"Then let's just wait. Rushing won't help anyway."
"I never thought I'd hear that from you, Rio."
"What's that supposed to mean? I can wait too, you know."
"Who was it that kept asking Serina over and over during lunch, 'Did the teacher say anything to you?'"
"Miu, you don't need to remember every little detail."
Listening to their banter, my sagging spirits lifted just a little.
The four of us began walking down the hallway.
After school, the corridors were filled with students heading to club activities and those chatting with friends on their way home. Every time a group of boys approached from ahead, I unconsciously edged closer to Kotoha and the others.
It wasn't as if my dislike of boys was cured.
Even knowing they meant no harm, my body tensed up whenever they drew near. The cold sensation running down my spine at the mere thought of our hands touching hadn't changed either.
Even so, every time a boy walked past, I caught myself trying to superimpose that person's image onto him.
I had zero grounds to believe he went to the same school.
A young man who might be around my age, who just happened to be at the shopping mall on a weekend. The probability of that person coincidentally being a student at the same school was by no means high.
I didn't know his face.
I didn't even know his real voice.
All I remembered was his black hair and his height, taller than mine. If that was all, there were plenty of boys in this school who fit the description.
The only things that could be called solid clues were the burns that must remain from his right shoulder down to his arm, and the promise known only to the two of us.
The thought that he might be at this school wasn't something deduced from clues.
Even so, if that were the case, maybe we could meet again.
Maybe we had used the same train station this morning. Maybe during lunch, he was eating with his friends somewhere in this very building. Maybe we were brushing past each other in the hallway without me even realizing it.
They were all baseless fantasies.
Even so, once the possibility crossed my mind, I couldn't completely discard it.
I want to see him.
That longing made me project faint hopes onto ordinary boys.
Yet, I had no idea how to find him.
Assuming he was at this school and calling out to every single boy—just the thought made my body recoil in rejection. Above all, if he had no intention of revealing his identity, I didn't want to trouble him by searching around based on flimsy expectations.
"Serina, you're lost in thought again."
Peered at by Rio, my steps almost halted.
"About what?"
"As if you don't know."
"I really don't."
"Then why are your ears red?"
Reflexively, I covered one ear with my hand.
Seeing that, a playful grin spread across Rio's face.
"I knew it, you're thinking about him."
"We just heard there was no reply to the letter, so of course it's on my mind."
"Were you imagining the moment you meet?"
"I was not."
"Imagining eating crepes together?"
"Rio," Kotoha called her name to chide her.
"I know, I know. I won't tease her too much."
Though offering words of remorse, Rio was still grinning.
"Still, I hope you get to meet him soon."
This time, there was no teasing tone in her voice.
"...Yeah," I answered softly.
As we neared the corner of the hallway, a lone male student walked toward us from ahead.
He was nearly a head taller than the other students. He had black hair, and despite the lingering heat, he was wearing a long-sleeved uniform. Carrying his bag in his left hand, his pace was slightly slower than that of those around him.
His gaze turned toward us.
He didn't look across the four of us in turn. His gaze paused on me for just a split second before dropping to the floor, even before I could wonder if I knew him.
The hallway was too narrow for all four of us to pass side by side. However, before reaching the corner, he slowed his pace and stepped aside toward the wall. Turning his body slightly, he made enough room for us to pass through.
The tension in my body, which had braced for someone abruptly closing the distance, eased slightly.
Rio walked past first, followed by Miu. Walking alongside Kotoha, I stepped into the cleared space.
Because of his height, I would have had to raise my eyes to see his face clearly.
At the moment, though, my focus didn't reach that far.
The only one in my head was that person whose face and name I didn't even know.
Even when we came close enough to brush past each other, he said nothing, nor did he reach out toward us. He kept plenty of space between us so that the sleeves of our uniforms wouldn't touch.
Black hair.
A long-sleeved uniform.
A bag carried in his left hand.
That figure slowly drifted past the edge of my vision.
Even at our closest moment, our sleeves never brushed.
I had walked right next to a boy I didn't know, yet I hadn't needed to hold my breath. I only had to walk through the small space he had left open.
"Thank you very much."
Having been yielded the way for all four of us, Kotoha gave a light bow on our behalf.
All that returned was a slight nod.
I bowed in the same manner and continued forward.
One step.
Two steps.
Even after taking several steps, I heard no footsteps from behind.
Had he stayed there until we were far enough away?
Right as that thought crossed my mind, a slow, single footstep echoed out. It seemed he had started walking in the opposite direction.
If I looked back, I probably could have caught sight of his back.
Even so, I kept walking, facing forward.
"Serina, are you listening?"
Rio's voice pulled my awareness back.
"To what?"
"I was saying to tell us right away when you get a reply."
"I will."
"You're not going to sneak off to meet him by yourself first, are you?"
"Why shouldn't I?"
"I'm not saying you can't, but we want to thank him too."
"He might not like meeting a huge group, you know."
"Then will you two meet alone first?"
"We promised to meet just the two of us, after all."
Only after answering did I notice the grin returning to Rio's face.
"You said that so naturally just now."
"I was just stating a fact."
"Your face is turning red too."
"The hallway's hot, that's all."
"The windows are wide open."
"The wind stopped just now."
"Sure, sure."
Pretending to drop the interrogation, Rio exchanged glances with Kotoha and Miu.
Surrounded by the voices of the three, I headed toward the shoe lockers at the entrance.
Before I knew it, the footsteps behind us had vanished into the bustling noise of the school building.
Was that person able to return to his old daily life too, I wondered?
If he was attending school somewhere, was he talking with his friends, taking classes, and laughing in a place where nothing was burning?
If the wound on his right shoulder still pained him, I wanted him to rest without pushing himself. But if possible, I wanted him to be back in his own everyday life as well.
And I hoped the day would come when he would tell me his name of his own accord.
I just hoped the letter I had entrusted would convey that I was waiting before that day arrived.
When he tells me his name, what should I say first?
Thank you for saving me.
Is your injury all right?
Do you remember our promise?
There were so many words I wanted to convey, yet I still couldn't decide which one to choose first.
The evening light streaming through the entrance windows dyed the hallway in a faint orange.
Walking through that light, I swept my gaze across the school interior one last time.
Students emerging from classrooms.
Students walking down the stairs.
Students holding their bags, running off to club activities.
The chances of him being among them were surely not high.
Even knowing that, the mere wish that maybe made me turn my eyes toward the passing students.
I didn't know his name.
I didn't know his everyday voice.
Clinging to a flimsy possibility, I searched the school for a person whose face I didn't even recognize.
It was only natural that I couldn't find him.
Even so, I couldn't help praying that he had returned to his daily life somewhere.
Someday, we'll meet.
In a place without fire or smoke, this time we'll face each other directly.
Believing that, I caught up to the three walking ahead of me.
Even as I stepped out from the wide-open entrance doors into the twilight sunshine, a faint, unspoken lingering feeling remained deep inside my chest.