[Serina Mikage POV]
The face reflected in the bathroom mirror was supposed to be my usual self.
My eyes were still heavy with sleep, and before I could brush it, my ash-beige hair bounced wildly around my shoulders. Neither the smoke from my dream nor the searing heat that had scorched my skin remained anywhere.
Even so, my ears in the mirror were unmistakably, brilliantly red from the early morning.
I splashed my face with cold water and pressed a towel against it. Gauging the moment the flushed warmth subsided, I lifted my head, yet the moment my eyes met my reflection, a fresh heat was already gathering in my cheeks.
There was no need to search for a reason.
Aiba-kun was that person.
The moment I voiced those words inside my heart, my pulse gave a single, heavy thud, and the redness in the mirror spread all the way to the tips of my ears.
"...Seriously, what is wrong with me?"
Even my muttering sounded pathetic.
Yesterday, in the infirmary, I had looked directly into Aiba-kun's face for the first time and exchanged words with him. Now that I had accepted who he was, every single moment from yesterday returned to me carrying an entirely different meaning.
Aiba-kun, who had maintained his distance so I wouldn't be frightened, was the very person I had yearned to see ever since that day.
He was no longer just a silhouette lost behind the smoke. We attended the same school, and even today, I might run into him somewhere in the halls.
"Ngh..."
Just the thought made my chest flutter with restless energy, and I found myself pointlessly refolding the towel in my hands.
Until yesterday, no matter how desperately I wished to see him, I had no idea where he was. While searching for someone whose face and name were a mystery, I'd had no choice but to cling to the vague hope of meeting again someday. But now, all I had to do was change into my uniform and walk out the front door, and we would pass through the very same school gates.
Just that simple fact made me helplessly, overwhelmingly happy.
I never knew I was the kind of person who could get like this just from the possibility of seeing someone.
"First... a greeting."
Facing the mirror, I straightened my back.
Things only got complicated when I tried to ask too much right away. Since we were basically strangers until yesterday, a simple greeting was enough to start with. If I was going to cherish the distance he had thoughtfully kept for me, I should begin with something ordinary.
"Good morning, Aiba-kun."
The me in the mirror offered a greeting back with a dead-serious expression.
Too stiff.
Trying to sound a bit more natural, I relaxed my mouth.
"Morning, Aiba-kun."
This time, it felt a little too familiar.
For a guy I'd never had a real conversation with before yesterday, jumping straight to that might come off as bizarre. In the first place, wouldn't Aiba-kun be surprised just by me greeting him at all? I was well aware of how I usually acted around boys.
I didn't want to startle him.
Even so, I wanted to talk to him.
I wanted to get to know the Aiba-kun at school, little by little.
As I pondered this, the corners of my mouth in the mirror softened into a loose smile.
The moment I noticed, unable to endure the sheer embarrassment, I buried my face in both hands.
"Like, what am I even doing...?"
"Serina?"
My mother's voice drifted through the door.
"Aren't you taking an awfully long time just to wash your face?"
"I'm coming!"
Answering in a fluster, my voice squeaked slightly.
I checked the mirror one more time. Hiding the redness of my ears seemed hopeless. I tried letting my hair down to cover them, but the more I fussed, the more unnatural it looked, so in the end, I simply styled it the way I always did.
It's fine.
I'm just going to say hello.
Telling myself that one last time, I stepped out of the bathroom.
On the dining table sat toast, scrambled eggs, and fruit arranged in a small bowl. My father was watching the news while sipping his coffee, and my mother was just sitting down in her chair.
"Good morning."
"Morning. Did you sleep well?"
"So-so."
Having no intention of mentioning my dream, I gave a vague answer and took a seat.
My mother didn't press further. She simply looked at my face, her expression instantly softening.
Ever since the fire, my parents had been watching me in the mornings much more carefully than before. Did I sleep well? Did I have an appetite? Was the pain in my right leg acting up? Instead of peppering me with questions, they gauged how quickly I answered and watched how I moved, only speaking up when they felt it was truly necessary.
Ever since the night I told them about what happened in middle school, the two of them had stopped trying to pry into things I didn't want to talk about. While their consideration was a relief, I was also well aware that even during the quiet moments, I was making them worry.
My father lifted his eyes from the news.
"Isn't your face a bit red?"
I nearly dropped the spoon I had just picked up.
"It's not red."
"No, even your ears are—"
"The room's just hot."
"Is it?"
Looking unconvinced, he glanced toward the thermostat display. He didn't need to notice unnecessary details, yet at times like this, he was always frustratingly observant.
"If you have a fever, you should stay home from school."
"I told you, it's not a fever."
"Want to take your temperature just in case?"
"I said I'm fine!"
My tone almost turned sharp, but I caught myself halfway through.
My father wasn't trying to give me a hard time. It was just that I looked different from yesterday, and he was simply concerned about my health.
"...I really do feel fine. My right leg isn't any different from usual, either."
When I rephrased it, my father's expression eased slightly.
"Then that's all right. Just don't push yourself."
"Yeah."
Giving a short reply, I spread strawberry jam over my toast.
I wondered if Aiba-kun would come to school today.
Since Koharu had just collapsed, he might take the day off to stay by her side. Considering how worried he had been about his sister, it was a distinct possibility.
I would be disappointed if I couldn't see him.
However, if it meant Koharu wouldn't have to push herself alone, then that was for the best—
"Serina."
"What?"
"You're going to tear a hole in your bread."
At my father's remark, I looked down at my hand.
Even though the jam was already spread, my knife was still scraping back and forth over the exact same spot. The surface was crushed, and red jam was spilling over the rim of the plate.
When I hastily pulled my hand back, my mother let out a small chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"I'm sorry. I wasn't making fun of you."
Even as she said that, a smile still lingered on her lips.
"It's just that you look so happy, Serina."
"...How so?"
"You can't tell?"
"I can't, and I'm not acting happy at all."
The more I denied it, the more gently my mother's eyes crinkled.
"I see. Then I suppose your mother was just seeing things."
Without pursuing it any further, she reached for her cup. But she made no effort to hide her good mood, her voice bouncing with slightly more cheer than usual.
My father looked back and forth between the two of us.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing."
"If it's good news, Serina will tell us eventually."
"I told you, it's nothing!"
"Yes, yes. That's fine for now."
My mother smiled softly and slid the bowl of fruit a little closer to me.
She didn't pry. That patient way of waiting made me grateful, and at the same time, a warm glow settled in my chest.
Ever since I returned after the fire, I felt like I hadn't seen my mother smile at the breakfast table like this very often.
If I was feeling down, the two of them kept their voices hushed. If I left food on my plate, they pretended not to notice and made smaller portions next time; if I woke up in the middle of the night, they left a warm drink out for me the next morning without asking a thing.
This morning, my mother didn't know what had happened to me. Even so, just seeing her daughter look happy seemed to brighten her own mood.
Thinking of that, I felt a little guilty for brushing it off.
"...It's just that there's someone I want to talk to properly today."
The moment it left my mouth, I realized I had said too much.
My mother's hand froze right before touching her cup.
My father still wore a blank expression, utterly out of the loop.
"A friend?"
"Dear," my mother said, sounding thoroughly exasperated.
"If it's someone she wants to talk to at school, isn't that a friend?"
"You just stay quiet for a while."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"Please, just don't catch on to anything right now."
"...O-Okay."
Still not understanding a thing, my father nodded obediently.
My mother couldn't hold back her laughter. Trying to hide my burning face, I lifted the toast and took an unnecessarily huge bite.
Just as I finished eating, the front doorbell chimed.
Even without checking the intercom screen, I knew who it was from the time.
Normally, this was when I would meet up with Rio at the nearest station. But right now, while my right leg was still recovering, she came all the way to my house to pick me up for our morning walk.
"I'll get it."
Grabbing my bag, I bolted from the dining table.
I slipped on my shoes and opened the door to find Rio waving a hand, her chest-length chestnut hair swaying.
"Mornin', Serina."
"Good morning."
The casual greeting slipped out naturally.
It was the exact same phrase I wanted to say to Aiba-kun, yet I couldn't even comprehend why I had felt the need to practice it so much.
"Good morning, Rio-chan," my mother called out from behind me.
"Good morning! I'll make sure to get Serina there safely."
"Please do. She seems a little spacey today."
"Mom!"
"My, aren't you leaving already?"
Smiling cheekily, she waved goodbye. From behind her, my father peeked out as well.
"If your leg starts hurting, don't push yourself, okay?"
"I know. We're off."
Turning my back on them, I began walking, lightly nudging Rio's arm to get her moving. Even after clearing the front gate, my mother's cheerful voice echoing from inside the house lingered in my ears.
"Hey."
Walking beside me, Rio peeked at my face from the side.
"What?"
"Did something happen this morning?"
"Nothing."
"That tone totally means something did happen."
"I'm completely normal."
"Normal Serina doesn't fix her bangs twice within thirty seconds of leaving the house."
I froze, lowering my hand that had been halfway to my hair.
Rio didn't miss it; her eyes widened before her mouth curled into a delighted grin.
"There really is something!"
"I told you, there isn't."
"Are you planning to meet someone today?"
My stride faltered slightly.
"I'm going to school, so obviously I'm going to see people."
"Ooh, giving that kind of answer, huh?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Like you're technically answering the question, but dodging what I actually asked."
She was sharp in the weirdest ways.
Facing forward to cut off the conversation, the station came into view. Near the ticket gates, Kotoha, her black hair neatly trimmed to her jawline, spotted us and gave a small wave.
"Good morning."
"Morning, Kotoha! Listen to this. Serina is definitely acting weird today."
The second we met up, I was instantly tattled on, prompting me to glare at Rio.
"What did you do to her first thing in the morning?"
Kotoha's question was directed at Rio, not me.
"Hey, don't just assume I'm the problem!"
"Whenever Serina makes that face, it's usually because you said something unnecessary."
"I haven't said anything yet today! She kept fussing with her bangs, so I just asked if she was meeting someone."
Kotoha's gaze shifted slowly toward me.
"...Do you have a fever?"
"No. My parents asked the exact same thing, but I don't feel sick at all."
"Then that's fine. We still have plenty of time, so let's take it slow."
Kotoha glanced down at my right leg once, choosing not to pry any further.
"Yeah."
The three of us passed through the ticket gates, sticking close to the handrail as we took the stairs. Even on the platform, there was plenty of time before the train arrived, so there was no need to rush.
The train was just beginning to fill with the morning rush as we stepped aboard. Rio spotted an open spot against the wall and ushered me in first. Kotoha stood right next to her, shielding me from the rest of the passengers so no one would bump into me.
At the next station, the doors slid open.
From among the boarding students, a girl with short, dark brown hair made her way toward us. Miu, looking as sleepy-eyed as ever, raised a hand and took the open space next to Kotoha.
"Good morning."
"Morning, Miu! Perfect timing. Doesn't Serina seem kinda weird today?"
"Don't push that onto Miu the second she gets here."
"I'm just asking for an objective opinion from someone who's good at observing people."
Miu looked at my face, then let her gaze drop in turn to my hair, the collar of my uniform, and my bag.
"Her appearance is the same as usual."
"See?"
"However, her ears are red."
"Miu!"
"I only stated what is visible."
When she answered with barely a flicker of emotion, Rio burst out laughing. Kotoha let out an exasperated sigh.
The train swayed, and the hanging straps tilted in unison. I grabbed one with my left hand, bracing myself so I wouldn't put too much weight on my right leg.
When I checked my reflection in the window to fix my hair, Rio's grin widened. When my hand drifted toward my collar, Kotoha assured me that nothing was out of place. Miu didn't say a word. Instead, her sleepy eyes simply drifted back and forth between my hands and my face.
When a male student who had boarded at an intermediate stop stood near us, tension crept into my shoulders.
Immediately, Kotoha shifted her stance, and Rio closed the space beside me. It wasn't as if the boy was looking my way. Without making a scene, the three of them simply created a protective barrier where no one could touch me, just like they always did.
It wasn't that I had stopped being afraid of guys. It wasn't that I was suddenly capable of being around just anyone, either.
And yet, out of everyone, there was a single person I truly hoped to see.
If Aiba-kun were standing that close, which way would I move?
Until yesterday, I had felt a quiet sense of relief whenever he stepped aside to give me space. But I didn't want to just drift away from him anymore. This time, I wanted to take the step to close the distance myself.
If it was just a greeting, I wouldn't even have to get that close.
Even so, I had to stand somewhere my voice could reach.
"...I'm only going to say hello, after all."
—Shoot. The words I had been telling myself slipped straight out of my mouth.
All three pairs of eyes snapped to me at once.
"Hm? To who?"
Rio pounced on it instantly.
"...It doesn't matter who, does it?"
"Would you really get this nervous first thing in the morning just to say hello to someone who doesn't matter?"
"I'm not nervous."
"Serina, you look like you're about to snap that strap in half."
At Kotoha's dry observation, I realized just how tightly I was gripping the handle. As I relaxed my fingers, Rio's grin turned downright mischievous.
"Could it be... Aiba-kun?"
The moment she spoke his name, my heart leaped violently against my ribs.
—Aiba-kun.
Just hearing that name made the rest of the commute feel agonizingly, impossibly long.