[Naoki Aiba POV]
Even after leaving the shoe lockers and heading toward the stairs, Mikage's "good morning" lingered in my ears.
Since we went to the same school, there was nothing strange about exchanging greetings. Yesterday we had talked about Koharu, and this morning I had told her how my sister was doing. If we had simply become acquaintances who greeted each other when passing by, it was nothing more than that.
Yet, I couldn't immediately return to my usual composure.
Mikage herself had taken half a step into the space I had opened up. After hearing my reply, she had smiled as though her tension had melted away. Even after our business was done, she had lingered there for just a brief moment.
For Mikage, who had always avoided boys, every single one of those actions was unexpected.
Above all, the smile she showed after hearing my response strangely refused to leave my mind.
The moment her tension unraveled, the corners of her slightly narrowed eyes softened. Catching the morning light, her ash-beige hair turned faintly translucent beside her cheek. Coupled with the contrast to her usual dignified demeanor, it was so striking that I had caught myself staring.
I had merely returned a greeting, so to have a smile like that directed at me was—
"That's just... not fair..."
The voice slipping from my own mouth startled me.
Pressing a hand to my forehead wouldn't take the words back now. Besides, even if someone asked me what wasn't fair or to whom, I wouldn't have been able to explain it.
The very fact that I was thinking about such things was proof enough that I wasn't acting like myself.
My pace slowed before the stairs, and a student coming from behind overtook me. Since they looked back with a puzzled expression, I moved to the edge of the hallway to let them pass.
What am I even doing first thing in the morning...?
Pulling myself together, I headed for the classroom.
Perhaps because she had helped Koharu, the guard Mikage kept up had lowered a little. At the very least, she hadn't been looking for a way to get away from me this morning.
If so, I was glad.
It was far better than scaring her just by being around.
Entering the classroom, I set my bag down at my desk. There was still time before homeroom, and near the window, several boys were chatting about an idol group that had recently debuted. From another circle, I could hear the pathetic groans of a student who seemed to have forgotten an assignment deadline.
It was supposed to be a morning no different from any other, yet whenever I heard girls' voices out in the hallway, I unconsciously looked up.
Every time, though, the people passing by were female students I didn't recognize.
Realizing how obvious I was being, I opened the textbook for the upcoming class.
Even after class started, though, my focus remained scattered.
"Aiba. Read the next part."
"...Ah."
"It's not 'Ah.'"
Belatedly realizing the teacher had called on me, I hurriedly stood up. When I began reading from the open section, the teacher raised a hand from the front of the classroom.
"That's the previous page. If you're asleep, feel free to stay standing."
A ripple of quiet laughter spread through the room.
"...Sorry."
Flipping the page, I finally started reading the assigned paragraph. When I sat back down, Togo, who sat nearby, propped his cheek on his hand and lowered his voice.
"It's rare to see you mess up in class."
"I just got the page wrong, that's all."
"Including saying 'Ah' when you got called on?"
"...Forget it."
"No way. You gave me something entertaining to watch first thing in the morning."
Togo's shoulders shook with amusement. While I was relieved he didn't pry into whether something was wrong, at this rate, he was bound to bring it up again during the break.
The teacher glanced over in our direction.
We looked down at our textbooks in unison.
After that, I didn't lose my place again.
◇◇◇
During the break after first period, while I was getting out my textbook for the next class, a familiar, bright voice drifted in from the hallway.
Casually, I looked up.
Mikage was just passing in front of the classroom with three of her friends. A friend with chestnut hair reaching her chest was talking with animated gestures, and beside her, a friend with chin-length black hair nodded along. Mikage had her face turned toward them, listening to the conversation.
My seat wasn't on the hallway side. I could only see them pass by through the open front door.
Even so, as Mikage drew level with the room, she casually glanced my way.
Our eyes met.
Remembering this morning's greeting, I offered a small nod. Without breaking her stride, Mikage returned a similar slight bow.
That was the entirety of the exchange.
However, the chestnut-haired friend stopped talking and turned toward the classroom, as if following Mikage's gaze. The black-haired friend looked over at me as well before checking Mikage's expression.
Only the friend walking behind the three of them, the one with short dark brown hair, was a little different.
Her sleepy eyes drifted toward me, then shifted to where Mikage was walking. She didn't say a word. Narrowing her eyes ever so slightly, she caught up with the three ahead of her.
I directed my attention back to my desk.
From her friends' perspective, it was only natural to find it strange that Mikage, known for disliking boys, had exchanged a nod with one. That explained why they had looked at me, too.
Even as I stared down at the open page, that brief interaction lingered in my mind.
It wasn't a change limited to just this morning. Even when our eyes met, Mikage hadn't quickly looked away. She hadn't hidden behind her friends, nor had she quickened her pace.
At the very least, it seemed she didn't hate me.
Catching myself thinking that, I pressed down on the corner of the page with my fingertip.
I was far more relieved by that realization than I cared to admit.
◇◇◇
Around the time morning classes wrapped up, a brief message arrived from Mom.
Koharu's appetite had improved compared to the morning, and she was sleeping now. Her fever seemed to have gone down as well. While Mom hadn't been able to take the day off from work, she had called during her lunch break and told Koharu to reach out immediately if anything came up.
I sent Koharu a message: Let me know when you wake up. I stared at the screen for a moment, but it wasn't marked as read. If she was able to sleep, that was for the best.
With the start of lunch break, Togo finished his boxed lunch and got up from his seat.
"I got roped in by the class rep. Going to check the supplies for next month's cultural festival."
"You're not on the executive committee, are you?"
"They're short on hands. Apparently, I was picked purely for my build."
Togo furrowed his brows in mild annoyance.
"Actually, I think you're well-suited for it."
"Easy for you to say. If I'm late getting back, just give the afternoon teacher some random excuse."
"I'll tell them you went with the class rep to check the supplies."
"Won't that make it sound like I'm slacking off?"
"...It should be fine."
"What was with that pause just now?"
Pretending to slump his shoulders, Togo walked out with the classmate waiting outside the room.
A little later, I stepped out into the hallway as well. Intending to stretch my legs after sitting in the same posture for so long, I took a slow walk down the hall by the windows.
Beyond the glass, students from sports clubs were running along the edge of the athletic field. The sunlight, still carrying the lingering heat of summer, was intense, and warmth seeped through the closed windows.
As I walked, intending to make a half-loop around the school building, the chatter of female students approached from around the corner.
The first to appear were Mikage's friends.
The chestnut-haired friend noticed me and murmured something to the black-haired friend beside her. Mikage, appearing from behind them, spotted me a moment later.
I hesitated over whether I should greet her like I had this morning.
We had already exchanged greetings once. It wasn't something to go out of my way to call out and repeat. On the other hand, if I walked by as if looking right through them, she might think I was avoiding her.
In the end, intending to just offer a slight nod, I moved to the far right side of the hallway.
Mikage and the others were walking on the opposite side. The hallway was plenty wide, so if we passed each other as we were, neither of us would have to get close to anyone.
After looking at me, Mikage shifted her path slightly inward, away from her friends.
Step by step, she drew closer to my side.
I thought it was just my imagination, but in the edge of my vision, she was definitely walking closer to the center of the hallway. There was still plenty of distance between us, but she hadn't gone out of her way to stay on the far side.
Just before we crossed paths, Mikage's lips parted slightly.
Thinking she was about to speak, I slowed my pace.
However, no words came. Readjusting her grip on the handle of her tote bag, Mikage walked right past me.
I didn't call out either, taking a few steps forward.
From behind me came the voice of the chestnut-haired friend. "Serina?"
Though I almost looked back on reflex, I stopped myself. Even if there had been something she wanted to say, waiting for an answer would only put Mikage on the spot.
Still, I knew that Mikage, who had been trailing behind her friends, had closed the distance between us by about half a step right before we passed.
To write it all off as coincidence was getting difficult, given the steady stream of small changes since this morning.
Maybe there was something she wanted to say.
If it was about Koharu, we had already spoken in the morning. If I had scared her in the infirmary, it made little sense for Mikage to voluntarily walk closer to me. Even so, I couldn't jump to any other conclusions based on what had just happened.
She could talk whenever she felt ready.
I wouldn't approach her myself, maintaining just enough distance for her to reach out if she wanted. That remained unchanged. At the same time, I saw no need to pull away from the distance Mikage had chosen to close of her own accord.
◇◇◇
By the time afternoon classes began, I had settled back into my usual rhythm of taking notes while following the blackboard.
Still, whenever a break rolled around, my attention drifted to the hallway. I only caught sight of Mikage once. She was talking with her friends near the distant staircase, seemingly unaware of me.
The friend with short dark brown hair spotted me first.
Her sleepy eyes lingered on me for a few seconds before shifting back to Mikage. Without alerting the others to my presence, though, she headed up the stairs along with her friends.
Since this morning, that friend had looked my way several times.
Was Mikage acting differently than usual? Pondering it brought no answers. Still, there was no sign of her making a scene or teasing Mikage about it.
In her own way, she might simply be watching over the changes in her friend.
Thinking of it that way made the scrutiny a little easier to take, and I returned to the classroom.
◇◇◇
After school, having delivered the handouts requested by my homeroom teacher to the staff room, I headed back to the classroom. Many students had already left, and in the quieter hallway, the distant voices of students heading to club activities echoed.
Carrying my bag in my left hand, I walked toward the shoe lockers.
Just as I came down from the second floor to the first, I saw the four of them—Mikage and her group—ahead of me once more.
Even before Mikage and I had started talking, we might have crossed paths like this countless times without realizing it.
The four of them had just reached the bottom of the stairs. The friend with chin-length black hair stepped onto the hallway first, pausing to look back and wait for Mikage as she took the final step.
Without rushing, the four began walking down the hallway leading to the shoe lockers. Mikage was about half a step behind the other three, and I ended up walking several paces behind her.
There was no need to overtake them. As I followed at a comfortable distance, about five boys, seemingly from a sports team, came walking toward us from the opposite direction.
They were spread out side by side, large sports bags slung over their shoulders. Two of them noticed us and moved aside, but the ones in the middle, engrossed in their conversation, didn't alter their path.
Mikage's friends quickly rearranged themselves into single file. While the three in front managed to tuck close to the wall, the boys were already bearing down on Mikage, who trailed slightly behind.
Mikage stopped in her tracks.
Directly behind where she pulled back was me.
I almost stepped forward on instinct, but caught myself.
If I closed the distance without being asked for help, I might end up blocking her escape route.
Instead, I moved to the edge of the hallway, leaving about enough space for one person between Mikage and myself. It gave her room to either catch up with her friends or remain where she was.
Mikage looked at me.
After glancing down at her feet in brief hesitation, instead of heading toward her friends' backs—
She stepped into the space I had opened up beside me.
She came to a stop on my left, leaving only about half a step's distance between us.
I hadn't expected that.
Instinctively, I shifted the bag in my left hand in front of my body so it wouldn't bump into her. We were close enough that if I moved my arm even slightly, we would brush against each other.
The male students walked past. One of them, finally noticing the tight squeeze, muttered, "My bad," and pulled his teammate's shoulder, but the large bag on his shoulder still swung close to Mikage.
Mikage leaned slightly closer to me.
I moved to give her more room, then checked myself.
Mikage wasn't trying to get away from me. If I backed away now, I would leave her stranded right in the boys' path.
Maintaining just enough space so we wouldn't touch, I stood my ground.
It took only a few seconds for the last of them to pass.
The hallway opened up again.
I assumed Mikage would immediately rejoin her friends, but remaining just half a step away, she looked up at me.
Just like this morning, there was a sense that she wanted to say something.
Without rushing her, I waited.
While Mikage searched for words, I stayed silent.
Still, nothing came out. Mikage pulled her bag close to her chest and eventually offered a small bow.
Taking it as her way of saying thanks, I returned a slight nod.
The three waiting ahead didn't rush Mikage either. The chestnut-haired friend stood with her mouth closed in surprise, while the black-haired friend glanced down at Mikage's feet. Only the friend with the sleepy eyes quietly observed the distance between us.
To avoid other boys, she had chosen to stand beside me—a guy.
Understanding that truth sent a faint flutter through my chest.
Being close to me during the fire had been a necessity to survive. In a peaceful school hallway, the circumstances were entirely different.
This spot was one Mikage had chosen for herself.
Neither this morning's greeting nor how close she had walked at noon could be written off as mere coincidence. At the very least, it seemed that to her, I was gradually ceasing to be someone she had to scramble away from like the other boys.
Even if that trust was solely because I was Koharu's older brother, it was more than enough.
Not as the stranger who had saved her from the fire, but as Koharu's brother, as a fellow student at the same school—it was fine if she came to know who I was today, little by little.
I knew I shouldn't ask for anything beyond that just yet.
Even so, the quiet happiness blooming inside me refused to fade.
"...See you," I said softly, figuring that lingering any longer would only put pressure on her.
Mikage's lips moved hesitantly.
"See you... tomorrow, okay?"
Her voice was quiet, but this time I heard it clearly.
Caught off guard, the foot I was about to take a step with paused mid-motion.
"Yeah. See you tomorrow."
When I replied, Mikage gave a small, visibly relieved nod.
As she lifted her head, her expression gently softened into a smile.
It was the exact same smile as this morning.
Reflected in her softly narrowed eyes was the evening light pouring down the hallway. It was the kind of smile that effortlessly dissolved the tension around her, pure relief spreading across her features.
Only this time, the distance was entirely different.
Right now, she was close enough that I could touch her if I reached out, directing that smile straight at me.
"...Ngh."
My breath caught in my throat.
I should have already seen it once this morning, but having it aimed at me from this close was impossible to take in stride.
Seeing it once was unfair enough. Nobody warned me I'd have to handle it twice in a single day.
When Mikage blinked in mild confusion, I shook my head slightly to show it was nothing.
If I stayed here any longer, my fluster would be written all over my face.
Without lingering another second, I started walking toward the shoe lockers.
A few steps later, I felt eyes on my back. Looking over my shoulder, I found myself meeting the gaze not of Mikage, but of the friend with short dark brown hair.
After looking at me, she cast her eyes down to the spot where Mikage had just been standing. Her sleepy eyes narrowed slightly, and as if confirming something to herself, she turned back toward Mikage.
The chestnut-haired friend was covering her mouth with both hands as though desperately holding back a squeal. The black-haired friend beside her watched her with an exasperated look.
Only Mikage, a beat later, looked back in my direction once more.
This time, even when our eyes met, she didn't look away.
Offering another small nod, I faced forward again.
Just before I rounded the corner of the hallway, someone behind me took a sharp, deep breath.
No voice called out after me. Figuring their conversation was about to start up, I turned the corner without looking back.
This morning, the distance Mikage had crossed was a mere half-step.
Yet by the end of the day, that half-step had brought her all the way to my side.