The warmth of April sun spilled through the windows, casting long shadows across the classroom as we wiped down the desks. Cherry blossoms were still clinging to their branches outside, their pink petals dotting the air like confetti. The smell of fresh flowers mixed with the dust of chalkboards and erasers, giving everything a soft, nostalgic quality. It felt like the beginning of something new, but for me, it was more like the beginning of a trap.

  I hadn’t written in years. Not since he passed. My dad. He was always the one who encouraged me to write, to put my heart on paper. We wrote together, stories, poems, even silly little notes. His words always had a way of making my world feel bigger, brighter. But when he was gone, I couldn’t write anymore. It felt as if I did, it would somehow bring tragedy back into my life.

  So I stopped.

  Instead, I read.

  Books were safer. They weren’t mine. They didn’t have the power to hurt anyone the way my writing did. And so, I got lost in the words of others, in worlds that weren’t my own, trying to fill the hole left behind in my heart. I convinced myself that by staying away from my pen, I was protecting the people around me from whatever bad luck I thought I carried.

  "Maru, could you grab the eraser, please?" Ko Takanabe’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. She was standing by the blackboard, holding a cloth in her hand, wiping away a stray chalk mark.

  “Sure,” I mumbled, rising from my seat and walking over.

  As I passed the rows of desks, I glanced at the others cleaning around me: Riku Hiyama was rearranging the chairs, and Sakurako Yamamota—well, she was, predictably, making a mess of everything. I was the quiet one, quietly organizing the supplies, half-heartedly listening to their conversation as they chatted and joked around.

  She had knocked over a stack of books that was taller than her and was now laughing hysterically, hands in the air, eyes wide in that way that made her look like a child.

  “You’re supposed to put things on the shelf, not knock them off, Sakura-Chan,” Ko said, shaking her head but smiling all the same.

  Yamamota-san just grinned and shrugged, undeterred. “Whoops! Sorry, Ko-Chan, I was just making it... more exciting!”

  Takanabe chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Exciting? More like a disaster.” But there was warmth in her tone, like she didn’t mind the chaos as much as she let on. She leaned over and helped her friend clean up the mess.

  Suddenly, Sakurako Yamamota had just dropped the broom with a loud thud, giving her best dramatic sigh.

  “Ugh, this is so boring! Why do we have to do this every week?” she complained, though her voice had that light, teasing tone.

  “You could always do it like you mean it instead of pretending to sweep,” Takanabe quipped, glancing over at her with a smirk.

  Sakurako stuck her tongue out at Ko, her grin never fading. “Well, we can’t all be perfect, now can we?”

  “Maybe, but you’re not good at sweeping,” Takanabe shot back.

  “Oh, come on! I’m great at it! Just watch!” Sakurako grabbed the broom again, swinging it with a flourish, only to miss half of the dustpile, sending it scattering across the floor.

  “I’ll just sweep up that mess later,” Takanabe muttered, trying to suppress a laugh.

  I stood there, just watching them—laughing, joking, and making a mess of their work. It was strange. This simple moment, this unremarkable day, was filled with a quiet joy that I hadn’t realized I was missing.

  Hiyama turned to me, catching my gaze, and smiled shyly. “You’re not much for talking, huh?”

  I shrugged, a small, almost embarrassed smile tugging at my lips. “I guess I’m just... not good at it.” I glanced down at the rag in my hand, wiping down the desk with a little too much focus.

  Hiyama chuckled softly, leaning against the broom. “That’s okay. We all have our quirks.” He glanced out the window at the clubs practicing outside on the fields. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, his tone quieter now, “about joining one of the clubs.”

  “Oh yeah?” I asked, intrigued despite myself.

  Riku Hiyama glanced at me, a mischievous glint in his eye. “You know, I’ve been wondering. Are all you girls in our class this... unpredictable?”

  I snorted, almost choking on my laugh, but caught myself just in time and covered my mouth. I shot a glance at Sakurako, who was now trying to organize a pile of books with the same reckless energy she’d just used to knock them over in the first place. Her hair was messy from the wind outside, and she had that glowing, carefree smile that seemed to radiate everything she touched.

  “I think I like Yamamota-san...” Hiyama continued, his tone quieter now, as if he were sharing some sort of secret. He nodded toward Sakurako. “I heard she’s in the cheer club. Her best friend, Takanabe-san, is in softball... I was thinking of maybe showing up to one of the games to cheer her on.”

  I looked at him, eyebrows raised, and snorted again. This time, it was louder. I quickly covered my mouth again, feeling my cheeks burn with embarrassment.

  Hiyama looked at me, puzzled. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

  “No,” I muttered, biting back a smile. “It’s just... You don’t know Takanabe very well, do you?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? You barely know her, too!"

  I pointed over toward Takanabe, who was now helping Sakurako Yamamota arrange the books properly, her smile a little more exasperated, but still fond. “I have observed her. She’s scary. Like, scary. If she thinks you’re messing with Yamamota, she’ll probably throw you into the river.”

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Hiyama stared for a moment, then turned back to me, pouting. “You’re exaggerating.”

  “Nope,” I said, shaking my head. “She’s got this way of staring at you like she can see right through you. I don’t think she’d be okay with anyone getting close to her best friend, especially someone like you.”

  Riku leaned back, sighing dramatically. “I was hoping for a challenge, not an impossible mission.” He turned back to me with a grin. “You’re probably right. I’ll just have to figure out another way... Maybe I can date you instead, Kawano-San! You're a pretty girl too!'

  "I don't think that can happen. Sorry."

  I laughed softly, shaking my head. It was all so ridiculous, but in a way, it made me feel lighter. Like the air around me was a little less heavy, like maybe, just maybe, I could let myself breathe for a moment. Hiyama laughed too. Phew. I was hoping I didn't offend him. It's hard for me to read people and make appropriate comments.

  For a second, I didn’t feel so guilty about not writing. I didn’t feel like I had to hide from myself or the world. I didn’t feel like my dad’s illness was haunting me anymore, reminding me that writing was dangerous, that it could cause harm.

  Hiyama immediately puffed out his cheeks in mock indignation. “What? No way. I’m not scared of her!”

  I grinned, glancing at the two girls who were still in the back of the room. “Yeah, well, good luck with that,” I teased.

  Sakurako had just finished sweeping, and now she was jumping around, acting overly dramatic as always. “Hiyama! What’re you guys talking about? Are you gossiping about me again?” she asked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

  I rolled my eyes, a small chuckle escaping me. “Nothing like that.”

  But Sakurako wasn’t letting it go. “I knew it! You were all whispering! Tell me everything!” she demanded, her voice filled with mock seriousness.

  “I wasn’t whispering,” Hiyama replied, holding up his hands in defense, looking flustered. “I was just—uh—thinking out loud! About... clubs.”

  Sakurako raised an eyebrow. “Clubs, huh? You know, Ko’s on the softball team, and I’m in the cheer squad. You should come to a game, Hiyama! We’ll show you what’s up.”

  Ko looked up from wiping the windows and shrugged. “You’re just volunteering me now?”

  “Oh, come on!” Sakurako said, spinning around to face Ko. “I’m just trying to recruit new blood here! You can’t say no to that.”

  Ko chuckled, shaking her head. “I don’t think Hiyama’s the type to be convinced like that.”

  Sakurako stuck her tongue out at Ko, then turned to me. “What about you, Maru? Got any plans for the weekend?”

  I was silent for a moment, my eyes flicking down to my hands. I wasn’t exactly the outgoing type, and honestly, I had no clue how to answer her question. I had no plans, nothing I could even mention.

  But just then, Sakurako waved it off, a careless grin returning to her face. “Anyway, I’ve gotta go,” she said, brushing past everyone and running out the door, yelling over her shoulder, “Don’t have too much fun without me!”

  She was so carefree. It made me feel a little envious, honestly.

  As we left the classroom, the warm, spring air brushed against my face. It was one of those rare moments when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, casting a soft pink glow across the courtyard. The school gate stood at the end of the path, and outside, the afternoon sun was still high, making the whole world feel alive.

  Sakurako was skipping ahead, her laughter ringing in the air like the tinkling of bells, her loose hair flowing behind her. Ko walked close behind, her pace more measured, but still with an effortless grace. Hiyama, hands in his pockets, lagged behind them, his eyes darting between the two girls as he muttered quietly, clearly distracted by something.

  I walked a bit further behind, my thoughts on the strange, warm feeling I had from earlier when I noticed the way Sakurako moved so naturally, so effortlessly. Her energy was contagious, and I found myself wanting to just... be caught up in it, to forget about the strange weight of things in my life.

  We reached the school gate, where the busy streets of the city seemed to open up into a completely different world. Sakurako stopped for a moment, turning back to wave at the rest of us. Her smile was bright, but there was something almost wistful about it—something that lingered in the air.

  “There’s somewhere I gotta be! I’m gonna be late!” she shouted, waving us off with one last enthusiastic gesture. “Bye!” And before any of us could respond, she dashed off, her footsteps echoing against the pavement, her loafers clicking in perfect rhythm with the quickness of her strides.

  Takanabe, who had been watching with a bemused smile, turned to Hiyama with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You’re looking a little... distracted, Hiyama,” she teased.

  I followed her gaze, only to catch Hiyama’s wide-eyed stare—directed, unsurprisingly, at Sakurako’s skirt as she ran. My eyes flicked back to the ground quickly, but not before I caught the obvious blush on Hiyama’s face.

  Takanabe’s reaction was swift, and her voice rang out in mock horror. “HEY YOU CREEP! DON’T LOOK AT MY FRIEND LIKE THAT!!”

  Hiyama jumped back, clearly startled, his face turning an even deeper shade of red as he stammered out an apology. “I-I wasn’t—! I mean, it’s just, I wasn’t—”

  But Takanabe wasn’t having it. She bent down, pulling off one of her loafers as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and before anyone could stop her, she swung it at Hiyama’s face.

  POW!

  The loud smack made me wince, though I couldn’t help but laugh, the absurdity of it all washing over me. Hiyama, clutching his cheek where the shoe had landed, looked like he was about to combust with embarrassment.

  I bit back my laughter, covering my mouth with my hand. It wasn’t like I didn’t feel bad for Hiyama, but honestly, he had it coming. Takanabe’s protective streak for Sakurako was nothing short of fierce.

  “Well, that’s one way to get a guy to stop staring,” Ko remarked dryly, shaking her head with a smile.

  “I didn’t even—!” Hiyama sputtered, looking thoroughly defeated, though there was a sheepish grin on his face now. He was a good sport about it, at least.

  Takanabe, seemingly satisfied with the result, turned to me and waved. “Alright, Maru, you heading out too?”

  I nodded, my heart still fluttering with the kind of nervous energy that comes from just... being around people like them. “Yeah, I’m gonna get going.”

  Takanabe gave me a friendly nod, and Ko offered a soft, encouraging smile. With that, I turned, walking toward the school gate with the sound of the laughter still floating in the air behind me. It wasn’t the kind of day that would change the world, but in some strange way, it felt like a small, beautiful moment—one that I didn’t want to forget.

  As I stepped outside the gate, I paused to look up at the cherry blossoms. The petals drifted in the breeze like tiny, delicate snowflakes, falling around me as if the world itself was reminding me that there was still beauty in the small things.

  The sound of footsteps behind me made me turn, and I saw Hiyama, Takanabe, and Ko still standing by the gate, talking amongst themselves. But I didn’t feel the need to stay and chat. My feet were already moving forward, away from the school grounds, toward the path that led home.

  I walked in silence, letting the cool air settle around me, the sounds of the busy street a distant murmur. And as I walked, I couldn’t shake the image of Sakurako’s laughter, her carefree energy, and the way she had run off, leaving us behind with nothing but the memory of her bright smile.

  Maybe that was just who she was—someone who could light up the world without even trying.

  And for the first time in a long time, I felt the smallest spark of hope.

  Maybe, just maybe, I could learn how to live like that too.