Petals danced through the wind like soft feathers, drifting down from the rows of sakura trees that lined the school courtyard. Their pale pink hues shimmered under the morning sunlight, blending beautifully with the soft tones of the student’s pink-accented uniforms as they made their way through the gates of Sakura Aoba High.

  Laughter and footsteps echoed faintly, carried by the gentle breeze, as if the entire campus were caught in a slow, graceful dream.

  Aya walked through the courtyard, mesmerized by the beauty around her.

  Petals drifted slowly from the trees above, and her eyes followed each one as it danced through the air.

  Each falling petal reminded her of a moment that still lingered in her chest—the warmth of a hand, the sharpness of a voice that had cut through the noise, the feeling of being saved by her knight in shining armor.

  It almost didn’t feel real.

  But the pink petals caught in her hair, the cool spring wind brushing against her skin… those were real.

  Just like he was.

  Suddenly, her cheeks flushed red—like ripe tomatoes—as the memory of what happened on the train rushed back to her.

  She glanced down at her hand.

  She could still feel it—the warmth of his hand lingering against her skin, as if he had just held it moments ago.

  She walked alone.

  He had taken off in a hurry after they left the train station, saying nothing more than a quick goodbye before running off. It seemed like he had something urgent to take care of.

  Aya stepped inside the school building. As she walked through the halls, she noticed the students she passed were smiling—genuine, carefree smiles, as if they were truly happy to be here.

  She made her way to the bulletin board, she scanned the posted lists to search for her name. After a moment, she found it—Class 1-A.

  Her eyes lit up, and a wide smile spread across her face, reaching all the way to her ears. She even let out a small giggle, unable to contain her excitement.

  Just then, she overheard two girls talking nearby. Curious, Aya tilted her head toward the sound—but she hadn’t expected to lock eyes with one of them.

  Her eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly looked away.

  “G-Good morning,” she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper, giving a small, awkward wave.

  One of the girls, the one with glasses, stepped closer and gently touched Aya’s hand with a bright smile on her face.

  “Hello, good morning!” she replied cheerfully, waving in return. “I’m Aira Shiori, a freshman. Nice to meet you.” Her voice was soft and calming.

  The other girl stepped forward, her smile warm as she took both of Aya’s hands in hers.

  “I’m Natsumi Inoue, also a freshman. It’s really nice to meet you.” Her voice was low, but filled with gentle kindness.

  Aya froze. Her mind went blank for a heartbeat.

  Then, without thinking, her voice stumbled out.

  “I-I’m Tachibana Aya, f-first year h-high school. I-It’s… my pleasure o-of meeting you.”

  Her words clashed together, her voice thin and cracked. She clutched the strap of her bag as her knuckles turned pale.

  The two girls glanced at each other, brows briefly raised in surprise—then smiled in perfect sync, as if silently agreeing: she's cute.

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  “We’re in Class 1-A. How about you, Tachibana-san?” Shiori asked, her tone gentle.

  As soon as she heard their class, Aya’s thoughts snapped back into focus. She stared at them for a second, then replied almost too quickly.

  “We’re in the same class.”

  Both girls lit up with bright smiles and reached out to hold her hands.

  “That’s good to know! If you don’t mind, we can go to our classroom together,” Natsumi offered cheerfully.

  Aya nodded right away, her voice soft but certain.

  “Please… let’s go together.”

  They wandered through the hallways of the school, searching for their classroom—but none of them knew which floor it was on yet they kept searching for it, as they walked everywhere on the ground floor.

  “Where are you from, Tachibana-san?” Natsumi asked as they walked through the corridor.

  Aya blinked at the sudden question but answered softly, “I’m from Yokosuka, in Kanagawa Prefecture.”

  Both girls stopped mid-step and turned to her, eyes wide.

  “That’s pretty far from here!” Shiori exclaimed, her voice rising in surprise.

  “You had to pass through two cities just to get to Tokyo,” Natsumi added, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “That’s incredible!”

  Aya saw their amazed reactions and smiled faintly. It made sense—they probably didn’t meet many people who commuted such a long way. She really did have to wake up much earlier than everyone else, just to make it in time for the first period.

  “You must be really dedicated to study here in Tokyo,” they said, voices overlapping in perfect sync. “We admire you for that.”

  Aya laughed awkwardly, a bit flustered, and she scratched the back of her head.

  “T-Thank you,” she replied, her cheeks turning a soft shade of red.

  They’ve walked through corridors and still not found their classroom.

  Fortunately, as they turned a corner, they spotted a teacher standing near a bulletin board while scanning the list.

  The three of them slowed to a stop. Shiori and Natsumi looked at Aya with identical expressions of playful expectation.

  “What do you think, Aya? Can you ask her where Class 1-A is?” Shiori asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

  Aya’s eyes widened. She looked at the teacher, then back at them, and her lips wobbled.

  “T-T-That’s impossible,” she whispered, waving her hands frantically as she fidgeted with her fingers.

  Shiori let out a soft laugh and tapped Aya’s shoulder, then struck a random, exaggerated pose with a grin.

  “You’re kind of a weird one,” she teased, “but definitely interesting.”

  With that, she turned on her heel and casually walked over to the teacher as she already started a conversation as if it were nothing.

  Aya and Natsumi watched from a short distance as Shiori spoke with ease—no hesitation, no stumbles.

  Aya started, her eyes wide in awe.

  “How can she talk to a teacher so easily… without getting nervous?” she murmured, her mouth slightly agape.

  Natsumi glanced at her, then smiled gently.

  “That’s just the kind of person Shiori is. She had a lot of friends in middle school.”

  She paused, her eyes following Shiori as she spoke with the teacher.

  “Even students outside our class knew her.”

  Aya turned to look at Natsumi. There was something in her expression—a soft light in her eyes, like she was genuinely proud of Shiori. But behind that light… there was a flicker of something else. Something quieter. A shadow that didn’t quite show on the surface.

  “You were classmates in middle school?” Aya asked softly.

  They heard footsteps approaching behind them.

  “Yes—and even before middle school, actually. We’ve been together since kindergarten,” Shiori said as she stopped in front of them. A proud little grin formed on her face.

  “In short, we’re childhood friends.”

  She giggled softly. “Looks like our classroom is on the second floor.”

  Natsumi rested a finger on her chin.

  “We’re still on the ground floor,” she said, then paused and scanned the hallway. Her gaze landed on a stairwell just around the corner.

  “There—we can go up from there.”

  Together, the three made their way upstairs, their footsteps soft against the polished floor. When they reached the top, they turned down the hall until finally, the familiar sign came into view.

  A small wooden plaque hung neatly above the doorway: Class 1-A.

  Aya stopped in front of it, her eyes wide.

  “Class 1-A…” she whispered, almost in awe.