As the afternoon hours ended, Sanae headed home, and the two boys continued on their way to the teahouse, as they always did. Shinji's thoughts were elsewhere the whole way, and as they approached their destination, he finally gave voice to them.   “Do you think I was too harsh on her?” he asked.   “You mean the midday reprimand?” Ryūta tried to crify, to which the boy with gsses nodded. “Maybe. After all, as you said, she didn’t mean any harm. She only came to me st night to apologize, and she waited even though she didn’t know when I would get home. But how did she know where I lived? Or that my parents were gone? And that we used to have sweets in the afternoon? Would she have followed me one day?” he wondered too.   “I don’t think she would have gone that far. I think she simply asked someone,” Shinji replied, which only made his friend even more uncertain.   “But from whom? I didn’t tell anyone, not even you…”   “In this case, from someone who has access to the students’ personal information, like teachers or Student Council members.”   “Maybe…” Ryūta began, but couldn’t finish because the other boy read his mind.   “That would be abuse. Nao would never do such a thing, not even for her best friend. I know her well enough to say this” he said firmly, and a few moments ter they arrived at the teahouse.   After receiving their chosen pastries, they didn’t hesitate and sat down at the first free table.   “So… are you and Sanae close?” Ryūta inquired.   “Not particurly. Why?” his friend was surprised by the question.   “You call her by her first name. You said you know the president well, so it’s understandable in her case, but Sanae...”   “Yeah, that’s...” Shinji interrupted, then continued after a short pause: “Maybe it’s a bad habit of mine, but I try to get along with everyone and help whoever I can. That’s why I thought it might be easier to communicate with people my age if I called them by their first names.   “Haven’t you ever had any conflicts about that?” the boy was surprised.   “Not yet. I don’t know if I’m a good judge of people or if I’m just lucky, but so far it’s always worked out. Although I would add that I’m only this direct with people I meet on a daily basis. I remain formal with strangers. And you? How come?” the boy finally asked back.   “To be honest, I don’t know. But the way she was with me st night, I felt like I’d known her for a long time. Well, she didn’t say anything about it either…” Ryūta closed the topic, and when they were both about to return to their cakes, he remembered what had happened that morning. “By the way, when we met, you said you had learned some things about the accident and that you would tell me.”   “Right…” Shinji began in a more serious tone, then put down his fork. “I haven’t told you yet, but my uncle is a policeman. I asked him to keep his ears open in case he hears anything about Himeko. And…”   “And?” Ryūta repeated, becoming more and more tense.   “It turned out that he was also sent to the school this morning. They found out that the man who hit the gate was the night guard who was on duty when Himeko’s body disappeared,” he continued, and the other boy frowned.   “Do you think he's the culprit?” he asked.   “I don’t know. Maybe he just saw something. But he didn’t look like he was completely sober, and they found a strong sedative in the glove compartment. At least that’s what my uncle said. I asked him to call me if he found out anything else, so I could let you know.”   “I’ll repay you with something!” his friend said with a smile, but Shinji waved his hand.   “No need.”   After that, they both returned to their long-forgotten cakes. However, they still couldn’t completely leave their thoughts behind them. Finally, Ryūta broke the silence again.   “Something is still bugging me.”   “What?” the boy with gsses looked surprised again.   “Sanae. She said that the president called her this morning and she told her that there would be no csses in the morning.   “Yes, that’s right. A little before half past seven,” Shinji confirmed.   “And this is what I find strange.”   “What?”   “If she left home, Sanae would be at school in half an hour, right?”   “I guess. She can’t live that far.”   “If she had left from home, the president would have called her in time, but since that wasn’t the case, Sanae must have been on her way by that time. Which expins why she didn’t pass on the information to me.”   “Then what’s the problem?” Shinji lost track.   “The fact that she came back. With cakes that come from this teahouse. Even if I’m lucky and don’t have to wait anywhere, it’s at least an hour and a half to get from my apartment to school and back. And if I even make a detour to the teahouse, which opens at eight, it’ll be even longer. And on top of that, she brought eggs.”   “Ryūta, what are you trying to say?” the boy sighed hopelessly.   “If she went that far, she had to be sure that I’d still be home when she got back. And my phone had the arm turned off. But if she turned it off, she must have known in advance that the morning csses would be canceled.”   “Which means she could have something to do with the morning accident too,” the boy with gsses csped his hands together, but Ryūta looked at him sullenly.   “You’re not taking me seriously, are you?”   “I’m sorry, it’s a bit hard to imagine” Shinji replied, but his friend crified:   “You think it’s total nonsense.”   “Yes” he snapped at him bluntly, and a few moments ter they were both sighing. Finally, he tried to come to a conclusion.   “I think we should just leave it at that, that Sanae spent the evening at your pce, and in return she made you a delicious breakfast.”   “Well, it really was delicious. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten someone else’s cooking…” Ryūta admitted, both grumpy and regretful.   “Then don’t insult her by assuming such things about her!” the boy scolded him too, then to close the topic he ended it like this: “Or these sweets by not eating them” he said, then they both picked up their forks and continued eating.   After they finished and walked out the door of the teahouse, they said goodbye to each other. However, Ryūta wasn’t going home yet. He had a little time until the train left, so he made a detour to a convenience store.   He knew what he wanted to buy, so he headed straight for it. He didn’t waste his time looking around. While he was waiting at the checkout, he thought he saw a familiar face at the end of one of the lines, but since he only saw it for a moment, he couldn’t identify it. In the end, he didn’t really care. When it was his turn, he paid for the goods and left the store.   Although it wasn’t te, it was already dark outside. The streets were bustling with vehicles, just like the train station was with people. It was no surprise, since the only way to leave the city was by train. Or by boat, if someone felt like going on a trip.   The boy’s journey home was peaceful this time. At least until he got off the train, when he saw a girl on the ptform. Although they were far apart, their eyes met, and her face was somewhat outlined in the mplight.   “Sanae? What is she doing here?” Ryūta wondered to himself, as he slowly walked toward the girl, and then when he was completely sure that it was her, he jokingly said: “What brings you here? Did you come to visit me again?” he asked, but suddenly a strange feeling seized him.   Sanae was different from usual. She didn’t have her bag, and although the boy didn’t search her, she didn’t look like she had a phone or even an ID with her. In addition, the girl’s face and gaze were completely emotionless. Finally, after half a minute, she answered:   “Kagayaki-kun... I... I’m on my way to a friend’s...”   “I see... Do they live around here too?” Ryūta wondered.   “…too? What do you mean?” the girl looked at him, her face still bnk.   “Your friend. I mean, you know... I live around here too...” the boy reminded her.   “Yeah...” Sanae answered, but by that time Ryūta’s back was already shivering. He didn’t understand what this was all about or why the girl was acting so strangely. Finally, he looked at her for a while longer, then turned in the direction of travel and said:   “Well, then I’m going. Take care!”   However, he didn’t get an answer. Sanae just stood there, as if she wasn’t connected to her surroundings. As the boy continued on his way, he tried to push the previous situation out of his mind as quickly as possible, but he didn’t have much chance of doing so, because he noticed that the girl was following him.   “What's wrong with her? I haven’t slept for a long time as well as I did yesterday when she was at my pce, and now she’s giving me creeps...” he mused, trying to ignore the girl walking behind him.   In the end, however, he only sted two streets. Then he decided to make one more attempt to resolve the unpleasant situation:   “Sanae, are you okay?” he turned around, confused.   “Yeah... Why…?” the girl asked back.   “Because you’ve only been following me for a while…”   “I’m going to a friend’s pce,” Sanae repeated herself, interrupting Ryūta.   “A friend’s pce? Could she be talking about me? But then why is she acting so strange?” the boy was still trying to find an expnation, and then, more or less resigned, he left it at that with a vague ‘I see.’   They walked about another block, when they came to a wider intersection. Although there was a designated pedestrian crossing, the lights were not working for some reason, which is why Ryūta carefully examined the nes, then, after running across them at the right moment, looked back. He was relieved to see that the girl was not following him across the road, but was continuing parallel to it.   “Maybe I was just imagining it all… Anyway, I have to admit, she’s not an ordinary girl,” he thought, but he didn’t have time to breathe, because as soon as he was about to continue on his way, a loud honking of the horn hit his ears, the source of which was a rapidly approaching truck, and the cause was Sanae wandering in the middle of the road.   The boy froze for a moment at the sight, but then responded quickly. He threw his bag and the things he had bought to the ground, then started running at full speed, so he managed to push his cssmate aside at the st moment. The driver of the vehicle, ignoring the two high school students’ condition, drove on without slowing down.   “Sanae! Are you okay?” Ryūta asked worriedly.   “Ka-Kagayaki-kun? How did you get here?” the girl came to her senses.   “I came to save you! What the hell did you do?! You could have died!”   “I... I don’t know... I-I don’t remember...” she stammered with teary eyes.   “Anyway, that’s something to worry about ter. Can you stand up?” the boy urged Sanae, who was still lying in his arms.   “Mhm...” she nodded, then successfully stood up, holding on to her rescuer again.   They walked about twenty meters before they reached the nearest bench. By that time, the girl had stopped crying, and the signs of shock weren’t as visible on her as before. After they sat down, Ryūta wiped the tears from her face with a handkerchief, then spoke to her gently:   “Have you calmed down?”   “Yes… I think so,” Sanae replied, though her hands were still shaking.   “What was this all about?”   “I… I don’t know. I don’t know how I got here. When the st css was over, I went home and y down to rest for a bit… and then… I was here… Kagayaki-kun, this is all so scary! What's happening to me?” she asked desperately, fighting back tears again as she grabbed the sleeve of his jacket with both hands.   “Couldn’t it be you were just sleepwalking?” Ryūta wondered, not really knowing what he had seen.   “I don’t think so! I’ve never had anything like this happen to me before!” What if it happens again?! What if it gets worse?! Who knows where or how I’ll wake up next time?! I might even die!” the girl burst out crying again.   “I won’t let that happen!” the boy snapped at her without hesitation, and Sanae lifted her head. “I won’t let anything happen to you!” he repeated, pcing both hands on her shoulders and looking deeply into her eyes.   “Um... Uh...” Sanae blushed, and a moment ter Ryūta also recognized the embarrassing situation.   “What the hell am I talking about?! Have I completely lost my mind?! Oh, I’m sorry! I know that must have sounded strange!” he apologized, and the girl shook her head smiling:   “It’s okay! I was a little surprised, but it made me happy! Even if you didn’t mean it seriously...” she trailed off.   “I was serious! It’s true, it’s a little embarrassing that I said it out loud... But I was serious! I think…” the boy finally replied, only mumbling, while looking away in embarrassment.   “You’re a strange boy,” Sanae smiled, to which her rescuer made a spectacur grimace.   “I don’t want to hear that from you,” he shot back, then continued in a more serious tone: “So? What now? Can you go home? You can stay with me again, if you want to” he offered.   “Uh-huh, I think I’ll manage. I’ve already caused you enough trouble” the girl refused, but Ryūta saw again that she wasn’t being sincere, so he decided to tease her a little:   “Well, as you think. Then I’ll see you tomorrow! Take care of yourself!” he said, then stood up and made as if to leave his cssmate behind.   Or at least, he tried, because Sanae changed her mind even sooner than expected, so the boy couldn’t take a single step. The girl grabbed his jacket again with a pleading look.   “I was kidding! Let’s go!” he turned back with a smile, then continued his way home with Sanae, who looked a little grumpy, a little relieved but mostly grateful.   When they arrived and entered the house, the girl still felt uncomfortable, which didn’t escape Ryūta’s attention. However, he knew that reassuring and encouraging her wouldn’t achieve anything. He had to distract both of them from what had just happened.   “If you like, take a shower. Maybe it’ll freshen you up. And then we can cook something together” he suggested, which achieved his goal, because Sanae ran toward the bathroom with sparkling eyes. “Well, well…” the boy smiled, then almost cried when he realized he’d left all his stuff on the side of the road after saving her: “This can’t be happening!”   Like someone being chased, he rushed back to the scene of the accident he had just avoided, from which, to his great relief, nothing was missing.   However, the hard part still id ahead: getting home before his guest noticed his disappearance and started to worry. Although he had locked the door, he didn’t want to leave the girl alone for a long time, so he set off towards his home, just as quickly as he had arrived.   Even with all his efforts, he was only moments away from being te. By the time he entered the apartment door, Sanae had already left the bathroom.   “Kagayaki-kun, can I use your wash… Oh my, what happened?! Why are you so out of breath?!” the girl asked Ryūta, who was gasping for air, clutching a bag and a satchel in his hands.   “Nothing… I… just… ran… a little… hehe…” he forced a smile, then brought the conversation back to Sanae’s original thought: “What… What were you about to ask?”   “Just if I could use your washing machine. You know, I didn’t originally pn on going anywhere today, so I don’t have a… you know…” the girl started again, but she didn’t need to say more, the boy already understood.   “Yes, of course…” he answered, but then after thinking it over, he corrected: “I mean, no. I don’t have a washing machine. I usually wash by hand, or if I have a lot of things piled up on me, I take them to a undromat.”   “What? You don’t have a washing machine? How can you exist without one?” Sanae wondered.   “I have no choice, I can’t afford it. The benefits barely cover the rent,” ??Ryūta pursed his lips, by which the girl was shocked.   “Then how do you manage financially?”   “From prizes from various competitions and schorships… What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”   By then, the surprise on Sanae’s face had turned into admiration, the object of which, as it turned out a moment ter, was the boy.   “You really live up to your name!”   “Um, thank you…!” Ryūta answered in embarrassment, then cleared his throat.   “Oh, I’m sorry! I just got a little carried away…! I’ll be back in a few minutes!” the girl said, then returned to the bathroom with a pyful smile and began to wash the aforementioned clothes by hand.   While the boy was packing in the kitchen, he couldn’t help but hear the spshing of water and his guest in the bathroom, which made him a bit uneasy, but for obvious reasons, he had no intention of offering to help.   “I think she’ll be fine…” he left it at that, then put the pan on the stove, and a few minutes ter Sanae returned.   “Oh, you started already? Can I help you with something?” she asked cheerfully, as she appeared next to Ryūta.   “Thank you, I can manage on my own” the boy rejected the offer, then took the fish he bought out of the bag.   “But I’m happy to help! And it’d go faster together! Besides, you said that we’d cook together!” the girl reminded him grumpily, before Ryūta finally gave in:   “Okay… If you insist so much, you can help wash the vegetables and chop them up afterwards,” he assigned the task, while handing the bag of vegetables to Sanae, who grinned contentedly and headed towards the sink with it.   After that, they worked in silence for a while, which became increasingly difficult for the boy. Partly because it was simply inconvenient, and partly because he rarely had the chance to talk to anyone in the evening, so he didn’t want to miss it in the least.   “Um...” he finally began.   “Yes?” the girl looked at him with a smile.   “Those pajamas... They look really good on you,” he complimented, but if he could literally, he would have liked to sink into the ground in shame. “Seriously, that was the best I could come up with?”   However, Sanae’s reaction was the exact opposite of what Ryūta had feared.   “Right? It’s like they were made for me!” she became enthusiastic again. “But I was surprised. I didn’t know you had such a taste for cute things,” she added, referring to the various teddy bear patterns that adorned the sleepwear.   “Actually, I got them from Hime,” the boy crified with a sad smile.   “And I put them on without saying a word... I’m sorry!” she said, looking at him pleadingly, but Ryūta ughed it off.   “Come on, I gave it to you, and I don’t think she would mind either. She only gave it to me as a tease anyway,” he added, taking it in stride, but Sanae snapped at him:   “That’s not true! I’m sure she gave it from the heart!”   The boy looked at the girl in surprise, almost scared, but in reality he knew she was right. So his smile finally turned into a genuine one.   “Thank you!” he said, and Sanae followed suit:   “No, I thank you!”   “For what?” Ryūta looked at her in confusion.   “That you shared something so important to you with me.”   “It’s my pleasure!”   At that moment, the boy’s words, feelings, and expression were in complete sync, which filled the girl with happiness as well. To preserve this, they closed the topic, and both returned to their tasks.   Ryūta put the rice on to boil and then turned the fish in the pan, while Sanae moved from washing the vegetables to chopping them.   They didn’t speak to each other, only the sound of the oil sizzling and the vegetables crunching could be heard. A truly idyllic atmosphere filled the kitchen until fear took over the two high school students.