V6Ch5: The Savior part 1

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Translator: Soafp

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[Mio PoV]

(…Not having to ride a packed train—that alone makes me lucky, right?)

That thought drifted through my mind as I stood on the train. The unpleasant pressure pressing in from all directions.

Still, there's no point in complaining. Probably everyone else here feels the same.

Because I had a first-period class at university, I was commuting by train in the morning like this. A gloomy time of day.

Even so, I'm just a carefree college student. I’m privileged. If I really wanted to skip class, I could. I've got that kind of leeway. But once I start working, that won't be the case anymore.

I truly respect the people who commute while enduring this level of stress every day.

Maybe that's what it means to be an adult. And if I'm in that in-between phase—not quite an adult, not quite a child—then what am I, really? That kind of trivial thought floated into my mind. The time I can spend in this state of moratorium probably won't last much longer.

(Once your worries are resolved, you just end up worrying about the fact that they're resolved…)

A vague unease crept in, like there must be some trap waiting ahead. Things were going too well.

Even without looking back, I could say my life—I, Mio Ninomiya—had gone pretty smoothly so far. I had just made the biggest decision of my life, but whether it went well or not, I believed it would become something I could grow from.

Still, I had a feeling things wouldn't turn out badly. Because Yukito was with me.

He's younger, but when it comes to life experience, the gap is huge. I couldn't help feeling a little jealous.

Tristy had her own struggles too. After graduating high school and entering college for now, the question becomes: what's next? A job? It's her first time confronting the uncertainty of the future—a path with no map.

Seeing how smoothly and efficiently I've lived up to this point made me feel shallow.

The biggest stress in my easygoing college life is probably just this packed train ride.

Once my job offer is finalized, all that's left is to make it to graduation. If I can move into the condo that's currently being built, it'll be a two-minute walk to the office downstairs. I wouldn't even need to commute.

It's all too perfectly laid out—it makes me uneasy. Maybe I just have a poverty mindset.

I haven't faced enough hardship. I get anxious thinking I might one day take a big fall.

(…And it's all Yukito's fault.)

He's always so composed, dependable, and younger than me. That's exactly why I feel I shouldn't rely on him. Lately, I've started to think that. Maybe he's a kind of reverse role model. When I let him spoil me, I start to feel like a useless person. So, naturally, it pushes me toward independence.

(That's right. I'm older—I should be the one spoiling him… Huh? That girl…)

I noticed a girl standing nearby. I didn't know her personally, but I recognized the uniform.

(…Is she not feeling well?)

Her face was pale. Maybe the stress of the crowded train was making her sick. Her school was still several stations away. If things stayed like this, she might throw up on the train.

As the train slowed down and pulled into the platform, I reached out and gently grabbed her hand, pulling her along with me as we got off. The girl's eyes went wide with surprise.

I gave a wry smile. I could only act this nosy because I had the room in my life to do so.

“Sorry, that must've startled you. But you looked like you were really struggling.”

A man in a suit rushed past us at a brisk pace. Amid the morning chaos, we sat down on a bench on the platform. Not many people take breaks in a place like this during such a busy time.

“Want some water?”

“Um…”

Without waiting for a reply, I bought a bottle of water from the vending machine and handed it to her. She accepted it without protest.

The crowd quickly settled, and the platform grew quiet again, just until the next train arrived.

“Coffee's not great when you're feeling sick. Too much caffeine.”

“I don't really drink it.”

“Yeah? Well, I can't handle black coffee either.”

It was a meaningless little exchange. She seemed a little calmer, but her face was still pale.

“If you're feeling sick, you don't have to push yourself, you know?”

“…I'm just a little sleep-deprived.”

“If that's all it is, then okay.”

The conversation ended just like that, and a silence settled in. It was an awkward pause, but I accepted it.

(Of course she'd be wary…)

Holding the bottle, the girl kept her head down. Being kind to someone doesn't always come from pure intentions. It wouldn't be surprising if she were wondering whether I was going to try and recruit her into some religion or sell her some sketchy seminar. She was probably only entertaining me because I'm another woman. If I were a man, she likely would've run the moment I approached her. I would have, too.

“That uniform—you go to Shoyo High, right?”

“Are you a graduate?”

Maybe I piqued her interest a little—she looked up.

“A friend? An owner? …Doesn't matter. Someone I know goes there.”

“…I see.”

The conversation stopped again. But maybe her guard had gone down just a little.

“Something bothering you?”

The girl flinched hard. Clear as day. But even if I guessed right, it wasn't something I could handle.

“It's nothing…”

She shook her head. This was the limit of what a nosy stranger could do. Nobody wants to pour their heart out to someone they don't know. And even if they did, I wouldn't know how to help anyway.

“Are you okay on time?”

“Me? Yeah, I've got time. And I'm just a carefree college student.”

“…College student…”

She seemed pleased to have a conversation partner, but maybe something about the word “college” weighed on her.

She didn't seem to be in a rush either. Still had some time.

“…I wonder if I can even go to college.”

It came out in a whisper, like she was confessing to God. Her grip on the bottle weakened.

“You don't have to carry everything by yourself.”

“—But!”

I gently rubbed her back. This was too much. I couldn't get involved more than this. Everyone's circumstances are different—grades, money, family. Whatever the issue was, it seemed serious, and I knew I wasn't capable of handling it.

(Yukito-kun, I'm sorry! I'll grant you any favor next time, so please forgive me!)

If there’s something I can’t do, I’m sure he could at least be of help. He gives off the comforting presence of a counselor. Just talking to Yukito-kun eases my mind and helps move problems toward a resolution.

“Hey, if there’s something you’re struggling with, would you consider talking to someone I know?”

“…Talk to someone?”

“I mean, just—please don’t think about throwing your life away, okay?”

“…!”

The girl widened her eyes. She looked so exhausted, like she might end her life at any moment.

Ahh… I completely passed the responsibility. I’m sorry, Yukito-kun!

---

[Akari Pov]

“Akari, you’ve looked pale lately. Are you okay? Is it your period or something?”

“…I’m fine. Thanks.”

I gave a vague smile to my friend Kotone, who had asked with concern.

“Alright… but you were late getting to school today too. Are you really okay?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Kotone was the first friend I made after enrolling. My first real friend in high school.

It seemed like I had made her worry quite a bit. My mind drifted back to the events of the morning.

(Like I could talk about it…)

Just hearing his name made my heart pound so loudly it hurt. They say the number of times your heart beats in a lifetime is predetermined. If that's true, mine must be wearing out already.

She was kind. I still don't understand how she knew Yukito Kokonoe, but she told me that talking to him might lead to something good. No way. That can't be true.

It was useless advice. A waste of time caused by a meaningless intrusion.

(Because that guy…)

He saved me at the beach… Maybe he's changed since then. But if so, that only makes what I've done even worse. I crossed a line that jokes can’t explain away.

(…What if I get expelled?)

Not just what I did to Yukito Kokonoe—but the photo I sent to Sanjoji-sensei could easily become a police matter. In fact, it probably already is.

There's a real possibility Sanjoji-sensei has already reported it. That means it's only a matter of time before the police show up at my doorstep. But I was coerced into doing it by Kazuhiro Okamoto.

Still, it's doubtful that excuse will get me anywhere. At the very least, what I did to Yukito Kokonoe was clearly of my own volition. The messages between me and Kazuhiro Okamoto make that obvious.

If this comes to light, I'm finished. I'll lose my parents’ trust. I won't be able to go to college.

And I hate myself for thinking that way. For being so consumed with self-preservation.

What I truly care about is my own future—not the people I've hurt. That's the ugly truth.

The woman's words from this morning echoed endlessly in my head.

(Why did I do something so stupid, something that would ruin my own life…)

It started off as a harmless prank. I clicked with Kazuhiro Okamoto, and we just wanted to bring down Yukito Kokonoe, who always stood out. That was the idea. If only I had stopped there…

Back in elementary school, after the truth came out, I tried talking to Yukito Kokonoe a few times. I said horrible things. Did horrible things. I knew it. That's why I tried to patch things up, to make it right.

But he rejected my kindness. Looking back, it's clear I was just being petty. I brought everything on myself. Yet at the time, I was angry at him for pushing me away.

It wasn't just me. The whole class felt guilty and tried to make amends. He was the one who rejected us. After that, our class never recovered.

(It was all in the past… I should've just let it stay buried)

But that doesn't matter anymore. It’s just an old story. Something to look back on fondly—not something to dig up again. I destroyed my peaceful school life with my own hands.

Kazuhiro Okamoto's long-held grudge… I underestimated how twisted he was.

To him, Sanjoji-sensei, Yukito Kokonoe, and even we classmates were all enemies. I realized that too late. By the time I did, I was already knee-deep in the mud.

To me, Sanjoji-sensei was a strict but kind homeroom teacher. Sure, she made mistakes. But she did her best to fulfill her duty. She even bowed her head to us and apologized over and over.

I remembered that clearly, and yet—I still did something so cruel.

I never thought I'd see him again in high school. My last name had changed, so he didn't recognize me, and I had no intention of revealing myself. It was a memory best left buried—for both of us.

Yes, that's how it should've stayed. I never meant to upset the balance!

Sometimes, when I saw how much Sanjoji-sensei was suffering, it tore at my chest. The weight of my crimes crushed me.

Calling her a pervert teacher… She's not like that at all. We fabricated a lie. Framed her. It was beyond cruel. Monstrous.

I should've just said no to Kazuhiro Okamoto. Or better yet, told someone what was happening. There were so many chances to stop.

“—Akari, hey, Akari!”

“…Huh?”

Before I knew it, Kotone was leaning over, peering into my face. Her blurry expression was distorted with concern.

“Akari, are you crying?”

Startled, I touched my cheek. At some point, tears had started falling.

“It’s just allergies… My eyes are itchy…”

I instantly regretted the lie. Kotone would never believe such a poor excuse.

“Is it something you can't tell me?”

I couldn't answer. Her kindness cut deep. I couldn't talk to anyone about it. Not a soul.

“I’m sorry, I'm so sorry!”

Tears poured out. My mind had reached its limit. I couldn't hold it in anymore.

Kotone gently hugged my trembling body. Classmates murmured, wondering what was going on, but I didn't care. I didn't deserve anyone's kindness.

If I got expelled, I'd lose even the time I spent with Kotone. I deserved it. I had done something unforgivable. The guilt was suffocating. I wanted to scream for help. I wanted someone to save me.

But things don't work like that. No one would help me. No one—

Kotone took me out of the classroom. In a quiet place where no one was around, I finally confessed everything.

Kotone listened silently. I had let her down. She had every right to hate me.

“Hey, Akari. The first thing you need to do is—”

---

[Yuki PoV]

The long-standing issue of me not having a sport to participate in during the school sports festival has finally been resolved.

I'll be entering the legendary event that's finally making a comeback this year: the Bread-Eating Race.

“They say the rules are going to change quite a bit.”

“Are they switching from anpan to croissants or something?”

“I doubt that's the kind of change they mean.”

It's been a few years since the bread-eating race was removed from the Shoyo High sports festival, but it remained popular and its return had been eagerly awaited. According to records, the last time it was held was four years ago.

Naturally, now that it's being revived, it can't be brought back exactly as it was—so the regulations are being seriously revised. But no matter what the rules are, I absolutely cannot lose the bread-eating race. I feel an odd sense of duty. Oh, and Goddess-senpai said she'll be competing too.

As expected, the bread-eating race is a crowd favorite. Bring it on—melon bread or French bread, I'll take it all!

“You know, I think we're the only ones practicing for the cavalry battle.”

“Listen up, Light Energy Drink—cavalry battles aren't something you can win without practice.”

In the classroom, notebooks are spread out on desks with strategic simulations of the cavalry battle. The rules are for a free-for-all format where four-person cavalry teams clash, but of course there will be strong teams centered around sports club members and regular teams. In our class, the most powerful team will be the one led by the Refreshing Handsome Guy. But even the strongest can't win by charging in alone.

So we came up with a plan—forming a triangle formation with the Refreshing Handsome Guy's team at the top.

We'll always move in a triangle. He'll attack once, then retreat immediately, drawing the opponent into the inverted triangle at the center where we trap and finish them off from three sides. This forces the enemy to defend from the front and both flanks, letting us eliminate them one by one.

Shakado's team, with their lack of presence, will always hide behind the three main teams—blinded from the opponent's view. The moment the enemy is distracted, Shakado will strike from the shadows, assassin-style.

Of course, the key is how well we can coordinate our movements. Maneuverability and stamina will be essential. Which is why we've already started practice.

“But Yukito, how are we going to signal? Whistling?”

“I'm not sure. What's with the whistling? Finger whistles? That made me laugh.”

“Hey, don't go throwing out random bad omens!”

We all burst out laughing.

“I know I brought this up, but… hey, Miki-chan, this is just the school sports festival, right?”

“It feels more like a matter of class pride now, huh?”

Elizabeth and the others seem pumped about it. Wait, where's Shakado? Ah, there she is.

“Did she sense an earthquake or something? She's like a catfish.”

Shakado was trembling under a desk. This kind of abnormal animal behavior before disasters is called a “precursory phenomenon.” It's romantic in a way, but science hasn't proven any connection.

“Hihihi… this kind of big role is totally impossible for me!”

“Eh? I don't care if you say it's impossible.”

“You're being unreasonable!!”

Shakado seems full of motivation. That's a good sign. We're going to win for sure!

“Kokonoe-kun.”

A voice calls out from outside the classroom. Refined, elegant, like a bell ringing.

“Tojo-senpai?”

“If he has a moment, may I borrow him?”

She's addressing the Refreshing Handsome guy’s team. They all nod.

“Please, go ahead. Roast him or boil him—he's yours to do with as you like.”

“Hey! Listen up, Electric Face. I'm the one who's going to roast or boil Senpai!”

“Kokonoe-kun!?”

Senpai blushes and flusters. As expected from someone called a saint—she's absurdly beautiful.

I step out into the hallway and look around, but only Tojo-senpai is there.

“Am I going to be executed by her fan club for being disrespectful?”

“Fan club? I don't think I have anything like that.”

Strange. Beautiful seniors usually come with a fan club.

“U-um… so, will you be roasting me, Kokonoe-kun…?”

She asks, blushing timidly.

“Well, I'm busy roasting the teachers right now, so maybe after that.”

“Eh?”

We exchanged small talk like that as I followed Senpai into the counseling room.

“Didn't expect to come back here again so soon…”

As I reflected on that, Senpai's expression turned serious. If she went out of her way to bring me here, I could guess it must be something serious she didn't want overheard.

“It took some time, but I finally figured out who was trying to frame you, Kokonoe-kun.”

The person Senpai had been investigating—who sent her a letter accusing me of cheating—was also likely the same person spreading nasty rumors about me.

“The name is… Akari Toki. She's a first-year, same as you.”

My eyes widened in shock. A girl's name. W-wait, could it be—

“Do you know her?”

“What's with that guilty-looking reaction if you don't?”

Senpai showed me a photo. A picture of the girl called Akari Toki.

“Oh… this girl…”

Isn't she the one who almost drowned in the ocean?

---

[Sanjoji PoV]

The sky was heavy and overcast, as if it could rain at any moment.

The warm air had given way to a chill, and I could feel the cold brush of it on my skin.

The ever-changing autumn sky. I looked up, hand shielding my eyes. Beyond that sky is space. But I sometimes wonder—does infinite darkness really stretch on forever beyond what we see? Even though I know it intellectually, I've never truly seen it. Isn't that the same as not knowing at all?

(Toki-san… I can't believe she was actually Akari Kazehaya …)

I remembered her sobbing like a little girl. She had told me there was something important she needed to confess. Through tears, she admitted she was the one who had sent the fabricated images made with AI.

Kokonoe-kun had been right all along. The harsh truth left me crushed.

It felt like being hurled into an abyss. My mind went blank, and I couldn't think clearly.

If it had come to this, it would’ve been far better if the culprit had been a total stranger.

Regret surged through me. Shackles of remorse bound my body. I barely managed to suppress the nausea rising in my throat.

The fact that the culprit was a student… and one who had been so close to me—a former student—I hadn't even realized. The truth had been right in front of me, but I couldn't see it because I refused to look.

Maybe I had unconsciously avoided her. I remembered Kazehaya-san as a lively, energetic girl—an image that didn't align at all with who she was now. Her aura in my hazy memories didn’t match this version of her.

(If he hadn't been there for me, I would have been broken long ago…)

Lately, anxiety had consumed me. I couldn't sleep. I made mistake after mistake. I couldn’t focus on work.
Not just my colleagues—even sharp-eyed students had started worrying about my health.

And yet, I couldn't bring myself to condemn Toki-san. Because I was the one who pushed her into wrongdoing.

It was a painful decision, but in the end, I was relieved that I hadn't acted rashly and blown things out of proportion.

A dull ache. A lingering fatigue weighed me down. I was worn out—body and soul—by the despair that had been laid bare before me.

As my tension finally broke, I felt like a taut thread had snapped. There was relief in knowing I no longer needed to be afraid. But at the same time, crushing guilt that I had pushed a student to this point.

My heart was conflicted.

No matter what, I couldn't bring myself to hate Toki-san. All I felt was pity and sorrow for her.

(She said she wanted to apologize to Kokonoe-kun as well… I wonder if he'll be okay…)

I started to worry—but then gave a small smile.

It's different now.

He's kind. Kinder than I am. I'm sure he'll handle it better than I could. In fact, I felt more at ease entrusting Toki-san to him.

I couldn't bring myself to cause her any more pain, not when she'd already suffered so much. She had already faced her judgment.

There was nothing more I needed to do. I would act as though I'd seen nothing. Those photos never existed. That's fine.

I slowly raised my gaze forward. I'd reached my destination.

(…Is he really here?)

Under the overpass, the tunnel opened like the gaping black maw of a monster, swallowing all light. My feet stalled, and I walked more slowly, like I was approaching the gallows.

I stepped into the abyss. Silence ruled the space.

And there he stood—a single boy.

“…Why are you here?”

“It's been a while… Kazuhiro Okamoto-kun.”

A train roared by overhead.

I knew I wouldn't be welcomed. But now that we were face to face, I truly understood.

(This really is the same Okamoto-kun… the shy, timid boy?)

People change—dramatically.

Kokonoe-kun.

Toki-san.

And now Okamoto-kun.

Each life forges its own character. If that's the case, what sort of life has he lived up until now?

As I reflected on the pain his past must have held, he nodded slightly, as though something clicked.

“Ah, I see. Akari betrayed me, huh.”

“That's not true! She was suffering—breaking down. That's why I—”

His cynical words made me blurt out a rebuttal.

Toki-san had often met Okamoto-kun here. It was their secret meeting place, known only to them. She hadn't betrayed him. Even at the end, she had hesitated.

Still, I had spoken to her, drawn out the truth, and asked her to call Okamoto-kun here. Because I had made up my mind—if there was any way I could atone, I would risk everything to pay the price.

“I don't care either way. She's no use to me anymore.”

“‘No use'? She was trying to protect you until the very end!”

His cold words stirred my anger.

Toki-san had initially confessed that she acted alone. She had tried desperately to hide Okamoto-kun's involvement.

It was her own way of atoning, after suffering so much.

But her attitude felt off.

I didn't believe she held such hatred toward Kokonoe-kun that she'd want to hurt him. I didn't think she had the technical skills to fabricate those images, either.

So I took time, asked questions in the counseling room, and finally reached the truth.

And I regretted it.

It was the past come back to life, demanding I pay for my sins. My mistakes had led us to an irreversible future.

“You just didn't want to face how ugly you were. Or maybe you just wanted to lighten your guilt.”

“You—!”

I faltered at his sneering words.

But his eyes, glaring at me, weren't laughing.

“I was shocked when I found out you were still a teacher.”

“…I wasn't doing it continuously.”

I had run away, terrified.

But teaching was all I had.

I hadn't tried to find any other path. I had just jumped back on the rails laid out for me.

I came from a long line of teachers. But my parents never pushed that onto me.

The choice had always been mine. But I was afraid of the freedom I'd been given.

“Must be nice,” he said bitterly. “After all, even if you ruin a student's life, you don't have to take any responsibility. You just keep playing the part of a teacher, mouthing off about grand ideals with zero accountability.”

His sharp words left me at a loss.

There was no room for rebuttal.

Everything he said was true.

I'd heard a bit about Okamoto-kun's past from Toki-san. Even after transferring, he'd faced serious hardship.

He'd been ostracized from the classroom. Even in his new school, things hadn't gone well. Eventually, he'd been surrounded—completely isolated.

I hadn't been able to save him.

It was my responsibility for turning a blind eye to his suffering.

I had cared.

But I couldn't control how students felt.

And once the class fell apart, it was inevitable some would hold a grudge against the one they blamed.

When it was decided that Okamoto-kun would attend the infirmary instead of class, and later when he and his parents chose to transfer schools, I had felt secretly relieved.

The classroom had become nothing short of a bed of nails for him, and I thought that starting fresh in a new place might allow him to enjoy school life again.

“I’m so sorry.”

I bowed deeply.

Come to think of it, I had never properly apologized to him before. This was the punishment for leaning on a quick and easy solution.

I failed to make the effort to change the situation before Okamoto-kun was left with no choice but to escape.
Even now, I can't think of a better way I could have handled things.

Still, I wonder—did I truly give it my all?

I was mentally exhausted and had no capacity left.

If only I had noticed sooner. If only I had been able to be there for his suffering. Would anything have changed?

(I am a foolish adult, one who deserves to be hated.)

I had led him down a path to crime. I was an instigator.

“Do you really think a single apology is enough? With such lightweight words and such a lightweight head! Even after transferring schools, my life was hell. My parents fought every single day. My father's work went downhill, and my mother took out all her frustration on me!”

The air seemed to tremble with his fury. I braced myself, enduring the torment that threatened to tear me apart.

“And at school, I transferred in the middle of the year, so I never fit in. People's curious stares slowly turned to indifference, and even there, I was pushed out.”

I hadn't known any of this. His history, his suffering—it all told of a cruel, unforgiving life.

“Isn't it strange? Why did only I have to go through this? Was what I did really that awful? Yeah, sure, I did wrong. I've reflected on it. But still, the one who blew it all out of proportion… was you.”

A tangle of conflicting feelings gripped me. I had turned the class into one burdened by guilt.

Slowly, I sank to my knees on the cold asphalt. Raindrops trickled down, soaking my pumps, and the hard texture seeped through my stockings. They tore where something had scratched them.

But I didn't care. I lowered my head again. I kept my forehead pressed against the ground.

“…I'm truly sorry!”

The falling rain drenched me completely, as if trying to cool the fever that had consumed me.

Would he see me as pitiful now? Would he pity me?

I didn't care anymore. The overwhelming sorrow numbed all my emotions.

“Hahahahaha! Serves you right. Crawling like that suits you just fine. Hey, let's throw a class reunion sometime. We can all get together and laugh at how pathetic you've become!”

Even his ridicule didn't matter. If I was a ridiculous clown, then so be it.

If Okamoto-kun wanted to do that, he could. I wouldn't stop him. I had no right to stop him.

I just didn't want anyone else to do something so horrible, like using photos to threaten someone ever again.

Snap, snap—he took pictures of me with his phone. Still, I kept my head down.

Believing that doing so might—just might—ease his hatred, even a little.

“I'm bored of watching you be pathetic. Alright, how about this: if you do one thing for me, I'll forgive you.”

“…One thing?”

I raised my head and stared at Okamoto-kun. My glasses were wet with rain, and I couldn't clearly make out his expression through the blurred lenses.

If it was something I could do, I'd do anything. If I could atone, I'd do whatever it took.

I would literally stake everything—my entire life—if it meant saving him this time.

Even through the blur, I felt like I saw Okamoto-kun smile.

“Quit being a teacher.”

“…What?”

There was no need to ask again. I had heard it clearly. The words sank in deeper with time.

“You destroyed my life, so how can you shamelessly continue being a teacher? It’s disgusting. It’s pathetic. You’re the very definition of brazen and shameless!”

I swallowed hard.

It sounded like a fair demand. Maybe I had been clinging to a place I no longer belonged in. My pride had already been shattered. I had no regrets about retiring at this age.

Misaki-san had decided to return. If that was the only condition being asked of me, then I—

“Hmph. Figures. No matter how much you bow your head, you never really intended to take responsibility. You’re a hypocrite and a liar. …What a waste of time. Well then, goodbye.”

“Wait! If that’s what you want, then I’ll—”

Before I could finish, Okamoto-kun turned his back on me and walked away, repeating the same words Kokonoe-kun had once said to me.

I didn't even have the strength to stand. I just watched his back disappear, numb and drained.

Another train passed overhead. The clattering sound approached and faded into the distance.

The responsibility I had to take for what I'd done was clear.

I had to act. Immediately.

Slowly, sluggishly, I forced my heavy body to stand.

(Okamoto-kun had suffered for so long… I have no right to remain a teacher—)

Even I thought it was arrogant to think otherwise. The answer had been clear from the start.

He was just too kind—Kokonoe-kun, I mean. Everyone else probably felt the same as Okamoto-kun.

“Sensei?”

A gentle voice, filled with concern, called out to me.

A hallucination?

I turned toward it, even as I tried to deny it as a fleeting dream.

There stood a boy holding a traditional Japanese umbrella. The vivid lapis-blue color of it stood out, oddly out of place in this dreary scene.

“You'll catch a cold, you know.”

He had no expression, yet somehow, he looked genuinely worried as he peered at me.

“…How did you find me?”

There were so many things I wanted to say, yet that was all I could manage. How pathetic.

“When I visited your house, I installed a location-sharing app just in case something happened. You know, there was always a chance you'd be in danger. Oh, don't worry—I wasn't trying to stalk you or anything! I'm not some jealous, unstable clingy guy or anything like that. It was purely for emergencies. Now that the real culprit's been caught, we can delete it later.”

I stumbled toward Kokonoe-kun, my steps unsteady, drawn to him like a moth to light.

“I came to pick you up.”

The emotions that had been numb suddenly surged back to life. Warmth rushed into the cold void in my heart.

Deep within my chest, where I had locked everything away behind heavy chains to keep it from spilling out, that sealed chamber burst open. He effortlessly unlocked it and stole my heart from within. I couldn't hold back anymore.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

I ran to him, laid bare everything inside me, and collapsed into his arms.

I trembled from the regret. From the overwhelming disappointment in myself. What lay at the end of the path I'd chosen… was disaster.

I had caused this human tragedy that stole a child's future. I had erased all hope from his heart.

I should've been there for Okamoto-kun in his pain. He waited for someone to save him. But I looked away from that harsh reality and ran. The ideals I once held were shattered into pieces—only fragments remained.

My sobs soaked through Kokonoe-kun's chest. Unstoppable. Unending.

With his free hand—the one not holding the umbrella—he gently wrapped his arm around me.

In the cold rain, I didn't want to let go of that warmth.

So I cried, not caring who saw me.