The next day, after school.
"So, White and Shu are absent again today," Aris sighed, slumping face-first onto the clubroom table.
"Well, I am not terribly worried about Shu," Zen said, glancing over at Luna. "Based on what the President described yesterday, Shu is safe as long as nothing happens to her little sister, right?"
"As far as I know, yes," Luna replied calmly.
"Well, President, you're a genius," Aris chimed in, lifting her head. "Why don't you suggest something to help us get White back on his feet?"
Luna looked at them both, her expression unreadable. "You two are truly worried about him. Are you really that close to him?"
"Well... kinda," Zen said. He looked at Aris, who flashed him a quick smirk as they chuckled together.
Suddenly, a soft knock echoed through the room, and the door slid open. White stood in the doorway, dressed in his school uniform. Seeing the crowded clubroom, he froze in surprise.
"Zen? Aris too?"
"WHITE!"
Before he could even step inside, both of them tackled him in the gut. The force of the simultaneous hug sent him crashing backward onto the floor.
"Get... get off me!" White wheezed, struggling for breath as Luna walked over to the pile.
"Welcome back, White," she said, looking down at him with a faint smile.
"Right... I'm back," he replied, rubbing his aching ribs.
After a few minutes of complaints, explanations, and settling down, the room finally grew quiet. White stood up and bowed deeply to his friends. "Thank you for worrying about me... and for looking after Shu while I was gone."
"Don't worry about it," Aris said, waving her hand dismissively. "We just did what any friend would do."
"But about Shu..." Zen started, his voice dropping into a dejected tone as he tried to explain the situation.
"Don't worry, I've handled her issue. At least, a little bit," White said. He paused, his gaze shifting toward Luna. "Actually... sorry, but could I talk to the President alone for a moment?"
"You handled her issue?" Aris asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Hey, we're a team now," Zen pressed, stepping forward. "If we're involved in this matter, then we should—"
"Please," White interrupted, his tone turning dead serious.
Zen stared at White for a moment, sensing the weight behind his eyes. He sighed. "Okay. Come on, Aris, let's give them some space." Aris nodded reluctantly, and the two left the room, closing the door behind them.
"So, what is it you want to ask?" Luna asked, her voice calm and mildly amused.
"I want you to check on Shu's situation again. Specifically, I need you to look at her emotions with your eyes."
"Huh? Why?" Luna's curiosity was piqued. "Did you somehow manage to defeat her guilt?"
"No, I didn't do anything. But someone else did. If I'm right, she should finally be free from that weight."
Luna stared at him, the words slipping from her lips before she could stop them: "Warm."
"Warm?" White repeated, confused.
"I don't know the full details, White, but I have to say—your aura has changed completely since the first day we met. Back then, you were nothing but confusion, nervousness, and constant caution. Your aura was dark. It's still dark now... but it feels warm."
"Well, I was alone for a very long time. I only had one person to rely on," White said softly. As he spoke, brief flashes of his friends, his sister, Aisha, and Bells crossed his mind, bringing a genuine smile to his face. "But now... I have people around me. People who are always there to catch me when I fall."
"Hah..." Luna exhaled, genuinely fascinated by his words.
"And that includes you, too," White added, looking straight at her.
A genuine smile touched Luna's lips. She began to walk past him, whispering under her breath so he couldn't hear: "Maybe I was wrong about you..."
She stopped near the door and turned back around. "I will check on Shu. But in return, I want a promise from you."
"A promise?"
Luna walked back over to him, closing the distance until she was standing right in front of him. Rising slightly on her tiptoes, she leaned in close, her breath brushing against his ear as she whispered, "When the day comes that I am consumed by them... I want you to be the person who frees me."
She pulled back, leaving him stunned, and began walking away.
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" White called out.
"You'll find out soon enough. When the right time comes," she replied without looking back.
***
Later, at the hospital.
Luna and White stood hidden around the corner of the hallway. Ahead of them, Shu stepped out of Miku's hospital room, clutching a letter tightly against her chest, tears streaming down her face.
"So?" White whispered, looking down at Luna.
"How...?" Luna asked, her eyes wide with genuine amazement. "She really is free from her guilt. What did you do?"
In a hushed voice, White explained the truth. He told her about the letter Shu's mother had left behind before committing suicide—a letter apologizing to her daughters, begging them never to feel responsible for her death, while completely hiding the fact that White was actually her son.
"I see," Luna mused, processing the information. "Then her situation is stable... at least until something happens to Miku."
"Yeah," White agreed. "Since we're already here, maybe you should meet Miku too? With your eyes, you might find something that could help us."
"Well... I suppose it wouldn't hurt. But don't expect too much," Luna warned.
They walked over to Miku's door. White gave a polite knock and stepped inside. "Miku, I came to visit you."
The young girl turned her head toward the door. "Ah! Welcome, White! You just missed Shu, she was just..."
Miku trailed off as Luna stepped into the room behind him.
"Miku, meet Luna. She's our school president."
"Ah... hello," Miku replied, shifting shyly.
When Luna didn't respond, White turned to look at her. Luna's face had gone completely pale, her expression stiffening into an eerie, dejected mask. Suddenly, she grabbed White's sleeve, tugging it sharply to signal him.
Sensing something was horribly wrong, White quickly turned back to the bed. "Wait just a second, Miku, we'll be right back. I think the President is feeling a bit sick."
White practically dragged Luna out of the room, hurrying down the corridor until they reached an empty, isolated corner of the hospital.
"Did something happen?" White asked urgently, his heart hammering against his ribs.
Luna cut him off, her voice completely stripped of its usual calm, replaced by a terrifying, cold seriousness.
"That girl... Miku," Luna whispered, staring blankly ahead. "She doesn't have any time left."
"What do you mean?"
"She is going to die tonight."