After everything was over, Nishikata also joined in for a few last-minute group photos before everyone finally said their goodbyes at the school gate.
The crisp chill of early spring carried a faint trace of cherry blossoms.
Nishikata stood at the corner of the slope, watching his shadow stretch long under the setting sun. For three years, he had always slowed his steps at this same spot.
Beside him, Takagi's skirt brushed lightly against the railing, making a soft rustling sound. Today, she had tucked her long hair behind her ears, revealing the pale skin of her neck bathed in golden light.
"Nishikata, it's time to say goodbye again."
Her gaze left the distant rooftops and settled near his shadow. The Teru Teru Bozu charm dangling from her bag swayed with her movement.
A stray petal drifted past her shoulder. Nishikata swallowed, his throat dry. His hand slipped into his pocket for his phone.
"Um… that… about graduation…" His voice was mixed with the whisper of wind through the trees. He swallowed again, face hot. "Could I… take a picture with you, Takagi?"
"Sure," Takagi replied easily, her lips curving into a soft laugh.
"!" Nishikata froze. He hadn't expected her to agree so quickly. He had even prepared excuses in case she refused.
Her eyelashes lowered slightly, shadows brushing her cheeks. Then she leaned in on tiptoe, closing the distance. The startled click of his phone camera echoed too loudly, sending sparrows flapping off the nearby power line.
"Nishikata," she whispered as she pulled back, "it's time to say goodbye."
She raised her own phone with a mischievous smile. On the screen was the photo he had taken in a panic—slightly tilted, slightly misaligned, but undeniably a memory of the two of them.
Her fingertip lightly traced over the boy's red ear in the image. "See you tomorrow. I hope you get a good score."
By the time Nishikata snapped out of his daze, Takagi was already walking away. He waved faintly at her back and muttered to himself, "See you tomorrow."
Then he turned down a different road, carefully saving and backing up every group photo in his phone.
Night spread across the town like ink. The vending machine at the corner glowed a quiet fluorescent blue, while the shopping street lanterns lit up one by one in warm yellow.
"Shouko, have you decided on a pen name yet?" Akira glanced over his shoulder at the girl sprawled on his bed, legs swinging lazily.
Shouko sat up. "Let's just call it Nishimiya."
"…That's the name you came up with after discussing it with Takagi and the others for half a day?" Akira's voice was flat, disbelief flickering in his eyes.
"Mhm." She nodded confidently. "An illustrator's pen name doesn't matter that much anyway. Besides—" her smile softened as she flopped back down, "from now on, I'll only draw illustrations for you, so the name isn't important."
"…"
"The exam is tomorrow. Doesn't the genius Nishimiya need to review?"
Akira ignored her pout, pulled out his phone, and typed a quick message to Jun on LINE.
Jun-san, Shouko's pen name will be 'Nishimiya.' As for mine, since it hasn't gone to print yet, please change it to 'Miyamura.' Thanks.
Shouko, hugging his pillow, waved him off. "No need, no need! I have confidence in myself!"
Akira raised a brow. "I heard public high schools use a 'district + grades' system. Shouko, aren't you worried we won't end up in the same school?"
"!" Her hands froze on her phone. She shot upright, staring at him, trying to tell if he was just teasing.
Unable to read his expression, she bolted for the stairs.
"Auntie!"
In the living room, Miyamura Shizuka paused her drama, blinking at the panicked girl. "What's wrong? Did Akira bully you—?"
"No!" Shouko rushed over, sitting on the sofa. "He said high schools are based on district and grades! Is that true?"
"…Huh?" Shizuka blinked, caught off guard. She had gone to a private high school and hadn't paid much attention to public school admissions.
Before she could fumble an answer, Daiki walked in with a book under his arm. "It's true. Public high schools are generally managed by the local government. They use a combination of district placement and exam results."
He sat at the coffee table, peeling an orange as he continued. "District means you usually apply to schools near your residence, but some competitive schools recruit from outside districts. And selections consider exam scores, grades, attendance, extracurriculars, that kind of thing."
Shizuka nodded in understanding, while Shouko's face slowly paled at the explanation.
"…I see."
Before Shizuka could ask why she suddenly cared, Shouko was already darting back upstairs.
"This child…" Shizuka sighed helplessly.
Daiki handed her the orange with a small smile. "Everything's already arranged. We'll tell them later."
"Akira!"
"What did you even go downstairs for?" He looked at her, baffled.
"Help me review!" Shouko slammed her empty cup on the table. "Quick, quick, quick! I regret it now, I want to study!"
Akira handed her a tissue for her sweat. "…Unbelievable."
Still, he listened to the whole story with a sigh. So impatient. If she'd just waited a little longer, she'd have realized everything's already been sorted out.
But since she wanted to study, he wouldn't discourage her.
"(OK.jpg)," he muttered wryly, pulling out practice notes.
Hours later, his phone buzzed with unread LINE messages:
Why did you want to change your pen name?
Also, Miyamura, when's the next volume?
Trust me, okay? Your first volume will be a bestseller, so hurry up and send me the next manuscript!
By the time he saw them, it was already past 10 p.m. He had just said goodnight to Shouko.
"Sleep early, get plenty of rest, and be ready for the exam tomorrow," he told her, ruffling her hair.
Shouko swatted his hand away with a wrinkled nose. "Goodnight, Akira."
"Goodnight."
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