When The Fourth Period Bell Rang, The Class Burst To Life. Desks Screeched, Bags Opened, And The Familiar Noise Of Lunch Break Replaced The Silence Of Study.
Kaito Stretched Dramatically. "I Swear, They're Trying To End Us Before Exams Do."
Ren Packed His Books Slowly, The Corner Of His Notebook Still Marked By Kaito's Sketch. "Maybe You Should've Listened."
Kaito Scoffed. "Listening Never Saved Anyone."
They Stepped Out Into The Hallway, Passing Groups Of Students Chatting About Assignments, Upcoming Tests, Or Just The Weather That Finally Felt Like Spring.
Near The Windows At The End Of The Corridor, Chika Was Arguing Lightly With Miyu.
"…You Forgot Lunch Again, Didn't You?"
"I—It Wasn't On Purpose."
Chika Crossed Her Arms. "It Never Is. You Just 'Forget' Every Monday."
"I Wasn't Expecting You To Remember That," Miyu Said, Her Voice Soft But Amused.
"That's Because I'm A Good Friend."
When Ren And Kaito Reached Them, Kaito Leaned Against The Wall. "Should We Leave You Two To Your Domestic Scene, Or…?"
Chika Shot Him A Look. "You Can Help Instead."
"I'd Rather Not Get Involved In Food Politics."
Ren's Gaze Shifted Toward Miyu, Who Looked A Little Flustered But Not Annoyed. She Met His Eyes For A Moment—Just Long Enough To Smile Lightly.
It Wasn't The Kind Of Smile That Drew Attention, But One That Stayed For A While, Even After She Looked Away.
They Ended Up Eating Together Near The Window. Kaito And Chika Talked About Random Things—Upcoming Test Topics, A Weird Question From The Last Class, Some Classmate Who Accidentally Spilled Tea Over His Notes.
Miyu Laughed Quietly At One Of Kaito's Jokes.
Ren Didn't Say Much, But He Listened.
Every Now And Then, Someone Would Pass By Their Spot And Wave, Or A Group Of First Years Would Run Down The Hall Too Loudly. The Noise Of The School Felt Alive, Like It Was Breathing Around Them.
Ren's Bento Was Simple. He Ate Slowly, Watching The Play Of Light On The Floor, The Way The Wind Pressed Against The Windows Just Enough To Make Them Quiver.
Chika Leaned Forward. "You Know, It's Weird. After That Trip, Everything Feels… Different."
"Different How?" Kaito Asked.
She Shrugged. "Not In A Bad Way. Just—It's Like We Came Back Older. Or Maybe Just More Aware Of Things."
Miyu Smiled Faintly. "You Think Too Much."
"Someone Has To," Chika Replied. "You Don't."
Kaito Laughed, Nearly Choking On His Drink.
Ren Just Looked Between Them, A Small, Knowing Quiet In His Eyes.
It Was Strange—How Ordinary Moments Like This Could Feel So Heavy And Gentle At The Same Time.
Maybe It Was Because Everyone Knew, Without Saying It, That These Ordinary Days Wouldn't Last Forever.
The Bell Rang Again. Students Began To Move, The Noise Fading Back Into The Routine Of Afternoon Classes.
Kaito Groaned. "Back To The Battlefield."
Ren Stood, Slinging His Bag Over His Shoulder. "At Least The Day's Half Over."
"Don't Jinx It," Kaito Said, But He Was Already Grinning.
Miyu Gathered Her Notes, Her Fingers Brushing Against The Edge Of Ren's Desk For Just A Moment—A Small, Accidental Touch That Neither Of Them Pointed Out.
They Walked Back To Class Together. The Hallway Was Still Bright, The Air Outside Soft And Pale.
And As The Afternoon Lessons Began, Ren Found Himself Thinking About That Moment Longer Than He Meant To.
—
The Afternoon Passed In A Blur Of Half-Understood Notes And Chalk Dust.
Outside, The Sky Had Shifted From Pale Blue To A Softer Shade Of Gold, The Kind That Made Every Corner Of The Classroom Feel Warmer Than It Was.
Ren Closed His Notebook As The Final Bell Rang. Around Him, Chairs Scraped, Bags Rustled, And The Familiar Chaos Of The End Of The Day Filled The Room.
Kaito Stretched, Arms High Above His Head. "Another Day Of Academic Torture Survived."
Chika Rolled Her Eyes As She Gathered Her Books. "You Say That Every Time You Take Notes."
"I Take Notes When It Matters."
"When Does It Ever Matter?"
"Exactly."
Miyu Let Out A Quiet Laugh From Her Seat Beside The Window.
Ren Glanced Over, The Corners Of His Mouth Softening Slightly — Just Enough For Vicky, Who Was Passing By, To Notice.
Vicky Paused At The Door. "Well, Well. Someone's Learning How To Smile In Public."
Ren Didn't Look Up. "Go Home, Vicky."
Mahito, Right Behind Him, Grinned. "We Should Frame That Expression. It's Rare."
Kaito Joined In Without Missing A Beat. "Limited Edition. Won't Last After The Exam Results."
Chika Hid A Laugh Behind Her Hand While Miyu Tried To Keep Hers Composed.
It Was A Small, Harmless Chaos — The Kind That Made The Classroom Feel Less Like A Place For Tests And More Like A Place For Living.
As The Noise Settled, Miyu Stood, Slinging Her Bag Over One Shoulder. "Are You All Staying Late To Study?"
Chika Groaned. "Not Today. My Brain's On Strike."
Kaito Nodded. "Same. If I Look At Another Formula, I Might Turn Into One."
Ren Picked Up His Bag. "I'll Probably Just Review A Bit At Home."
Miyu Nodded. "That's… Sensible."
Their Eyes Met Briefly — Just A Flicker Of Shared Understanding Amid The Casual Chatter Around Them.
Outside, The Hallway Was Quieter Than Usual. The Setting Sun Painted A Soft Amber Glow Across The Floor, Stretching Their Shadows Long As They Walked.
At The Shoe Lockers, Kaito And Chika Were Still Half-Arguing About Homework, Their Voices Fading As They Turned Toward The School Gate.
Vicky And Mahito Waited Nearby, Still Teasing Ren About His "Newfound Expression Of Humanity."
Miyu Watched From A Short Distance, A Subtle Smile On Her Face, Before Turning Away To Fix Her Hair By The Window.
Ren Finally Escaped His Friends' Noise Long Enough To Catch A Glimpse Of Her Leaving The Building.
For A Moment, He Thought About Calling Out — Then Didn't.
Some Things Felt Better Left Unspoken.
The Walk Home Was Quiet. The Streets Still Carried The Warm Echo Of The Day — Students Laughing Somewhere Ahead, A Vendor Calling Out Softly, The Faint Wind Rustling Through Bare Tree Branches.
When Ren Reached Home, Riko Was Waiting By The Door, Grinning.
"So, How's The Future Topper's Mood Today?"
Ren Sighed. "Don't Start."
"Did You Talk To Her?"
He Froze For Half A Second. "…Who?"
Riko Folded Her Arms. "You Know Who."
He Looked Away, Pulling Off His Shoes Slowly. "It Was Just School."
She Smirked. "Mhm. Sure. 'Just School.' With That Look On Your Face."
Ren Didn't Reply. He Just Walked Past Her Quietly, Into The Familiar Stillness Of His Room.
But Even There — In The Same Chair, At The Same Desk, Under The Same Lamp — Something Felt A Little Different.
He Pulled Out His Notes, But His Mind Kept Wandering Back To The Window Of The Classroom — To The Light On Miyu's Hair, The Small Smile That Lingered Longer Than It Should've.
The World Hadn't Changed Much Since The Trip.
But He Had Begun To Notice The Changes Within Himself.
And Maybe That Was Enough For Now.
—
The Evening Drifted In Quietly, As If The World Had Lowered Its Voice.
The Sky Outside Miyu's Window Was Dimming To A Deep Shade Of Blue, The Edges Of The Clouds Still Faintly Lit By The Dying Light.
Her Room Smelled Of Paper And Tea — Familiar, Calm, A Little Too Still.
Yui Sat Cross-Legged On Her Bed, Scrolling Through Her Phone. "You've Been Zoning Out For A While," She Said Without Looking Up. "That Serious, Huh?"
Miyu Blinked Back To Focus. "Just Tired."
Yui Looked Up, Smirking. "You Always Say That. But You've Been 'Tired' Since You Got Back From The Trip."
"I'm Catching Up On Things," Miyu Said Lightly, Closing Her Notebook.
"Uh-Huh." Yui Drew Out The Words. "Sure It's Not Someone You're Catching Up With?"
Miyu Gave Her A Look — Calm, But With A Tiny Crinkle Between Her Brows. "Don't You Have Homework?"
"I'm Multitasking," Yui Said, Grinning.
Before Miyu Could Reply, A Knock Landed On The Door. Her Older Brother Leaned In, Half-Dressed In His Hoodie, A Familiar Playful Smile On His Face. "Well, Well. Future Valedictorian Still Studying?"
"Just Reviewing."
He Walked In A Few Steps, Looking Around As If Inspecting The Scene. "You Know, The House Feels Different When You're Quiet. Makes Me Wonder What's Going On In That Head Of Yours."
"Probably Nothing You'd Understand."
"Ouch." He Pretended To Hold His Chest. "At Least Tell Me You're Not Secretly In Love With Your Textbooks."
"Goodnight," She Said Flatly.
He Chuckled As He Backed Out. "Fine, Fine. I'll Let You Have Your Mysterious Silence."
When The Door Closed, Yui Burst Out Laughing. "You Two Are So Dramatic."
Miyu Shook Her Head, A Small Smile Escaping. "You're All Impossible."
Yui Watched Her Sister Quietly For A Moment Before Turning Back To Her Screen. The Room Fell Into A Soft, Shared Silence — The Kind That Needed No Words.
Outside, The Crickets Had Begun To Sing.
—
Ren's Room Looked The Same As Always — Stacks Of Notes, A Cup Of Tea Gone Cold, Riko's Doodles Left On The Edge Of His Notebook.
The Clock Ticked Past Nine. He Should've Been Asleep. But His Mind Refused To Rest.
He Leaned Back In His Chair, Glancing At His Phone For No Real Reason. The Group Chat Was Quiet Tonight — Kaito Complaining About Math, Chika Ignoring Him, And Miyu Sending A Single Encouraging Message Earlier Before Vanishing Offline.
He Scrolled Through The Messages Once, Then Locked The Screen.
The Silence That Followed Felt Heavy, But Not Uncomfortable.
Riko Poked Her Head Through The Door. "You're Still Up? Studying?"
"Trying To."
"You Always 'Try' More Than You Actually Do," She Said, Half-Teasing. "Don't Burn Out Before The Exams."
He Nodded. "I Know."
She Leaned On The Doorframe For A Moment, Studying Him. "You've Been Quieter Than Usual Lately."
"I'm Always Quiet."
"Yeah, But This Feels Different. You Look Like You're Thinking About Something You Don't Wanna Admit."
Ren Looked Away. "…It's Nothing."
Riko Smiled Lightly. "If You Say So."
She Turned To Leave, Then Added, "You Know, Whatever It Is — It's Okay To Think About It."
When She Left, The Door Clicked Softly Shut Behind Her.
Ren Sat Still, Listening To The Faint Humming Of The Heater, The Way The Night Seemed To Breathe Just Beyond His Window.
After A While, He Picked Up His Phone Again.
There Was A Message Waiting.
[Miyu]: Did You Finish Reviewing For Tomorrow?
He Read It Once, Then Typed Back Slowly.
[Ren]: Trying To. You?
[Miyu]: Same. I Keep Getting Distracted.
[Ren]: By What?
[Miyu]: Memories, Maybe.
For A Moment, His Fingers Hovered Over The Screen. Then He Wrote:
[Ren]: From The Trip?
[Miyu]: Yeah. It Feels Like It Ended Too Soon.
He Didn't Reply Right Away. Instead, He Looked Toward His Window — The Sky Dark, The Air Still.
Then Finally:
[Ren]: Maybe That's Why It Feels Real. Because It Ended.
A Pause. Then —
[Miyu]: Maybe You're Right.
A Long Silence Followed. Neither Sent Another Message. But Somehow, The Stillness Felt Like A Conversation On Its Own.
Ren Set His Phone Down Beside His Notes, The Screen Still Faintly Glowing.
Outside, The Wind Moved Through The Bare Branches — Quiet, Unhurried.
And For The First Time Since The Trip, The World Felt Peacefully Still Again.
— × —
To Be Continued....