That evening, as Saki walked home from school, the same group of youths once again taunted her. "So, has your protector shown up yet?" they jeered, laughing among themselves.
This time, however, Saki did not remain silent. She approached them calmly and spoke with quiet composure: "Do you have nothing better to do with your time?" Without waiting for a reply, she turned and continued walking.
Momentarily stunned by her unexpected response, they shouted after her, "What do you mean by that?"
She paused briefly, then answered firmly over her shoulder: "I mean I will no longer be intimidated by your threats." She resumed her path without looking back.
A few steps later, she heard someone calling her name. Turning, she was surprised to see Yudashi jogging toward her, slightly out of breath.
"What is he doing here at this hour?" she wondered.
Yudashi stopped beside her, catching his breath. After a moment, he held out a sheet of paper. "You left your consent form in the classroom."
Saki accepted it gratefully. "Thank you very much."
He gave her a thumbs-up, still panting lightly. "See you tomorrow, then." With a small wave, he turned and departed.
Saki continued home, a new confidence evident in her posture and in the quiet resolve in her eyes.
Further along the route, a voice shouted, "Hey, curse!" followed by the sound of a stone being hurled toward her. Saki reacted swiftly, catching the stone mid-air before it could strike her.
She held it up calmly. "Here is your gift returned." She tossed it gently back toward the thrower.
The onlookers stared in stunned silence as she walked past them, head held high, ignoring their presence entirely.
Upon reaching her apartment, she closed the door behind her, smiled softly to herself, and whispered, "Today, for the first time, I felt as though I mattered... as though I truly existed in this world. I wonder what he is doing right now."
[Meanwhile]
Far from the city, in a shadowed alley, a dark figure swiftly ended a man's life with a single knife thrust and fled into the night. His boots splashed through muddy puddles as he disappeared into the darkness.
Back in her room, Saki placed her bag on the worn study table. She spun slowly in the centre of the small space, a rare lightness in her movements. Opening her wardrobe, she retrieved a modest metal box containing her savings. She emptied its contents onto the table and counted carefully.
"Twenty thousand yen," she noted aloud—equivalent to approximately 11,738.62 rupees. "That should be sufficient for this month. I can afford to join the trip."
The next morning, once the class had settled, the teacher's gaze fixed sharply on Saki. "Who is that girl?"
Saki rose promptly. "I am Saki Minamoto."
The teacher regarded her with evident distaste before addressing the class. "Students, please submit your consent forms and payment to Yudashi. He will collect them."
Yudashi stood and began gathering the documents. Michi leaned toward Saki and whispered, "Did you bring your form and the money?"
Saki nodded with a small smile.
When Yudashi reached her desk, he said quietly, "Um... consent form and payment, please."
As Saki handed them over, their fingers brushed lightly. A faint blush rose along Yudashi's neck, though he quickly regained his composure. He collected the remaining forms, placed the stack on the teacher's desk, and returned to his seat.
Throughout the morning, Yudashi found himself repeatedly recalling the brief touch. Hensudo noticed and nudged him with a grin. "Looks like someone's falling hard."
"Shut up, Hensudo. There's nothing like that," Yudashi muttered.
"Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that," Hensudo teased.
Dave, overhearing, joined in. "Hensudo, can't you see he's completely flustered?"
"You too..." Yudashi protested weakly as the two continued their good-natured ribbing.
The teacher cleared his throat loudly. "Attention, everyone."
The class quieted.
"Tomorrow morning at precisely 6:00 a.m., I expect all of you to be ready at the main gate with your luggage. Anyone arriving late will not be permitted to board the bus. Is that understood?"
The students nodded in unison.
The bell rang, marking the end of the period. The biology teacher entered, and the class rose to greet him: "Good morning, Sensei."
After they were seated, the teacher instructed, "Open your textbooks to page 372, paragraph 3, second line. Underline the sentence up to the full stop."
The students complied. He then announced, "This activity will be completed in groups of four or five. The completed work must be submitted after the field trip."
Michi immediately spoke up. "Our group will consist of me, Yudashi, Hensudo, Dave, and Saki."
Dave glanced at Saki. "Just don't expect me to go easy on her."
"Let's divide the tasks," he continued. "Who is good at crafting?"
Saki and Yudashi raised their hands simultaneously. They exchanged a brief smile.
"We can handle that part together," Yudashi suggested. Saki nodded in agreement.
Michi continued, "Then Hensudo and I will take the research section."
Dave interjected, "Hensudo, I'll help with research too."
"But we already—" Hensudo began.
"I'm not asking," Dave cut in, folding his arms.
Michi sighed. "Fine." She noted it in her notebook, then added firmly, "Dave and Hensudo, have your research portion ready by tomorrow."
Dave smirked and murmured, "Sure, princess."
Michi narrowed her eyes. "What did you just say?"
Dave looked away, still smirking.
"If you dare say it again, I will punch you—and I mean it," Michi warned.
"For sure, princess," Dave replied softly.
Without hesitation, Michi delivered a swift punch to his face. "Now say it again."
Saki quickly intervened. "Okay, okay, calm down!"
Michi took a deep breath and steadied herself.
The bell rang, signalling the start of the break.
Yudashi turned to Saki. "Would you like to have lunch with me?"
Saki tilted her head. "You mean with all of us?"
Yudashi stammered slightly. "Yes—yes, with us, of course!"
"Why not?" Saki replied warmly.
Hensudo grinned. "Looks like someone's getting all mushy."
Yudashi looked away, cheeks faintly pink. "Shut up."
During lunch, Saki opened her bento. Hensudo exclaimed, "Saki, you brought sushi! It's my favourite. May I try a piece, please?"
Saki smiled and nodded.
"Me too," Yudashi added quickly.
Michi reached over for a bite and giggled. "This is delicious!"
Dave helped himself as well.
Yudashi, chewing thoughtfully, said, "Mmm... perfect."
Michi passed her own lunch to Saki in return. "Yours is the best."
The break ended, and eventually the final bell rang, signalling the close of the school day.
---------------------------XOXO---------------------------