Hi. My name is Astival Ardent.
Today is a day I have replayed in my head a thousand times. It is perhaps the most significant moment of my life. Today, I am finally going to confess my feelings to Sakura Hoshino.
Oh, forgive me—I'm getting ahead of myself.
I am a second-year high school student now, and Sakura… well, she is my childhood friend. Back when we were kids, our houses were so close that our shadows almost touched. We shared the same classrooms, the same walks home, and more memories than I can count. We were inseparable.
But then, the world shifted.
I still remember that day in fifth grade. It was the last time we stood together in our old classroom. Her father had been transferred, and her family had to move to Tokyo. We were just children. All we knew was that we were being torn apart. We cried until our eyes turned red, unable to find the right words for "goodbye."
Before she left, she gave me her pendant… and I gave her mine.
Since that day, I have kept that pendant closer than anything else I own. To the world, it is just a small piece of metal. To me, it is a promise—a fragment of a past I refuse to forget.
Sakura was more than just my best friend. She was my guardian. Whenever other boys bullied me or tried to hit me, she always stepped in to protect me. Back then, I was too weak to defend myself.
After she left, I forced myself to change. I trained, grew stronger, and eventually the bullying stopped.
But one day, a boy named Kay tried to mess with me. He hid my bag and stole the pendant Sakura had given me. I confronted him and demanded he return it. The argument turned into a fight, and I broke one of his teeth.
He returned the pendant… but the next day, he came to school with his parents.
A peon came to my classroom and called me to the principal's office. Inside, I was greeted by shouting from both the principal and Kay's parents. I stayed calm and apologized respectfully. After that day, no one ever bullied me again.
When I finished junior school, my parents insisted I move to Tokyo for better studies. I chose Yokosuka High School, but I did not want to live in a hostel.
After arriving in Tokyo, I searched for a room near the school that fit my budget. I found a house owned by an elderly couple. They had lost their son in a car accident a year earlier and now lived with their granddaughter. They welcomed me warmly and gave me a room on the top floor.
Their granddaughter, Glacia, was also a second-year student at Yokosuka High School.
March 5th was my first day at the school.
When I entered the classroom, the teacher asked me to introduce myself. After I finished, I looked around—and my eyes stopped on one girl.
She was beautiful. But more than that, she felt… familiar. As if I had known her all my life.
By coincidence—or fate—the teacher seated me directly behind her.
While my classmates bombarded me with questions, she remained silent. It felt as though she already knew everything about me.
One afternoon, while Todo and I were heading to the football ground, I accidentally bumped into her. In that moment, I noticed her pendant.
It looked exactly like mine.
I apologized quickly and rushed to the match. That day, I played as striker and scored four goals. It was our first victory in high school.
To celebrate, Todo and I went to a small restaurant. I ordered ramen and ice cream, while he ordered crab soup and chicken. We split the bill and enjoyed every bite.
For the first time in five years, I felt truly happy.
That night, I could not stop thinking about her pendant. After hours of thinking, the truth finally hit me.
I had given that pendant to Sakura.
My heart raced with joy and fear.
Tomorrow, I will ask her…
Where did you get that pendant?