Morning came quietly.
Too quietly.
Aoki Kokoro opened his eyes before his alarm rang. The faint light slipping through the curtains painted soft lines across the ceiling, and for a moment, he just lay there, staring.
Listening.
Waiting.
As if something might change.
But nothing did.
The world moved forward—calm, indifferent, unchanged.
"…Six days," he whispered.
He didn't know why he counted.
Maybe because Emi's time wasn't endless.
Maybe because every day now felt like something that could be lost.
He sat up slowly, pressing a hand against his chest.
That strange weight was still there.
It hadn't left since the hospital.
And it probably wouldn't.
—
The classroom felt the same as always.
Voices overlapping, chairs scraping, laughter echoing lightly against the walls.
But now—
Aoki noticed the gaps.
The empty spaces between sounds.
The moments where everything felt too normal.
He walked to his seat.
And looked.
Emi wasn't there.
A small pause.
"…She's late?" he muttered.
That wasn't unusual.
But—
It felt different.
Aoki sat down, but his eyes kept drifting toward the door.
Each second stretched longer than it should.
Each passing minute felt… wrong.
The teacher entered.
Class started.
Still—
No Emi.
"…She's probably at the hospital," he told himself.
It made sense.
It had to.
And yet—
His fingers tightened slightly around his pen.
—
Halfway through the first period—
The door opened.
Aoki looked up immediately.
Emi stood there.
"…Sorry I'm late," she said softly.
The teacher nodded.
"Take your seat."
She walked in.
Slowly.
Carefully.
More than usual.
Aoki noticed.
Of course he did.
Her steps were uneven.
Her expression slightly more tired.
But when she reached her seat—
She smiled.
Like always.
Like nothing had changed.
Their eyes met for a brief second.
She gave a small wave.
Aoki exhaled quietly.
"…You're late," he said as she sat down beside him.
"Hospital," she replied.
"I figured."
A small pause.
"…Are you okay?"
Emi tilted her head.
"…Do I look okay?"
"No."
She laughed softly.
"That honest, huh?"
"…Yeah."
She looked down at her desk.
"…I had an episode last night."
Aoki's chest tightened.
"…Bad?"
"A little."
"You lost blood?"
"Mm."
"How much?"
She smiled faintly.
"Enough."
Aoki frowned.
"That doesn't tell me anything."
"It doesn't need to."
Silence.
Aoki clenched his fists under the desk.
"…You should rest."
"I am."
"This isn't rest."
"It's normal."
"That's not normal."
Emi looked at him.
Her expression softened.
"…For me, it is."
Aoki didn't reply.
Because he knew—
Arguing wouldn't change anything.
—
Lunch came.
But this time—
They didn't go to the rooftop.
Emi stayed at her desk.
"…Not going?" Aoki asked.
"Too tired," she said lightly.
"…Then I'll stay too."
She blinked.
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
"…You always say that."
"It works."
She smiled.
"…It does."
They ate quietly.
The classroom was half-empty.
Soft sunlight filtered through the windows.
A calm, ordinary scene.
But—
Emi's movements were slower today.
Her hands trembled slightly as she held her chopsticks.
Her breathing—
Just a bit uneven.
Aoki noticed everything.
"…You should go home early," he said.
"And miss school?"
"Yes."
"That's boring."
"Better than collapsing again."
She laughed softly.
"You're worried."
"…Yeah."
"That's new."
Aoki frowned.
"…Is it?"
"For me, it is."
She looked at him.
"…No one's worried about me before."
The words were simple.
But they carried weight.
Aoki looked away.
"…They just didn't know."
"Maybe."
"…Or maybe they didn't want to."
Silence fell again.
—
After school—
The sky was cloudy.
Gray.
Heavy.
Like it was holding something back.
"…Looks like rain," Emi said.
"Yeah."
They stood by the gate.
Neither moving.
"…What's next on the list?" Aoki asked.
Emi thought for a moment.
"…Staying out late."
Aoki looked at the sky.
"…Might rain."
"That's okay."
"You'll get sick."
"I'm already sick."
The words were said lightly.
But they hit hard.
Aoki sighed.
"…Fine."
Emi smiled.
"Good."
—
They walked without direction.
Through quiet streets.
Past small shops.
Under a sky that grew darker by the minute.
"…Aoki," Emi said.
"Hmm?"
"…Do you think normal days are important?"
He frowned slightly.
"…What do you mean?"
"Days like this," she said. "Nothing special. Nothing memorable."
Aoki thought for a moment.
"…I didn't think so before."
"And now?"
"…Now I do."
Emi smiled faintly.
"…Me too."
A drop of rain fell.
Then another.
Then—
More.
"…It's starting," Aoki said.
Emi looked up.
"…Yeah."
They didn't run.
They didn't hide.
They just—
Kept walking.
Rain soaked through their uniforms.
Cold.
Sharp.
Real.
Emi laughed softly.
"…This is new."
"Getting soaked?"
"Doing something unnecessary."
Aoki almost smiled.
"…You're weird."
"You're one to talk."
They stopped under a streetlight.
Rain fell around them like a curtain.
"…Aoki," Emi said quietly.
"Yeah?"
"…Do you regret it?"
"Regret what?"
"Meeting me."
The question again.
But different.
He didn't hesitate this time.
"No."
"…Not even now?"
"No."
She looked at him.
Rain dripping from her hair.
"…Even if it hurts later?"
"…Yeah."
Emi stared at him.
Then—
She smiled.
A soft, fragile smile.
"…Then I'm glad."
Aoki felt his chest tighten.
"…Me too."
Thunder rumbled faintly in the distance.
The rain grew heavier.
But neither of them moved.
Because this moment—
Cold.
Wet.
Uncomfortable—
Was real.
And that made it important.
"…Aoki," Emi whispered.
"Hmm?"
"…Thank you."
"For what?"
"For making ordinary days… feel special."
He didn't know how to respond.
So he didn't.
Because maybe—
Some words didn't need answers.
—
They walked back slowly.
Under the rain.
Under the dim lights.
Two figures.
Side by side.
Closer than before.
But still—
Not touching.
A distance remained.
Not because they wanted it.
But because it existed.
A fragile line between them.
Made of time.
Of fear.
Of something neither of them could name.
But even so—
They kept walking.
Because even if the future was uncertain—
Even if time was running out—
They still had today.
And for now—
That was enough.