By the time the break bell rang, the class emptied faster than usual. Kaito didn't rush out immediately this time; he stayed back for a few seconds, watching people leave, then stood up and followed. The hallway was already busy when he stepped out, voices overlapping, lockers opening and shutting. He spotted Mina almost immediately, walking past his class and not looking in his direction. Kaito hesitated for a second, then stepped forward and called her name. She didn't stop. He walked faster and caught up.
"Mina"
This time she turned. Her expression was exactly what he expected—slightly annoyed, but not serious enough to be real anger.
"What?" she asked.
Kaito scratched the back of his head slightly and brought up yesterday. She looked at him without saying anything.
"I didn't mean to keep you waiting," he said.
"You did," she replied.
"I know."
There was a small pause, then she rolled her eyes lightly, noting she sat there for one hour.
"I said I'm sorry," Kaito said.
She accused him of forgetting her for Maya, and though he tried to deny it, he finally sighed and admitted that he forgot.
That got a reaction—not a big one, but enough to make Mina almost smile.
"You're actually admitting it?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said.
She shook her head and called him annoying, but Kaito observed she wasn't actually angry. She paused, then looked away, telling him just not to do it again.
Kaito promised he wouldn't. She pointed at him, warning him not to keep her waiting like that again, and Kaito agreed to the deal.
That settled it, and they started walking together.
For a while, neither of them said anything. Then Mina spoke again, telling Kaito he looked different.
"You said that yesterday," Kaito replied.
"And I'm saying it again," she countered.
Kaito claimed he was fine, and though she studied him briefly, she didn't push it. Instead, she let out a small breath and relaxed, calling him weird.
"That's normal," he said, and she laughed softly as they stepped outside into the open courtyard.
Some students sat in groups, others stood talking, and a few were on their phones. Kaito leaned against the low wall nearby while Mina sat on the edge of it. She asked if he remembered when they used to sit there after school.
Kaito nodded.
"You used to complain about everything," she said.
"I still do," he replied.
"No, you don't. Now you just ignore everything."
Kaito didn't respond to that.
Mina watched him for a moment, then looked ahead, telling him they had known each other too long for him to act like that with her.
"I'm not acting," he said.
"You are," she insisted.
He didn't argue because she wasn't wrong.
They had been friends for years, before school got complicated, before people started grouping themselves, and before names like Ren actually meant something. Back then, it was simple: the same street, the same walks home, and the same conversations about nothing.
Mina had always been there; even when Kaito didn't say much, she stayed.
That didn't change.
A sudden noise cut through the courtyard—not loud, but sharp enough to make people turn.
Kaito looked up and saw that a group of students had gathered near one side of the building.
Something was wrong.
Mina asked what was happening, but Kaito didn't know. More people started moving toward the same direction, and Kaito pushed himself off the wall to check it out with Mina following. By the time they got there, a small crowd had already formed, whispering and trying to see what was going on.
Kaito moved slightly closer, and then he saw it.
A boy was on the ground, lying on his side and not moving properly. His body was twisted at an angle that didn't look right. A teacher was already there, kneeling beside him, while another teacher rushed in telling people not to touch him.
Someone asked what happened and was told the boy had fallen.
"From where?" someone else asked.
"Up there!" was the reply.
A few students pointed toward the upper corridor, and Kaito followed their gaze to the second floor, where one of the windows was open. His eyes narrowed slightly; that didn't look like an accident.
Kaito looked back at the boy and saw his hands were shaking.
The movements were small and uneven, as if the boy's body was still reacting to the shock. Kaito called to Mina and told her to look at the boy's hand. She tried to see, but the teacher shifted position, blocking the view.
"I can't see anything," she said.
Kaito didn't move, his eyes staying on the boy. For a brief second, he caught it again: a faint mark along the boy's wrist, thin, almost like something had grabbed him. Kaito's expression tightened.
A few minutes later, the situation escalated as more teachers arrived and students were pushed back further. Someone called for medical help as teachers shouted for everyone to move back and give the boy space. The noise started building until a command was given for everyone to return to their classes. Groans followed, but people started moving.
Kaito stayed where he was for a moment longer, watching and thinking about the upper floor, the open window, and the mark. Something didn't add up. Finally, a teacher stood behind him and told him to get back to class. Kaito nodded and stepped away with Mina beside him.
"That was not normal," she said quietly.
"Yeah," Kaito agreed.
When she asked if he thought the boy slipped, Kaito shook his head and said, "…No."
By the time they got back, the mood in class had changed, with people whispering and trying to piece things together. Some heard he was pushed, others thought he jumped, though no one knew why.
Kaito sat down quietly. Mina leaned toward him and said something was off, to which Kaito replied, "I know."
Before they could say anything else, a staff member stepped in and informed the teacher that Kaito and Ren were needed in the principal's office. The class went silent, and all eyes turned as Kaito looked up slowly.
"This has to be a mistake," Kaito said, but he was told to just come.
He grabbed his bag and walked out, with Ren following behind him, hands in his pockets and looking almost amused.
The walk to the principal's office was too quiet.
Kaito's mind kept running through the fall, the window, and the mark.
"Funny," Ren said from behind him.
Kaito didn't turn and asked, "What?"
"You were there," Ren said.
Kaito stopped walking, then continued, noting that Ren was there too.
Ren chuckled and replied, "Yeah. But I'm not the one wearing a black hoodie."
Kaito's steps slowed as Ren smirked, mentioning he'd heard someone saw a guy in a black hoodie up in the corridor. Kaito's mind clicked; he was wearing a black hoodie.
"…You're joking," Kaito said, but Ren only replied, "Am I?"
Inside the office, the principal sat behind his desk, watching them both carefully. He told them to sit, and after a short silence, he mentioned the incident during break.
"We know," Ren replied casually.
The principal ignored his tone and stated that a student had fallen from the upper floor. He continued that there were witnesses, and someone reported seeing a figure near the corridor before the fall. Kaito stayed still as the principal's eyes moved between the two of them.
"The description was not clear. But one detail stood out," the principal said, followed by silence.
"A dark hoodie."
Kaito didn't move, while Ren leaned back slightly, watching.
The principal added that they were both seen in that area earlier.
"We didn't do anything," Kaito said.
Ren said nothing as the principal folded his hands and said that was what they were trying to determine.
Kaito's jaw tightened.
This didn't feel right at all, and the more he thought about it, the less it felt like an accident.