After their separation, young Haruto pushed head-on into moving forward, dreaming only of his reunion with Miharu. He wanted to see her... but in order to do that, he couldn’t afford to stop. As long as he put all of his effort into everything he did, he believed that their reunion would come faster. He threw himself into his studies and helped with the chores on his family’s farm. His strict grandfather even taught him ancient martial arts to train his mind — which was rare to see nowadays. Thanks to that, Haruto grew into a diligent and honest adult. And his unwavering efforts didn’t go unanswered: his father allowed him to enroll in a famous prep school in the town where he and Miharu grew up. As a result, Haruto reunited with Miharu in the most shocking way...

In another twist of fate, the two of them enrolled into the same high school.

Though they were in different classes, the sight of Miharu’s name on one of the class lists made him freeze in shock. He froze once more when he saw her. The sight of Miharu in a school uniform took his breath away. There was no mistaking her — despite the time that had passed — because she had always been precious to him. She was so near, yet so far.

Her silky-straight black hair reached all the way down her back. Her facial features were elegantly refined, and her skin was porcelain-white. She had a small stature, but her figure was well-balanced, and though she seemed somewhat reserved, she had a certain graceful air about her that attracted the gaze of anyone around her.

Miharu had grown into a picture-perfect beauty.

Haruto felt his heart skip a beat — he was overwhelmed with joy at seeing his beloved childhood friend again. Yet, at the same time, he was dumbstruck... Next to Miharu was a boy that Haruto didn’t know. Seeing Miharu chatting intimately with this unknown boy shook Haruto to his core. He lost the will to talk to Miharu on the day of the entrance ceremony. On that day, Haruto went home deep in thought.

It wasn’t as if he fully expected their promise to be unconditionally fulfilled upon their reunion... but Haruto’s memories with Miharu were special to him. And it was because of those memories that he’d been able to come this far without wavering. The thought of Miharu forgetting their promise — the thought of there no longer being a place for Haruto — made him feel as though he’d lost his way. They might never be able to return to their past relationship. Miharu might have someone else she loves... and Haruto may have been the fool for having such dreams. And yet, even so, Haruto still wanted to talk to Miharu. Tomorrow, he’d gather the courage to do so.



But then... Miharu disappeared from Haruto’s sight. She was absent for a few days after the entrance ceremony before suddenly dropping out of school completely.

There were several other students who dropped out in a similar fashion to Miharu, which caused quite a bit of a commotion amongst the students. But the school never disclosed any details, citing the protection of personal information. As he was but a helpless high school student at the time, Haruto could only watch as time passed by with no further hints or leads. He came to resent himself.

Why didn’t he speak to Miharu on the day of the entrance ceremony?

If he had spoken to Miharu that day, at that moment, the future might have turned out differently. He had no proof, but he couldn’t help believing that. With nothing left in him but regret, Haruto’s feelings for Miharu intensified and grew twisted.

He couldn’t give up. He didn’t want to give up.

A silent scream of agony reverberated through his body. He’d received romantic confessions from girls before, but the thought of a future with a woman other than Miharu left him with an indescribable sense of panic and guilt. And yet... despite his strong feelings, there wasn’t a thing he could do to find Miharu. With no path to follow, Haruto became more and more detached from the world around him.