Yuuji finds the rooftop empty for once. He looks mildly confused. No Haruka, no Tomo, no Kanae.

Yuuji (thinking):
"Strange. It’s quieter than usual… and it’s not comforting anymore."

Haruka is shown in the art room, staring at a blank canvas. A competition is coming up. Her teacher enters.

Teacher:
“Haruka, are you submitting anything for the interschool art fest?”

Haruka (hesitant):
“I’m… not sure. Nothing I draw feels right lately.”

Tomo is in the hallway, talking to some classmates—laughing, but not really smiling. Kanae watches him from afar. Her grip tightens on her book.

Kanae (thinking):
“He acts like everything’s normal... but even he knows the group is starting to drift.”

Comedy moment! Yuuji walks by the vending machine. It gets stuck. He tries shaking it. Tomo appears and karate-kicks it, causing three cans to fall out.

Tomo (grinning):
“You’re welcome, vending machine whisperer.”

Yuuji (dry):
“You owe me for the emotional damage this machine caused.”

Haruka walks past the rooftop stairs but doesn’t go up. She hears laughter above. Stops for a second. Then walks away.

Narration:
“Sometimes… hearing a laugh hurts more than silence.”

Tomo, Yuuji, and Kanae are back on the rooftop. Empty spot beside them. No one says anything. They all feel it.

Yuuji (thinking):
“One person missing. And everything feels off.”