“I’m back home, Mom,” Kenji said.

He loosened his tie, rolling his shoulders as the tension slowly faded away.
Climbing the stairs to his room, he placed his bag near the study table and lay down on his bed.

Orange rays of the setting sun slipped through the window, quietly pushing back the shadows.

After taking a bath and finishing dinner, the night settled in.

The room grew silent.
Dark clouds drifted across a sky scattered with faint stars.

Only the soft ticking of the clock and the whisper of the night wind slipped through the open window.

Kenji sat at his desk, a small lamp glowing beside him.

“And this is everything that happened today,”
he wrote slowly in his diary.

Suzune’s calm voice crossed his mind.
Haruka’s loud laughter followed right after.

Then—

That red-haired boy.

The way he shouted.
The way he looked later—silent, eyes lowered, listening to his parents.

They didn’t feel like the same person.

Kenji paused his pen.

“Tomorrow, a new student will join our class.”

“Oh… I almost forgot,” he murmured, reaching into his bag.

“These books and worksheets—Madam Ai asked me to bring them.”

He glanced at them once.

For some reason, his chest tightened.

“Could that new student be that red-haired guy…?”

His eyes drifted upward, searching for an answer that wasn’t there.

“Hm…”

He closed his diary, switched off the light, and lay down on his bed.

Staring at the ceiling, his eyes slowly closed.

The night deepened, quietly carrying him into sleep.

Dawn arrived.

The starry sky faded as sunlight pushed away the darkness.

“Hff…”

Near the trees, the cold morning air felt sharper and fresher than usual.

“57… 58… 59… 60…”

Lying on his back, Kenji breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling.

Sweat slid down his neck. His lips were dry, his eyes hollow, like an empty well.

“That’s enough for today,” he muttered, turning back toward home.

After bathing again, he stood in his room, tying his tie.

“Kenji, breakfast!” his mom called.

After eating, he said, “I’m leaving for school, Mom.”

Stepping outside, Kenji walked toward school.

“Move, please.”

People rushed past him, hurrying toward their offices and workplaces.

Kenji walked along the road, his posture straight.

Yet his eyes looked distant, carrying a quiet heaviness.

“Oh—Kenji-kun?”

Haruka and Suzune noticed him and hurried closer.

“Kenji-kun, waaaait!” Haruka called out loudly.

Kenji turned toward their voices.

“Oh… Suzune-chan. Haruka-chan.”

His expression softened, a faint smile appearing on his face.

“Good morning,” he said, lifting his hand slightly.

“Good morning, Kenji-kun! What a coincidence!” Haruka laughed brightly.

She looked genuinely happy to see him.

“G-good morning, K-Kenji-kun,” Suzune said softly, her gaze drifting away as a blush spread across her cheeks.

“Oh—good morning, S-Suzune-chan,” Kenji replied, flustered.

“Let’s go together!” Haruka said without hesitation.

“Sure,” Kenji nodded.

Haruka walked in the middle, chatting nonstop as usual.

By the time they reached the school gates, laughter and voices filled the air.

They took their seats in Class 1-A.

The bell rang.

“Good morning, Ma’am,” the class said in unison, standing up.

“Good morning, everyone. How are you all?”
The teacher smiled gently.

“Please, sit.”

Everyone settled down.

“Before we begin homeroom,” she continued,
“we have a new student who transferred here today.”

The atmosphere shifted.

Whispers spread across the room.

“A transfer student?”
“Really?”

“You may come in,” the teacher said.

The classroom door slid open.

A tall boy stepped inside.

Red hair.
White shirt.
Blue pants.

Kenji’s breath caught.

So… it really is him.

“He…” Haruka muttered.

All three of them stiffened as memories of yesterday surfaced.

“Please introduce yourself,” the teacher said.

“My name is Akagi Ren,” he said plainly.

His face showed no interest, as if the class didn’t matter to him at all.

“Well then, Ren-kun, you can sit behind Kenji-kun,” the teacher instructed.

Ren walked forward.

“Oh… so we’re classmates,” he muttered.

Their eyes met briefly.

He’s taller than I thought, Kenji realized.

“Hello, Ren,” Kenji said.

Ren didn’t reply.

He looked away, his arm folded, his bag slung over his shoulder, and took his seat.

He doesn’t like me… Kenji thought.

Suzune glanced at him.

When Kenji met her eyes, he froze for a moment.

“I think he doesn’t like us, Kenji-kun,” she said softly, smiling helplessly.

“Y-yeah… maybe,” Kenji replied with an awkward laugh.

“Alright, let’s begin homeroom,” the teacher said.

Classes passed, and break time arrived.

Students flooded out of the room, laughing and talking.

“What’s his problem? Acting so rude from the start,” Haruka complained.

“It’s okay, Aoi-chan,” Suzune said calmly.
“I think he just isn’t comfortable with new people.”

“I actually saw him yesterday, on my way home,” Kenji added.

“You know him?” Haruka asked.

“No. I just saw him once.”

“Tch… I still don’t like him,” Haruka said, turning away.

She’s still angry about yesterday, Kenji thought.

Suzune laughed softly at Haruka’s jokes.

“I’ll be right back,” Kenji said.

“Okay, Kenji-san,” Suzune replied.

“Don’t disappear! Let’s eat together later!” Haruka laughed.

Kenji nodded and walked away.

He moved through the quiet corridors and stopped at the vending machines.

The area was calm.

“What should I drink…” he murmured.

After buying a drink, he sat down on a nearby bench.

Then he noticed someone familiar.

So he’s here too…

Ren bought a drink and walked past, taking a sip.

Then—

“Hm?”

Ren stopped.

He had noticed Kenji.

The silence between them felt heavier than words.