"If he does roll call, I'm done for." I ran as fast as I could. "If I run into Shiori too, I'm done for." I looked around, hoping not to run into her.

"Is Sora presente?" I heard my name.

"I'm here!" I flung the door open, out of breath. "Sorry... for the delay."

The class burst out laughing. Well, the scene actually was pretty funny. 

"Ugh... Come on, get in." Mr. Kenji sighed. 

I sat down. Haru greeted me. 

"Alright kids, now that we're all here... You can come in." Some students from the other section made their entrance in the classroom, among them, Shiori. 

"It's time to present the ideas for the festival, join your groups," said the teacher. 

Shiori approached us. "Good morning guys." She shot me a look. "You look out of breath, you didn't run again, did you?"

"Whaaat? Me? As if."

She looked at Haru. "Yes, he just got here," she spilled everything. 

"Haruto!" 

"Sorry." He stuck his tongue out. 

We pushed some desks together, while, one by one, the groups began presenting their projects.

I looked around, someone was missing. "Isn't Akari here today?" I asked. 

"She'll arrive later, you know how it is, photo shoot." Shiori replied.

"I see..." Having clarified my feelings for her, I was sorry not to be able to see her. Not that I intended to tell her. Not yet, at least.

Finally, our moment arrived. Obviously, presenting the maze was the one among us who possessed an enviable eloquence. As well as a large number of fans. 

"This is it, our idea for the mirrors." Shiori completed the presentation. 

"Wow, not bad." Some commented. 

I glanced at Haru for a second, his expression was overflowing with satisfaction. 

"My baby is growing up." He faked wiping away tears. 

"You're crazy." 

At the end of the class, all the groups finished presenting. "Now take a sheet of paper and write down the idea you liked the most." Mr. Kenji wrote the names of the groups on the board. "Obviously you can't vote for yourselves." He specified.

With that last instruction, the teacher made me waste my slip of paper. "Did you vote for us?" Haru teased me. "Maybe our group?"

"You'd be capable of it." Shiori giggled. 

"You're wrong, I just changed my mind." I blushed slightly. 

"Sure, sure." They commented together.

After about ten minutes, all of us voted. 

"Alright... the winners... are..." The teacher counted the points of each team. "Sora, Haru, Shiori, and Akari!"

"Really?" I asked stupidly. 

"Fantastic!" Haru said. 

Shiori didn't want to show it, but she was happy too, that result stuck in our heads for the whole day.

Done with the work, Shiori and the others went back to their classroom, then, the lunch break arrived. 

"What do you mean you're not eating with us today?"

"Sorry Sora, but I have practice with the team." 

"Wait, what? Usually you have it at the end of classes?" Haruto had joined the soccer team, even though he could have chosen any club considering his talent.

"We have a match coming up soon. Mr. Kenji wants us to use all the available time."

"Mr. Kenji? Man, that guy manages every single activity at school." I was surprised. 

"Yeah, hahaha. You could say he's an all-rounder." He laughed. "Well, you can always go to Shiori." 

"Yeah, I guess I'll go to her, even though it won't be the same without you."

After saying goodbye to him, I decided to go to her, I was convinced that at least she wouldn't abandon me...

"I'm sorry, I don't have time today."

Hearing that statement, I grew gloomy. "Oh come on, don't make that face..." She looked away, she seemed genuinely sorry. "I'm busy with the student council."

"Fine then, I'll find something to do..." I walked away dejected. I went back to the classroom. 

I hope I have something good to eat I opened my mother's bento box, inside there was some rice and some vegetables here and there. 

"At least one piece of good news today." Actually it was the second, let's not forget the victory. 

The classroom was quiet and calm. I looked out the window, thinking that summer was just around the corner. Standing there, all by myself, all the changes of that period came back to my mind.

"I wonder when Akari will get here?" I looked for something to drink in my backpack. There was nothing. 

"Oh come on. It's always me." I stood up. "Since I'm at it, I might as well taste that green tea she likes so much."

I headed towards the back of the gym.

Maybe she's already here... I turned the corner, hoping to see her in the back.

"It's not working." I heard a voice. A beautiful woman in her thirties was trying to get a drink. 

"Do you need help?" I approached. 

"Oh!" She seemed surprised. I noticed she was wearing an elegant black dress. It went well with her long, straight hair resting on her shoulders, which was also black. 

"You'd be doing me a big favor." She smiled. I noticed she was well made-up. On her lips she had bright red lipstick and a mole near them.

"These vending machines are a bit old. Sometimes, you have to give it a little tap." I shook it slightly. The drink dropped out. "Here you go." I handed it to her, and by chance I saw it was the same drink I wanted to get.

"Thank you so much. You're such a good boy." She ran her hand through my hair, standing on tiptoes. 

"Don't mention it." I blushed slightly. Her perfume washed over me, it seemed familiar. 

"Mom, there you are."

We heard a voice in the distance, when I turned around I was dumbfounded. 

Akari!?