The last day of midterms. In the classroom after school, a rare sense of freedom filled the air.
The tense atmosphere that had lingered was completely gone, and someone’s laughter echoed faintly from a distance.
I was putting away my used writing tools into my pencil case.
Suddenly, I noticed Kaori walking toward me from the corner of my eye.
She was about to call out to me—when the classroom door swung open.
“Yo, Nanami-san, they’re calling you to the student council room. Sounds urgent.”
The voice belonged to a guy from the next class. I didn’t know his name, but his face was vaguely familiar.
Kaori looked a little surprised, her eyes still on me as she opened her mouth for a moment but then turned on her heel and left without a word.
What was it she had wanted to say?
I noticed I felt oddly relieved, which made me feel a little pathetic.
Just then, a soft voice reached me from behind.
“Hey, you free today?”
I turned to see Kiritsuki standing there, her uniform sleeves rolled up slightly, looking relaxed, with her bag slung over her shoulder.
Since I wouldn’t have a chance to see Hino Hana until the next break, I nodded honestly.
“I’ve got time… what’s up?”
When I asked, Kiritsuki leaned in a bit, lowering her voice.
“Well, after what happened yesterday… I thought it might be nice to take a break and refresh. Wanna hop on a train and go somewhere a bit far?”
Come to think of it, I remembered her suggesting something similar once before, but it had fizzled out.
Before I knew it, I was nodding again.
The evening sun slanted through the train window.
A local line’s box seats.
Kiritsuki and I sat facing each other. The monotonous clackety-clack rhythm blended comfortably with the afternoon sunlight, sinking into my body.
Outside the window stretched a vast rural landscape. Gradually, a faintly shimmering sea came into view.
“I like this train because it’s never too crowded. Sometimes, I even ride it alone.”
As she said this with a smile, her profile seemed somehow lonely.
“Alone?”
“Hehe, surprised?”
“Well… yeah, kinda. You’ve got a ton of friends, so I could see you going sightseeing with a big group, but…”
“Sometimes, I just need a little time alone to sort out my thoughts, you know?”
I couldn’t find any words to reply and looked away, focusing on the scenery.
As the train emerged from a tunnel, a wide blue sea unfolded before us.
Bathed in the afternoon light, the waves sparkled white, and the train ran right alongside them.
“…It’s beautiful.”
The words slipped out, and Kiritsuki smiled.
“Right? Hey, let’s take a walk when we get off.”
We arrived at a small coastal town.
We walked down a gentle slope from the station, making our way to the shoreline together.
The sandy beach was nearly deserted, with only the sound of waves echoing.
Kiritsuki took off her shoes, holding them in her hand, and started walking barefoot along the water’s edge.
“Sometimes, this kind of thing isn’t so bad, right?”
“…You like the sea?”
“Yeah. The sound of the waves is nice, isn’t it? It’s like it calms your heart or something.”
I took off my shoes too, letting my feet sink into the sand as I walked beside her.
When the cold waves tickled my feet, it really did feel like the smoldering weight in my heart was easing, just a little.
“────”
Kiritsuki said something softly, gazing at the horizon as if confirming something.
Her voice, mixed with the sound of the waves, didn’t reach my ears.
“Just kidding.”
She turned to me with a playful smile, and I could tell she’d said something as a joke.
“Sorry, didn’t catch that.”
“Wha—? That was my killer line!”
“Then say it again.”
“No way!”
The sand crunched underfoot, and the ceaseless sound of waves filled my ears.
“…You’re not gonna ask, huh? About me—”
“Himura-kun.”
She shook her head slowly, cutting me off.
“We’re here to unwind, so let’s make that topic off-limits today. Midterms are finally over, and we’re free from all that stress, right?”
Carried by the breeze, Kiritsuki’s ponytail lightly brushed my nose.
“…A month from now, we’ll have finals, though.”
“Ugh! Now you’re saying even more depressing stuff!”
“Sorry, but you’re helping me study before finals too, okay?”
“Wha—? Fine, I guess.”
Kiritsuki laughed as she retied her hair.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the sea breeze, and her expression looked oddly adorable.
“Hey, when summer really kicks in, let’s come back here together. This time, in swimsuits, okay?”
She spun around as she said it.
Would I still be in the same kind of relationship with Kiritsuki by then?
Thinking about it made it impossible to nod, so I just shrugged and let her words pass with a wry smile.
After walking a bit more, we decided to grab lunch at a nearby café.
Sitting at a terrace seat by the sea, the sound of waves mixed pleasantly with the salty breeze.
“They say the seafood pasta here is amazing.”
Kiritsuki said this with a grin, as if to say, How’s that?
She seemed to remember what I’d ordered when we went out before.
“Sounds good, I’ll have that.”
After placing our order, a brief silence settled between us.
I hesitated, wondering if I should bring up Kaori or that day on the rooftop. But Kiritsuki spoke first.
“Hey, like I said earlier… today’s for relaxing, right?”
Her tone was gentle but firm, and I swallowed my words.
“…Yeah.”
“So, forget about everything else. It’s a special day, so let’s talk about silly, meaningless stuff.”
“Like what?”
“Hmm… Oh, how’d you do on midterms?”
We laughed and piled up one trivial topic after another.
The pasta was surprisingly delicious, and watching Kiritsuki eat so happily warmed something deep in my chest.
After lunch, we strolled through the nearby shopping street.
We passed old-fashioned candy stores and secondhand bookshops, but the place I said I wanted to check out was a small glasswork shop.
I remembered that Kiritsuki had bought a glass hair clip as a birthday gift for Kaori.
“Oh, isn’t this cute?”
Kiritsuki suddenly picked up a dolphin keychain, naturally made of glass.
“Himura-kun, you into stuff like this?”
“Well… yeah, I guess. I just think it’s honestly pretty.”
At my words, Kiritsuki’s eyes widened slightly, and then she gave a small smile.
“Then let’s get matching ones. Like a good-luck charm.”
“Wait, seriously?”
“…Half joking, half serious, maybe?”
Her eyes weren’t teasing—they looked straight at me.
And so, with small wrapped packages in hand, we walked back along the seaside path.
The breeze had cooled a bit, and the sun was starting to dip.
“…Thanks for today.”
“No, I should thank you. I kinda dragged you along, didn’t I? But days like this… I think they’ll stick in your heart forever.”
As I looked at her profile while she walked beside me, I almost thought of Kaori’s name again.
But I shook my head, pushing away the foggy feelings.
Kiritsuki had told me she liked me too. For this moment, at least, I wanted to focus only on her—that’s what I told myself.
On the train ride back, Kiritsuki leaned against my shoulder, her soft breathing signaling she’d fallen asleep. I wasn’t sure if it was intentional, but her slender fingers were intertwined with mine, holding my hand.
Through the window, the sunset painted the sea a brilliant orange.
I don’t know what tomorrow holds.
My relationship with Kaori, with Hino Hana… and with Kiritsuki—where any of it will go, I have no idea.
I can’t even begin to sort out what I want right now.
But one thing, my truest feeling in this moment…
“…I wanted to stay with Kiritsuki just a little longer.”
The hand she held felt just a bit warmer.
The train carried us quietly back to our hometown.
☆Afterword──────────────────
I’m so sorry, I messed up the scheduled posts for chapters 31 and 32!!!
If you read this one first, I’d really appreciate it if you could go back and read chapter 31.
I’m really, really sorry…
