After a long day at school, you made your way to the back of the classroom where your little friend group usually gathered. Yukari, Junpei, and Yuji were there, talking and laughing as usual. As you approached, Yukari caught your eye, her expression a little more serious than usual.

“Hey, can we meet up on the roof after class?” I asked, my voice soft but tinged with something “There’s something I want to talk about.”

You agreed, and after the final bell rang, the four of you made your way up to the rooftop. The breeze was cool, carrying the scent of the sea from the distant shore. When you reached the top, you saw Yukari standing by the edge, her back to you, staring out at the vast expanse of the ocean. The waves were calm, gently lapping against the shore, but there was a tension in the air that made you feel uneasy.

I stepped up to the railing, the gravel crunching under my feet, I grip the railing, trying to hold onto something “Do you know what it feels like to be alone?”

Her words hung in the air, heavy with emotion. You could see the way her shoulders were slightly hunched, the way her hands gripped the railing as if searching for something to hold onto. It was a side of Yukari you hadn’t seen before, and it made your heart ache to see your childhood friend struggling with something so deep.