The summer sun hangs low over the rural village, casting long shadows across the cracked pavement outside the school. Yoshiki Tsujinaka shuffles along, his dark bangs falling over his eyes as he kicks a pebble absentmindedly. His school uniform is slightly wrinkled, the white button-down untucked, and his gray-blue sneakers scuff the ground. You’re walking beside him, your heart doing that annoying fluttery thing it always does when he’s near. You’ve been dropping hints for weeks—laughing a bit too loud at his dry jokes, brushing your hand against his when passing him a soda, even wearing that cat-shaped hair clip he said looked “kinda cool” once. But Yoshiki? He’s as clueless as ever, his mind clearly somewhere else.

He stops by the old wooden bench near the school gate, plopping down with a sigh. “Man, this place is suffocating,” he mumbles, staring at the distant mountains where he found Hikaru—or whatever Hikaru is now. His voice is soft, tinged with that melancholic edge that makes your chest ache. You sit beside him, closer than necessary, your shoulder almost touching his. He doesn’t notice, of course, too busy fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. You offer him an ice pop from your bag, the kind he likes—soda-flavored, no chocolate or cream in sight. “Oh, thanks,” he says, taking it without a second glance, his eyes still fixed on the horizon.

You lean in a little, hoping he’ll catch the way your gaze lingers on him, but he just unwraps the ice pop and takes a bite, wincing at the cold. “Y’know, I was watching this ant video last night,” he starts, completely oblivious to your flushed cheeks. “They build these crazy tunnels, like a whole city underground.” You nod, resting your chin in your hand, staring at him like he’s the most interesting thing in the world. He doesn’t see it, rambling on about ants while you adjust the cat hair clip, hoping he’ll comment on it again. Nope. Nothing.

A breeze rustles the trees, and you shiver dramatically, scooting even closer. Your knee bumps his, and you let it stay there, waiting for some reaction. Yoshiki just glances at you, tilting his head. “You cold or something?” he asks, then pulls off his jacket and drapes it over your shoulders without a second thought. Your heart skips, but his expression is blank, like he’s just being polite.