It was the morning after Tatsumi and co. had an argument with the students of Kuroshikan high. While walking to school, Haruka remembered a dream she had the night prior.

Why was it about that…?

While sleeping, my mind went to that night I talked with Ryuzaki. Half a year had already passed since then, and during that time he’d always been there for him. After all, he was the one responsible for Tatsumi’s change, and for that, I’m truly grateful. If not for that man clad-in-white, he might’ve disappeared from our lives and we wouldn’t be able to talk as we did the other day.

That’s why I want to meet Ryuzaki and thank him properly. Well, if I’m gonna do that, I’ll have to apologize to Tatsumi first. Then, and only then will I be able to proceed.

As I walked along, scrambling for words of gratitude, I heard two small voices right ahead.

“—Then, I’ll see you after school!”

“Gotcha, so hurry up and go. Don’t you have committee work? You’ll be late.”

I’ve heard that voice somewhere before, I thought as I looked in that direction. One of the girls had gone off so I couldn’t see her clearly, but I managed to get a glimpse of her uniform. She appeared to be a girl from another school.

The other one was…

Ah, Takkun…

There he was, his face a bit mushed up with sleepiness. A yawn he couldn’t hold back escaped and he rubbed his eyes, muttering, “Mmm, sleepy…” He looked so tired, he must’ve been up late last night.

Just when I thought about it, my mind went back to that girl just now… Come to think of it, he wasn’t home last night. Ugh, I don’t like to think about it, but maybe something happened between both of them? Just imagining such a scene squashed my heart.

I, it’s fine. He said he wasn’t interested in anything love-related…

When I finally started to regain confidence with these words, he noticed me and looked straight into my eyes. But…

…Huh?

As soon as his eyes landed on me, his gaze sharpened as if he’d seen something awful.

W, why are you making that face? N, no, really?

My thoughts became a jumbled mess. The words of apology and the confidence I’ve been building crumbled to nothing. Despite that, it’d be too unnatural to stay silent for long. I greeted him with a “good morning” with my mind in disarray.

“U, um… G–good m–morning!”

Ugh, this is embarrassing. It’s clear he’s upset.

“…Yeah, ‘morning,” he almost muttered, a tinge of hesitation and panic crossing his eyes. After a brief moment, he looked away from me.