Ever since that day we worked together, the atmosphere in the art room had been awkward. Whenever Silica and I were about to make eye contact, we'd both immediately look away. I could tell Asuna was trying to step in and force a cheerful mood. (*This isn't good. I know it isn't.*) I sat in my wheelchair, gripping the sketchbook on my lap tightly. The cultural festival was now less than a week away. That Monday after school, the cherry blossom branches outside the window were still holding tight, unopened buds, swaying in the cold wind. That was when it happened. *Clatter.* The art room door slid quietly open, and someone stepped inside. I turned to look. Standing there was a tall upperclassman with long, dusty purple hair tied back in a single ponytail. Her most striking feature was her sleepy, drooping eyes—impossible to read, impossible to tell what she was thinking. Her whole presence felt airy and soft, but there was something unnervingly sharp deep in her gaze. I instinctively straightened my back. (*Ah, this person is—*) "U-Um! I'm Yuuki! I've been allowed to join the club!! It's a pleasure to meet you!!" I bowed my head sharply, wheelchair and all. Too sharply. *Clunk!* "[surprised]Whoa!" The wheelchair pitched forward. The floor rushed up toward me—*ah, crap, I'm gonna fall—* "[scared]Yuuki, look out!" Asuna threw herself at me from behind in a panic, bracing my wheelchair. The footrest clattered loudly. S-So embarrassing— "Yeah. I know." That upperclassman—Club President Asahina Sonoko—didn't look the least bit surprised. She just gave a small nod. Her voice was calm, and very quiet. Then she walked right past us and stood before the massive canvas. A huge white canvas, 1.8 meters tall and 3.6 meters wide. Silica had drawn the underdrawing of the city. But the spots where the figures were supposed to go still gaped open, completely blank. Sonoko-senpai said nothing. She just stared at the underdrawing with those sleepy eyes. Was it just my imagination, or were her brows slightly furrowed? (*Is she angry?*) (*Does she think we're way too behind schedule after all?*) My chest tightened painfully. This was my fault. If I had just done my part properly, we never would've fallen this far behind. Sonoko-senpai sat down at her own seat without a word. She didn't say anything. And that silence was an immense pressure. I glanced over at Silica. She was staring down at her own hands, her face deathly pale. The hand holding her pencil was trembling slightly. The part of the underdrawing that Sonoko-senpai's gaze had fallen on—that was the section Silica was responsible for. Saying nothing at all was the harshest critique of all. (*She doesn't approve.*) I could see Silica's eyes slowly clouding over. A heavy atmosphere settled over the art room. I knew I had to do something. But I had no idea what to say. Only Sonoko-senpai remained unchanged, opening her sketchbook and beginning to draw something. —That night. I lay in my bed at home, clutching my phone. The screen showed a LINE message from Asuna. *"Get some sleep early tonight. You're exhausted."* I hesitated for a moment, then just sent back a quick stamp in reply. Then I opened up an art app called *Canvas Note*. "[quiet]I'm absolutely going to finish the rough sketch by tomorrow." I pinched out on the screen to zoom in. The empty part of the canvas—the row of cherry blossom trees in the background, which was my responsibility. First, I drew the trunks with faint lines. Then the branches. Countless branches spreading out into the sky. "[whispers]Just a little more. Just a little bit more." I murmured that over and over as I kept my fingers moving. With digital paint, I placed the colors of the blossoms one drop at a time. Pale pink, slightly deeper pink, pink so light it was almost white. Time seemed to melt away. Before I knew it, the clock on my phone had passed midnight. That was when— *Bzzz bzzz.* An incoming call. The screen read *Asuna*. "[scared]Ack!" I panicked and turned off the light in my room. In the pitch darkness, I shoved my phone under the bed. I held my breath and stayed perfectly still. After a while, the call stopped. In the darkness, I pulled my phone back out. The light from the screen illuminated my face with a pale, bluish glow. "[whispers]I'm sorry, Asuna." The words slipped out. "[sad]But I absolutely want to show Silica. I want to actually be useful." And so I kept drawing. Into every single branch, every single petal, I poured my wish. (*I want to finish this painting together with Silica.*) (*If we do, maybe we can become better friends.*) It was past four in the morning when I finally set my phone down. My eyes were bleary, my head was fuzzy. But my heart felt incredibly full. —Tuesday morning. I took the thermometer out of my mouth and looked at the number. 38.5°C. (*Ah, this might be bad.*) But I shook my head immediately. Because today was the day I was supposed to show Silica and Asuna the rough sketch I'd drawn last night. "[serious]If it's in the 37s, I'll just call it safe." I told myself that and forced a smile onto my face. My body felt incredibly heavy, and even my hands felt sluggish as I moved my wheelchair. But I couldn't afford to worry about that. I arrived at school and headed for the art room. Silica was already there, standing in front of the canvas. "[cheerful]Morning, Silica! Look, look at this—" I pulled out my phone, about to show her the rough sketch of the background I'd drawn last night. But first, I had to face the canvas. "[excited]Alright! I'm going to finish all the background coloring today!" I grabbed a tube of acrylic paint. "[surprised]...All of it? In just one day?" Silica's voice was shocked. "[excited]Yeah!" The moment I answered with a smile— The world in front of me began to spin. The strength drained from my hand. *Clatter.* The tube fell to the floor. The sound of it rolling away seemed strangely distant. "[scared]Yuuki-san?" Silica's face looked blurry. *Ah, this is bad—* I pitched forward, collapsing toward the canvas. "[scared]H-Hey, hold on!" Silica rushed over and caught me, supporting my body. Her arms were slender, but incredibly strong. "[whispers]...I'm just... a little dizzy..." The words wouldn't come out right. Silica's hand touched my forehead. It felt cool and nice. But— "[scared]You're burning up...!" I heard Silica gasp softly. The next moment, I heard footsteps running down the hallway. *Bang!* "[scared]Yuuki!!" Asuna burst through the door, her face utterly distraught. The instant she saw me slumped limp in Silica's arms, she rushed over. "[serious]Thank you, Silica. I'll take it from here—" Asuna scooped me up effortlessly and settled me into my wheelchair. Her movements were practiced, familiar. It felt like she'd done this so many times before. "[urgent]We're going to the nurse's office right now. I'll get your things later." She was already pushing the wheelchair. Her movements held no hesitation. Toward her back— "[trembling]...Asuna-san, why..." A small voice, trembling, fell into the silence of the art room. Asuna stopped in her tracks. "[crying]Why are you always by Yuuki-san's side?" Silica's voice grew a little louder. "[crying]Even Kirito-san... it's always, always about Yuuki-san... Ever since SAO, I've always—" Her voice cracked. It sounded like glass shattering. "[crying]I've always been alone." Tears spilled over from Silica's large, almond-shaped eyes, and they wouldn't stop. She pressed both hands over her mouth, as if she thought she shouldn't be saying any of this. Asuna couldn't turn around. Her hands, gripping the wheelchair, had gone white. I listened to those words with my hazy, feverish mind. (*Silica is crying because of me.*) (*Asuna is troubled too.*) (*—It's my fault.*) Deep in my chest, a heaviness settled, as if someone had poured molten lead into it. At the back of the art room, Sonoko-senpai stopped her brush. She just quietly watched the three of us from behind. She said nothing. But her eyes were incredibly gentle. —After that. I was lying on the white bed in the nurse's office. The school nurse, Tomura-sensei, placed a thermometer in my ear. *Beep beep.* "38.8 degrees. ...Yuuki-san, you're going home immediately. And starting tomorrow, you are forbidden from coming to school until you get clearance from your doctor." Her tone left no room for argument. Beside me, Asuna hung her head. Her back, which was always so straight, looked terribly small right now. "[sad]I'm sorry. If I had just been watching you more carefully..." Her voice was trembling. I tried to shake my head. It wasn't Asuna's fault. But— (*"I've always been alone."*) Silica's voice wouldn't leave my head. "[quiet]...Maybe everyone would have it easier if I just... wasn't here." Before I knew it, those words had slipped out of my mouth. "[angry]Don't say that!" Asuna raised her voice and grabbed my hand. Her hand was incredibly warm. And trembling faintly. I couldn't say anything. Asuna didn't say anything more either. A terribly heavy silence settled between us. That was when it happened. Someone walking down the hallway—their footsteps paused, just for a moment. "...The painting isn't finished yet, you know." From outside the door, I thought I heard a faint murmur. But my ears, dulled by the fever, couldn't catch it. Outside the window, the cherry blossom branches, still holding their tight buds, swayed in the cold March wind. Only a few days left until the cultural festival. Our canvas, still leaving so many spots stark white, waited quietly in the art room for the next day to come.