Minato Mizuhara transfers from Kanagawa and perfectly plays the role of a bright, cheerful newcomer. He smiles at everyone, chats easily, and blends into the class. But on his first day, one girl sees through his mask: Akari Kajiwara, the ace of the judo club. She simply says, 'That laugh—you used the same one before.' Minato freezes, his fingertips turning cold.
From then on, they start walking home together. Beside the silent Akari, who asks nothing, Minato finds an odd comfort. He gradually
The Classroom Without Sunlight - A Blade Called Record
The rain was still falling.
The sound of it hitting the window made the silence inside the room stand out even more. The torn withdrawal form lay soaked on the tatami. The ink had bled, and whatever had been written on it was no longer legible.
Minato was staring at his own hands. The sensation of tearing the paper still lingered in his fingertips. For three years, he had kept running. Even after coming to this town, he'd ended up trying to run again. And she had torn that paper apart right in front of him.
(What have I done)
A numbness tingled deep in his head. The cold of the rain flowed in from the open front door. Akari stood in the center of the room, still in her soaked uniform.
"……Sit down."
Minato's voice came out so hoarse it surprised even himself.
Akari gave a small nod. She knelt formally on the tatami. The hem of her wet skirt left a dark stain on the mat. Drops fell pat-pat from her chestnut short bob.
Minato picked up a towel. A faded face towel he'd brought from the washroom. He crouched in front of Akari and held it out gently.
"Here, use this. I'll heat up the bath."
Akari took the towel. But she didn't try to dry her hair. She just clutched it with both hands and looked up at Minato.
Her single-lidded black eyes. Looking straight at Minato's face.
"If you're not going to run, there's only one thing to do."
Akari's voice cut through the rain, strangely clear.
"Write everything. The date, the time, the place, who said what. Witnesses too. In a notebook and on your phone. Keep both."
Minato exhaled.
"……Evidence doesn't mean anything. At my old school, nobody would look at it either. Not the teachers, not my parents. Even if I record it, it'll be the same."
His voice was getting lower. He could tell himself. It was that voice—the one he used when speaking his true feelings.
Akari said nothing.
She neither denied nor affirmed Minato's words. She just silently looked into his eyes.
"They say they can't act without evidence. But even when there is evidence, they pretend not to see. It gets buried. No matter what I write, it's useless."
Minato looked away from Akari.
Outside the window was dark. The streetlight's glow blurred in the rain. In the distance, the faint whistle of the Enoden could be heard.
"……Whether it's useless or not, you can decide after you've written it."
Akari's voice was quiet.
She wasn't angry, nor was she comforting him. She was simply stating a fact.
Minato turned toward Akari.
Akari was still looking into his eyes.
"I'm by your side. That much won't change."
Something deep in Minato's chest tightened.
It hurt. But it wasn't a bad kind of pain.
(Why is this person)
(Why would she go this far)
Minato pressed the wristband on his right wrist with his left thumb. Over the old scar, hard, through the fabric.
"……I understand."
Minato went to his desk.
He opened the drawer. Inside were textbooks, a stack of handouts, and an A5 notebook tucked away in the back. A blank notebook with nothing written in it. He'd bought it in April and never used it once.
Minato took out the notebook. The cover was a dull navy blue. The texture was cool to the touch.
He placed it on the desk.
He picked up a mechanical pencil.
His fingertips were trembling.
"……Where should I start writing from?"
"From the day you transferred in. The first Monday of July. From the day those three walked into the classroom during morning homeroom."
Minato nodded.
He opened the notebook.
The first page.
The white paper reflected the fluorescent light, dazzling.
He pressed the tip of the pencil to the paper.
He couldn't write.
His hand shook, and the words wouldn't form.
(If I write it, I'm admitting it)
(That they got me again)
(That I'm the victim)
Minato bit his lip.
The taste of iron spread between his teeth.
Just then, in the corner of his vision, Akari moved.
She moved closer to Minato, still kneeling formally. Shoulder to shoulder, close enough to touch or not touch.
Akari said nothing.
She just sat beside him.
The damp air and a faint scent of soap. Mixed with the smell of rain, reaching the back of his nose.
With a trembling hand, Minato wrote the first line.
"July 4th (Mon) Morning homeroom"
The characters were crooked. The lines wavered.
Even so, they definitely remained on the paper.
Minato continued.
"Three transfer students (Shiraishi Yuma, Hazakisaki Ryo, Koyanagi Atsushi) enter the classroom. Shiraishi looks at me and says, 'Oh, Mizuhara-kun? What a coincidence.' The whole classroom stirs."
As he wrote, the trembling in his fingertips gradually subsided.
"After the self-introductions, Shiraishi comes up to me and says, 'A lot happened in Kanagawa, but let's get along here,' and offers a handshake. I couldn't extend my hand. Shiraishi says, 'Are you still angry?' in a voice loud enough for those around to hear."
Minato's hand stopped.
(Are you still angry?)
Shiraishi's voice from that moment replayed in the back of his ears. Cheerful, kind, and yet—a calculated voice meant to impress upon everyone around that Minato was the one at fault.
"……You wrote it."
Akari peered at Minato's notebook.
"You can continue tomorrow. That's enough for today."
Minato shook his head.
"No, I'll write. While I still remember, I'll write everything."
Minato let the pencil run again.
"July 5th (Tue) Lunch break. Hazakisaki shouts in the classroom, 'My wallet's gone!' During the bag inspection, the wallet is found in my backpack. I have no memory of it. High probability that Hazakisaki planted the wallet in my backpack. No witnesses."
"July 6th (Wed) I heard Koyanagi whispering to a few people in the corner of the classroom, 'Apparently Mizuhara transferred because of theft at his old school.' I heard it from the hallway. Two boys from the same class were listening. Names unknown."
"July 7th (Thu) I heard Shiraishi talking to our homeroom teacher Fujii in the staff room, saying, 'I want to believe Mizuhara-kun, but the victim is suffering.' Fujii replied, 'Right, I'll tell him to make an effort to clear up the misunderstanding.'"
"July 8th (Fri) Akari's judo belt had been cut. Before morning practice, inside the dojo locker. Akari reported it to the advisor, but was told there was no evidence."
Minato kept writing in one stretch.
The date, the time, the place, who said what.
From the hole that had been gaping open in his mind, memories came pouring out.
(There was this much)
(In just ten days, this much)
Minato turned the page.
"July 11th (Mon) In the morning, a paper with 'Die' written on it was placed on my desk. The handwriting resembles Hazakisaki's. No witnesses."
"July 12th (Tue) In the hallway, Hazakisaki bumped my shoulder as we passed. On purpose. The students around laughed."
"July 13th (Wed) After PE, my gym clothes were missing. They were found in the trash can in the changing room. Soaking wet."
Minato's hand stopped.
That feeling after PE. My gym clothes gone, exposed to the cold air half-naked. Laughter coming from outside the changing room.
"……Are you okay?"
Akari's voice brought Minato back to himself.
"I'm fine. I'll continue."
Minato gripped the pencil again.
"July 14th (Thu) Lunch break, my shoes were thrown away at the garbage dump behind the school building. I went outside in my indoor slippers. Koyanagi was watching from the classroom window, laughing."
"July 15th (Fri) After school, Shiraishi came up to me and said, 'Mizuhara-kun, you seem down lately. Did something happen?' in a voice loud enough for those around to hear. When I couldn't say anything, Shiraishi said, 'I guess you're still bothered by what happened back then. I'm sorry,' and bowed his head. The students around looked at me coldly."
Minato gripped the edge of the notebook tightly.
The paper crumpled.
(Sorry?)
(Do you even know what you did, saying that?)
Minato took a deep breath. Exhaled.
"……Let's stop here for today."
Akari gently placed her hand over Minato's wrist.
Minato's hand was still trembling.
"It's enough. You wrote well."
Akari's hand was cold. Because she'd been soaked by the rain. But that coldness cooled Minato's overheated mind.
"……It's not over yet. I haven't written about being called out by the teacher after the wallet incident."
"Tomorrow is fine. Rest today."
Akari gently slipped the pencil from Minato's hand.
"I'll borrow your bath."
Akari stood up.
"Huh, oh, yeah. I'll heat up the bath, so wait a moment."
Minato stood up in a hurry.
He headed to the washroom and flipped the bath switch. The sound of the gas water heater began to hum quietly.
When he returned to the living room, Akari was staring at the notebook on the desk.
"……I'll take photos of this on my phone too. Send them to my phone as well."
"Got it. I'll take them later."
Akari nodded.
"Tomorrow, can you meet me at school?"
Minato looked at Akari.
"……School? You're going?"
"I'm going. If I don't, it's exactly what they want."
Akari's voice was quiet but strong.
"I have morning practice for judo. You wait in the classroom."
Minato let out a small breath.
"……Understood."
The sound of the bath finishing came from the washroom.
Akari headed to the washroom with a towel in hand.
"I'll leave after I'm done. See you at school tomorrow."
Akari said it without turning around.
Minato just watched her back.
Her soaked uniform on her back. Her slender shoulders. Drops still falling from her chestnut hair.
(If this person weren't here)
(I would have, long ago)
Minato returned to the desk.
He opened the notebook.
The trembling had already stopped.
Minato quietly added to the last page.
"July 16th (Sat) Rain. Kajiwara Akari came to my room. She tore up the withdrawal form. We started recording."
Minato put down the pencil.
Outside the window, the rain had let up a little.
---
The next morning, the rain had stopped.
The sky over Kugenuma was still covered in thick clouds. But from a gap in the clouds, a thin light was leaking through.
Minato left home earlier than usual.
In his right hand, the navy notebook. In his left hand, his smartphone.
(Starting today, I'll record everything)
(No matter what they do, no matter what I see, everything)
Minato passed through the ticket gate at Kugenuma-Kaigan Station.
He stood on the Enoden platform. The wind from the sea carried a damp scent.
While waiting for the train, Minato opened the notebook.
He reread the words he'd written yesterday.
The crooked characters. But they were definitely there.
(I wrote them)
(My record)
Minato closed the notebook.
The train slid into the platform.
---
When he arrived at the classroom, no one was there yet.
Minato sat at his desk.
There was nothing on the desk. Until yesterday, a paper with "Die" written on it had been placed here. Now, there was nothing.
Minato placed the notebook on the desk.
(If they do something today)
(I'll write it immediately)
(The date, the time, the place, the witnesses)
Minato took a deep breath.
His chest was still restless.
But it was a little different from the bottomless darkness of before.
(There's something to do)
(Something to do other than run)
Minato gently pressed the wristband on his right wrist.
Just then, the classroom door opened.
It was Akari.
With a bag containing her judo uniform slung over her shoulder, her bangs stuck to her forehead with sweat. Her face flushed from just having finished morning practice.
Akari looked at Minato.
"……Good morning."
"Good morning."
Akari looked at the notebook on Minato's desk.
"You wrote?"
"Yeah. Everything from yesterday."
Akari gave a small nod.
"Today, I'm meeting a junior from the club. I'll ask about the day my belt was cut."
Minato looked at Akari.
"……There's a witness?"
"Probably. Sanae said she saw Koyanagi near the dojo before morning practice."
"Sanae?"
"A first-year in the judo club. She's the one who comes earliest to morning practice."
Akari sat at her
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