Something was glowing inside his chest. A pitch-black place that didn't exist anywhere. No ground beneath his feet, no walls, no ceiling. Only darkness. And yet, the center of his chest was warm. *Thump.* The light expanded. *Thump.* The light contracted. Kishimoto Haruto reached out toward that light. He tried to touch it— *Crunch.* Footsteps echoed from far away. Not just one. Two, three, more than that. From every direction. Drawing closer, tightening the circle. Haruto froze in place. *Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.* —He woke up. The clock read 2:17 AM. The room was quiet. Outside the window, the Misogi River reflected the moonlight, rippling with a gentle glow. No footsteps anywhere. "[serious]…Weird dream" He muttered it, then collapsed back onto the bed. But the sensation of that light lingered faintly in his chest. Warm, and somehow nostalgic. Well, it was just a dream. Haruto closed his eyes again. --- The next morning, 6 AM. He woke before the alarm. He stood in the kitchen and turned on the gas first. While the frying pan heated, he opened the refrigerator and pulled out three eggs. It was like a morning ritual. He cracked the eggs. Mixed them with chopsticks. Added a little sugar and soy sauce, then poured them into the pan. He rolled them up from the edges, curling them over and over. That "curling" was somehow calming for Haruto. When he rolled them right, he always wanted to say a small "nice." Today, he rolled them right. "[gentle]Nice" He said it. Alone in the kitchen. He had leftover fried chicken from last night. He packed white rice, arranged the egg roll and fried chicken, and tucked a little green stuff—frozen broccoli—into the gaps. His usual lunch box was complete. He tasted the egg roll. It was properly sweet with just a hint of salt. Pretty good, if he did say so himself. He changed clothes and shouldered his backpack—not a school bag, a regular rucksack. Navy blazer, red tie. Sakuranomiya High School uniform. Looking in the mirror, his black hair with its natural wave stuck up a little. Even when he pressed it down with his fingers, it sprang back. Whatever. He was about 170 centimeters tall. Lean but healthy, he thought. Deep brown eyes. Not particularly handsome, not particularly ugly—just an ordinary face. If he had to describe himself, "ordinary" was the word that fit best. He stopped in front of his bedroom door. "[gentle]I'm heading out" "[whispers]…Be careful, okay" A muffled voice came back. His mother, Sachiko, worked as an office clerk at a hospital. On nights when she worked the night shift, she slept until the last possible moment. He quietly closed the door so as not to wake her, and left the apartment. --- Corpo Hinata, second floor, corner unit. For a building that was 28 years old, he really liked the view from the balcony. He could see the cherry blossom trees along the Misogi River in a straight line. He walked that promenade again today, heading to school. April mornings had a certain quality. A little cold, but the sunlight was warm. The cherry blossoms had already peaked, and petals scattered down onto the river's surface. They drifted with the current, floating slowly downstream. This was what mornings in Minatosaka Ward were like. A small ward nestled between Shibuya and Shinjuku. No big commercial facilities, no famous tourist spots. The promenade along the Misogi River and the Hanamichi shopping street were about all that characterized it. But Haruto liked this town. As he walked, one of the streetlights along the riverbank flickered. In broad daylight. "[serious]Malfunction again" He muttered to himself. In Minatosaka Ward, this happened sometimes. Electronic devices would malfunction for no reason. Phone screens going black for a moment, automatic doors not opening. It happened maybe two or three times a month. He didn't know why. There was a utility pole nearby, and two crows perched on it. Both crows were facing exactly the same direction, perfectly still. Downstream. Looking downriver. …That's creepy. Thinking that, Haruto looked at the river too. It was just for a moment. The river's surface shimmered with rainbow colors. "…Huh?" He squinted and looked again. Just a river. An ordinary river surface with flower petals floating on it. …Must've been my imagination. Yeah, probably. The angle of the morning sun or something like that. Haruto started walking again. But somehow, he remembered the light from last night's dream. That warmth deep in his chest. Well, it doesn't matter. --- In front of Sakuranomiya High School's gate, there was a big cherry tree. Supposedly 120 years old. Designated as a protected tree by the ward—the oldest cherry blossom in the area. It was already past its peak, but white-pink petals still clung to the branches, scattering down with each breeze. Every morning he passed under it to get to class. Just that alone made him feel like "another day is starting." Strange, but true. A big poster was taped to the hallway bulletin board. "Nomiya Festival—Project Ideas Being Accepted!" it said. But it was still mostly blank, with only "Scheduled for October" written in the corner. About 3,000 visitors came every year—it was a famous cultural festival in the community. But it was only April, so everyone was getting ahead of themselves. He entered Class 2-3. Window-side seat. The seat next to him was empty. It had always been empty. He'd heard something about a transfer student coming, but no one was here yet. Sometimes when he dropped things or moved his books, it was kind of convenient that there was no one next to him to bother. "[excited]Haruto, you seem in a good mood today" Nishino called out from the seat behind him. Bright and easygoing, he always talked to Haruto for some reason. "[serious]Really?" "Your eyes look sharp" What does that even mean? First period was Japanese. Their homeroom teacher, Toda-sensei, taught it. 42 years old, a gentle person, but oddly strict about attendance. He'd ask "why are you late?" if you were only five minutes behind. The content was classical grammar—adverbial forms, conditional forms—honestly pretty sleep-inducing stuff. Adverbial form. Conditional form. Outside the window, he could see the cherry blossom trees along the Misogi River in the distance. There seemed to be more petals than this morning. Haruto rested his cheek on his hand and stared blankly at that view, barely keeping himself awake. --- Lunch break. "[excited]Let's go to the roof" Tajima said it. A food lover who always finished his lunch first. He had a solid build and looked incredibly strong, but he was afraid of bugs. The roof was usually locked. But Tajima had a spare key he'd "inherited" from a senior. He didn't ask how that happened. The three of them climbed the stairs and pushed open the heavy door— Wind rushed at them. Tokyo Tower was visible. Beyond the fence, rising into the slightly hazy sky, the orange steel frame stood tall. This was where they'd been eating lunch lately. Their routine. "[excited]Haruto, another lunch box today?" "[serious]Every day" He opened his lunch box, and Nishino immediately leaned over to look. "[excited]An egg roll!! Looks so good!!" "[serious]Don't look" "[excited]Give me one" Tajima came too. "[laughing]…Yeah, I guess I can't help it" He gave them each one, and both of them put it in their mouths at almost the same time, saying "delicious" at almost the same time. He didn't hate that kind of thing. The wind blew, and cherry blossoms came flying from the direction of Tokyo Tower. One petal stuck to Tajima's head. He didn't notice. Nishino looked over at Haruto and grinned. Haruto said nothing. "[serious]Hey, what're you doing after school" "[serious]Nothing special" "[serious]Then the arcade" "[serious]Not going" "[sarcastic]Why do you answer so fast" They kept up that kind of banter while Haruto stared blankly at the sky. Not a bad lunch, he thought. --- After school, he walked home alone along the Misogi River again. The same path as this morning. But the evening showed it a completely different face. The cherry blossoms were dyed orange, and the sunset glittered on the river's surface. An old man jogging along the promenade. A woman walking her dog. An elementary school kid riding past on a bicycle. Yeah, my everyday life is pretty much like this. That's what he thought. No big dreams, no real goals. Grades were average, athletics were average. His only real skills were cooking and reading the room. He wasn't the most noticeable person in class, but he wasn't the least noticeable either. But he liked times like this—walking along the river on the way home. Just walking, but somehow it felt calm. He got home and started preparing dinner. For two. Tonight he made nikujaga—beef and potato stew. While peeling potatoes, he turned on the kitchen radio, and the smell of dashi broth spread through the room. Just before 9 PM, the door opened. "[gentle]I'm home…oh, nikujaga" His mother, Sachiko, came in with a tired face and took off her coat. She was short, had short hair, and her face looked somewhat like Haruto's. She seemed more tired than usual, but he didn't ask about it. "[gentle]Having you here really helps me out" She said it while reaching for her chopsticks. Haruto didn't say anything in particular. But somehow that was enough. --- He finished his homework and got into bed. He'd almost completely forgotten about last night's dream. That light, those footsteps. He fell asleep quickly. --- The next morning, he woke at 6 AM as usual. Made his lunch, put on his uniform, walked along the Misogi River. But something felt off. It wasn't that he remembered last night's dream, but there was a vague uneasiness lingering in his chest. No point worrying about it. He passed under the cherry tree at the gate like always, walked down the hallway, and entered Class 2-3. —Wait. It was louder than usual. "[whispers]Hey, did you hear? A transfer student's coming today" Tajima said it quietly to Haruto. "[surprised]A transfer student?" "[whispers]Supposedly a beautiful girl" Nishino chimed in from behind. This guy's ears were always the fastest. The classroom was buzzing. Well, high school students could get excited just about a transfer student, Haruto thought as he took his seat. Morning homeroom. Toda-sensei finished taking attendance and closed the roster with a snap. "[serious]Well then, we have a new classmate joining us today" The classroom went silent. The door slowly opened. Light came in first. Something reflected in the morning sunlight streaming through the window. Silver hair. Long, reaching past her shoulders, straight and gleaming. Cool eyes. A sharp nose bridge. Even in the navy blazer uniform, she carried an air different from this classroom. She smiled, and her mouth softened gently. Three boys in the classroom made the sound of their chairs scraping as they slid down. "[gentle]This is Mizuki Arumesu. Please treat her well" Mizuki Arumesu, as she was introduced, looked straight ahead. Like she was surveying the entire class, but also like she was looking for someone specific— In that moment, her eyes met Haruto's. Just for an instant. Really, just an instant. She looked at Haruto like she was confirming something. Then she turned forward again. "[serious]Please sit next to Kishimoto" Haruto's breath caught. Next to him. The seat that had been empty all this time. Mizuki Arumesu walked slowly toward him. Her silver hair swayed softly. As she got closer, there was a scent—like flowers, sweet and strange. The sound of a chair being pulled out. Someone sat down next to him. "[gentle]Nice to meet you" She said it in a small voice. Haruto reflexively answered, "[surprised]Oh, nice to meet you" His own voice sounded strange. Like it was pitched too high. Outside the