That moment from yesterday was still stuck in his head the next morning. Someone sat down in the seat next to him. That was all it took to make him feel unsettled. Kishimoto Haruto woke up at six like always, made his lunch like always, and walked along the Misogi River like always. The water was calm, and the April morning sun glittered across its surface. No strange light like yesterday. A stray cat was sunbathing alone at the edge of the promenade. It's probably just a transfer student. He tried to convince himself. But that silver hair and the sensation of their eyes meeting for just a moment kept floating back. The way they'd looked at him—like they were confirming something. What was that about? When he passed through the gates of Sakuranomiya High School, the big cherry tree had shed a little more of its blossoms than usual. At 120 years old, it stood solid even as its petals fell. Haruto glanced at it and headed for the classroom. --- When he entered Class 2-3, something was different. Murmur, chatter. The boys were clearly excited. Tajima kept fidgeting in his seat, eyes darting toward the door. "[excited]Think she'll show up?" "[serious]Who?" "[excited]The transfer student! She didn't do a proper introduction yesterday" Right—yesterday's homeroom had just ended with her name. The real introduction was today. He sat down and was spacing out when—the door opened. Silver caught his eye first. Mizuki Arumesu walked into the classroom. Same navy blazer as yesterday, red tie. Her long silver hair swayed smoothly. Around 165 centimeters tall. Soft, luminous purple eyes swept across the room in one motion. The gesture was oddly composed—nothing like a transfer student entering a classroom for the first time. Like she already knew everything about this place. She smiled gently. "[gentle]I'm Mizuki Arumesu. It's a pleasure to meet you all" The next instant—CRASH! A boy in the front row pulled his chair back too far. It toppled backward spectacularly. His leg kicked the desk next to him, making that boy's chair wobble. He panicked and braced himself against the desk behind, which bumped into another. A chain reaction—the front row descended into chaos in seconds. "[angry]Quiet down!" Their homeroom teacher, Toda, raised his voice. But it was already too late. The boy from the front row got up off the floor with a red face, and everyone burst out laughing. The boy by the window froze on his chair, unable to move. Only Haruto remained seated, unmoved. Not because he was calm. Just because he'd seen that "confirming look" yesterday, so he wasn't surprised anymore. Mizuki's gaze turned toward Haruto. For just a moment, their eyes met. Mizuki's eyes narrowed slightly—like she'd found something. "[serious]Well then... Arumesu, you'll sit next to Kishimoto again, like yesterday" The murmuring grew louder. --- First period was modern literature. Less than ten minutes into the lesson, Haruto noticed a gaze from the side. He glanced over—Mizuki was looking at him. When their eyes met, she smiled. He turned back to the front. He felt the gaze again. He looked again. She smiled again. ...What is this? He tried to focus on the lesson, but his concentration scattered. Yet he didn't know what to do about it, so he just kept staring at the blackboard. First period ended. "[gentle]Hey" Mizuki leaned her elbow on her desk and turned toward him. Her hair fell smoothly. Her purple eyes were close. "[serious]Huh?" "[gentle]You're interesting, you know" "[surprised]How so?" Mizuki pretended to think for a moment. Whether she was actually thinking or just pretending, he couldn't tell. "[gentle]Everything" She said just that and smiled. Haruto didn't know what to say. "[serious]That kind of answer doesn't help" "[laughing]Fufu, I suppose not" She didn't seem bothered at all. After second period, after third period—every break, Mizuki appeared next to Haruto. The things she talked about were trivial. The lesson content, whether there were good restaurants around here, what his favorite foods were. But there was something oddly magnetic about the way she spoke. Her questions were always just a little sharp, and when he answered, her eyes would brighten slightly, like she'd found something in his response. It felt like—he was being observed. He felt a gaze from the hallway. He glanced over. Tajima, Nishino, and another boy—Yoshikawa from Class 2, he thought—were peeking into the classroom from the corridor. All three had expressions of clear displeasure. "(Why Kishimoto...)" The words didn't come out, but Haruto could see Tajima's mouth form them. He turned back to face forward. His face felt a little warm. --- At lunch, he didn't go to the roof. Tajima and Nishino had left early saying they were eating with some girls from Class 2, so Haruto stayed in the classroom alone with his bento. When he looked over, Mizuki's seat was already empty. He wasn't sure if he was relieved or if he felt lonely. He opened his bento box. Today's tamagoyaki seemed a bit too sweet. Well, whatever. --- After school, Haruto walked along the Misogi River promenade alone, like always. The river at dusk had a completely different face than in the morning. Orange light stretched across the water, and leftover cherry blossoms drifted gently downstream. A man jogging passed by, and a elementary school kid on a bike overtook him. The usual walk home. Suddenly, the river surface shimmered for just a moment. Not just a reflection of light. It was—the same feeling as what he'd seen yesterday morning. Like something in the water was glowing, a thin iridescent shimmer. And his chest ached softly. Warm, nostalgic, a little unsettling. The same light he'd felt in a dream. "[surprised]What...?" When he tried to look again—a voice came. "[gentle]This river is interesting, isn't it?" Haruto turned around. Mizuki was there. Her silver hair was tinted orange by the sunset. Her purple eyes were looking toward the river. "[surprised]How long have you been following me!?" "[gentle]Who knows?" "Who knows" wasn't an answer. Haruto looked at the river again. The light from before was gone. Just an ordinary dusk river now. "[gentle]It's always seemed like something's flowing through it, and I like that about this river" Mizuki stood beside him on the riverbank, staring intently at the water. For just a moment, her eyes sharpened. Not observation—something more serious, like she was confirming something. But then her soft smile returned. Haruto didn't notice. His chest was pounding. Whether from tension, the light from before, or Mizuki—he couldn't tell. "[serious]...You just transferred, but you already know about this river?" "[gentle]I know it well. Many things" Again, she didn't say what those "many things" were. Haruto started to ask something, then stopped. "[gentle]Would it be alright if I walked with you a little longer?" He had no reason to refuse. "[serious]Sure, I guess" --- The two of them headed toward Hanamichi Shopping Street. Hanamichi was a shopping street about 350 meters long, about an eight-minute walk from school. It was a bit lively in the evening, with a few high schoolers hanging around in front of the convenience store Daily Port. The manager, Kitajima, was watching them through the glass—the usual scene. Mizuki stopped walking. In front of the pastry shop "Frühling." Through the glass showcase, neatly arranged cakes and cream puffs were visible. Their famous cream puff was 280 yen each. Haruto passed by sometimes but rarely went in. Mizuki walked in without hesitation and came back with two cream puffs. "[gentle]Here" He took the bag she offered. "[gentle]A token of our growing friendship" "[serious]...That's sudden" "[laughing]Fufu" Mizuki took a bite of her cream puff. She looked satisfied. Haruto ate his too. Sweet, plenty of whipped cream, delicious. Standing side by side eating in the sunset, Haruto suddenly thought of something. "[serious]...Why do you care about me so much?" He asked it straight out. Mizuki's eyes widened slightly in surprise, then she smiled. "[gentle]Because you interest me" "[surprised]That means..." He was about to continue when— Something flashed in the depths of Mizuki's eyes. Her smile remained, but her eyes weren't smiling at all. A clear, serious color. Like someone else was standing there for just that moment. It lasted only an instant. "[gentle]Your cream puff will get cold" She was smiling again. That look was gone. Haruto swallowed the words he'd been about to say and took another bite of his cream puff. Sweet. Delicious. But the unease in his chest didn't fade. --- The next morning. When he entered the classroom, he felt a gaze from the hallway. Tajima, Nishino, and Yoshikawa were huddled in the corridor, whispering. Haruto could see them from his window seat at a certain angle. He couldn't hear their voices, but all three had their mouths pursed, eyes darting toward him. As Haruto froze— "[gentle]Good morning, you" Mizuki spoke to him as she sat in the seat next to him. Her silver hair swayed smoothly. Her purple eyes narrowed gently. "[serious]Ah, yeah" The three in the hallway saw Mizuki arrive and immediately fell silent. They scattered without another word. Tajima glanced back one last time, his expression incredibly complicated, before turning the corner. "[gentle]I wonder what they were talking about" Mizuki tilted her head innocently. "[serious]...No idea" He knew, but couldn't say it. I didn't do anything. He thought it but didn't voice it. Just—a vague bewilderment at drawing someone toward him spread softly through his chest. Why me? Why sit next to me? Why follow me to that river? He didn't understand any of it. Mizuki had already opened her textbook and was preparing for class. Her profile looked carefree, like she wasn't thinking about anything. But—that look he'd glimpsed for just a moment in front of Frühling yesterday, the one that wasn't observation but something more serious, something confirming—Haruto still couldn't forget it. --- That night, Haruto sat on his bed, staring blankly at the Frühling bag. The cream puff was already eaten, but the bag remained on his desk. He should throw it away, but for some reason he hadn't. When he remembered Mizuki's smile, his heart raced. But he didn't understand why it was racing. Outside the window, the Misogi River glowed in the moonlight. Looking at the river surface—that ache returned, faintly. Warm, a little unsettling, nostalgic. The same light from his dream. The same as when the river shimmered yesterday evening. What is this? He tilted his head and stood up to close the window when—the streetlight on the riverbank flickered. An unexplained malfunction. The kind that happened two or three times a month in Minatosaka Ward, the usual thing. But today, a stray cat nearby reacted. It jumped up and bolted away from the river at full speed. No looking back. Running straight, like it was fleeing from something. Haruto watched it go, then looked at the river again. The streetlight's flickering had stopped. The river was quiet, just the moon reflected on its surface. "[serious]...Another malfunction" He muttered and closed the curtains. He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes. Thoughts of Mizuki, the river's light, and that look all swirled in his head. Whether they were connected or not—he had no idea. But it felt like they were. That kind of feeling he couldn't quite put into words, but something certain. The night in Minatosaka Ward was quiet as always. But beneath that silence—something seemed to be holding its breath, waiting.