That flower wouldn't leave his mind. The small white flower that had bloomed in Mizuki's palm. Even trying to convince himself it was a mistake, deep in his chest a dull ache answered back: "No, it wasn't." The same sensation as the light in his dream. The same as when the river surface wavered. Haruto woke at six on Monday morning, like always. Made his lunch like always. Walked along the Misogi River like always. The river was calm, and the April morning sun rippled across its surface. But there was one thing that wasn't like always. He looked at his fingertips. His right hand. The sensation from when he'd touched the flower stem—that sharp tingle—it still felt like it was there, and Haruto tilted his head. It was probably nothing. Probably. The large cherry tree at the school gate swayed in the wind. Looking up at the tree, its leaves growing thicker, Haruto headed toward the classroom. --- While still walking down the hallway, he heard Toda-sensei's voice. "[serious]We have another transfer student coming today" When he entered Class 2-3, the room was already buzzing. "[excited]Again?! Who this time?" "[whispers]Like last time?" "Like last time" clearly meant Mizuki. Haruto took his seat. Mizuki, sitting next to him, was looking out the window while setting her lunch bag on her desk. Her face was calm as always. "[gentle]Another transfer student, it seems" "[serious]You knew?" "[gentle]Who knows?" "Who knows?" wasn't an answer, he thought—and then the classroom door opened. The first thing that caught his eye was red. A cardigan. A burning red cardigan. Short red hair the same color swayed, and golden eyes slowly scanned the classroom. About 158 centimeters tall. The navy blazer uniform was worn properly underneath, but the cardigan draped over it was making a serious statement. The transfer student stopped at the doorway. After a perfunctory introduction, her golden eyes moved in a slow circle. Their eyes met. One second. The transfer student's eyes widened. Then she walked straight toward him, slipping between desks without hesitation. Classmates followed her movement with confused expressions. The transfer student came to Haruto's desk, pulled out the chair next to him—and sat down diagonally in front instead. "[serious]Good morning, protected one" The classroom froze. Three seconds later, laughter erupted. "[surprised]P-protected one...?!" Haruto stood up reflexively. His desk rattled. "[serious]What about your introduction? And how do you know me? What do you mean 'protected one'?!" "[serious]Akane Hinose. I came to protect you. I can't explain why right now" "[angry]What do you mean you can't explain?!" The class's laughter hit a second wave. "[excited]What is this, a manga?" "[laughing]What does 'protected one' even mean?!" Toda-sensei said "[serious]Quiet!" but it was too late. Akane looked up at Haruto without changing her expression. Her golden eyes were serious. She meant it. Haruto stood frozen. (What's going on since this morning...) He tried to leave his seat, but the class representative Watanabe said "[serious]Akane will sit there due to the seating chart". Diagonally in front. Perfectly in his line of sight. Even after first period started, Akane checked on Haruto every five minutes. Not just checked—she stared. She wasn't hiding it at all. When Haruto felt her gaze and looked over, Akane didn't look away. She just stared back. (Stop...) Mizuki next to him laughed softly at the sight. --- At lunch, Haruto came to the rooftop. His usual spot. The corner where you could see Tokyo Tower over the fence. He was about to open his lunch box when—footsteps from the left. "[gentle]Oh, hello there" Mizuki had come. Smiling gently. The next moment, footsteps came from the right. "[serious]...If you're here, this becomes complicated" It was Akane. The moment she saw Mizuki, her golden eyes sharpened. Something passed between them. The air changed. It crackled, like a wall had been erected. Haruto froze, chopsticks in hand. "[gentle]Well, I suppose so. But the rooftop is for everyone" "[serious]That's true. I think so too" Both were smiling. But neither was smiling at all. Akane sat down on Haruto's right. Mizuki was already on his left. Haruto was completely sandwiched. Akane opened what looked like a homemade lunch box. "[serious]Eat this. I'll make it every day" "[surprised]Huh? For me?" "[serious]You're my protected one. Nutritional management is part of protecting you" Mizuki watched and quietly transferred one of her side dishes into Haruto's lunch box. "[gentle]Please eat mine too" "[surprised]Wait, I have my own lunch!" Side dishes kept being added from both sides. Haruto's lunch box was suddenly full. Akane glanced sideways at Mizuki. Mizuki glanced sideways at Akane. Their gazes crossed over Haruto. (This is going to keep happening...) Haruto sighed and ate a little from both. Both were delicious—which somehow made him feel even more confused. --- After school, the cultural festival preparations began. Nomiya Festival—Sakuranomiya High School's cultural festival. Held every October on the second weekend, it drew about 3,000 visitors. It was the school's biggest event. Class 2-3 had decided on a maid and butler café, and serious preparations were starting today. Class representative Watanabe was making an assignment chart. Akane moved her desk closer to Watanabe. "[serious]Put me on customer service" "[serious]Ah, um..." "[serious]I need to protect Haruto's surroundings. Customer service is the most important position" Watanabe looked at Haruto with a troubled expression. Haruto looked back at Watanabe with the same expression. Neither had an answer. Akane was already writing her name on the assignment chart. Mizuki raised her hand from the side. "[gentle]Then I'll help with Haruto's cooking" The class atmosphere became awkward. "[serious]I'll handle the cooking" "[gentle]Well, more hands are always helpful" Both were smiling while glaring at each other. Haruto quietly retreated. --- During trial cooking time in the home economics room. While Haruto was thinking about the menu at the cooking station, Akane stood beside him. "[serious]Teach me how to use a knife" "[surprised]You don't know how?" "[serious]I can use one. But I want to learn your way" Haruto handed her a carrot. Akane picked up the knife. ...Vertically. She was holding the knife vertically, like gripping a sword. Haruto stared for a moment. Akane had a serious face, the face of someone who thought she was right, holding it vertically. Akane swung the knife down. The carrot flew straight across the counter. It rolled away with a clang. "[serious]...That's not quite right" "[surprised]Why did it fly?" "[serious]Everything's wrong, from how you're holding it. Hold it like this, and—" Haruto tried to place his hand over Akane's. In that moment, Akane's movement stopped. "[scared]Y-your hand...!" Her ears turned red. She froze, still holding the knife. "[surprised]You okay?" "[serious]I'm fine...I'm fine" She looked anything but fine. Haruto stepped back a little. Akane turned back to the carrot. This time she held it horizontally. The carrot didn't fly—but it came out at a 45-degree angle. Meanwhile, at another table, Mizuki was working on a poster. After a while, classmate Tajima froze. "[surprised]Did you draw this?" "[gentle]Is something wrong with it?" The class went quiet looking at the poster. What was there wasn't a high school cultural festival poster. The lines were precise, the shading accurate, the café scene rendered realistically. Even the light reflection on the cup in the background was included. "[excited]This isn't professional?!" "[gentle]I just drew it normally" "[serious]That's not normal at all!!" Mizuki tilted her head slightly. She genuinely looked like she had no idea what they meant. Haruto watched her. (Just drew it normally, huh...) --- Evening came. The light from the window was turning orange when the classroom preparations reached their peak. A classmate taking fresh flowers from a bucket to arrange on the podium suddenly cried out. "[surprised]Hey, isn't this weird?!" Looking at it, all the flowers in the bucket had turned black from the roots. It wasn't just the outside that had withered. The inside was dyed completely black. Like time had been fast-forwarded, the life had drained away, and the stems and petals had become colorless, dark lumps. The flowers that had been alive just moments ago—as if they'd always been this way, they had quietly died. The classroom stirred. "Why?" "That's gross" "Did they rot?" Haruto was nearby, so he went to look. "I wonder what happened," he murmured, reaching out to touch one of the stems. Tingle. A sensation like static electricity ran through his fingertips. "[surprised]...!" Haruto pulled his hand back reflexively. It was sharp, stronger than just static electricity. Not painful exactly, but startling. "[serious]Static electricity, maybe" He said it to himself, looking at his palm. Nothing there. Just a normal right hand. He felt a presence and turned sideways. Mizuki wasn't smiling. Her purple eyes, usually narrowed gently, were now looking straight at him. Not smiling. A gaze that was checking something. Just for a moment, really just a moment—then her soft expression returned smoothly. "[gentle]Are you alright?" "[serious]Yeah, I think it was just static" Akane naturally positioned herself in front of Haruto. She was just there, moving so quickly. Standing between him and the bucket. Then she glanced out the window, and checked the hallway direction once. It looked like she was just standing there. But it felt like more than that. Haruto didn't understand what was happening. Toda-sensei said in homeroom "[serious]I'll bring replacement flowers tomorrow" and that was the end of it. The class started cleaning up. Everyday life returned. One fluorescent light in the hallway was flickering. --- At home, making dinner, Haruto tried to organize what had happened today in his mind. The word "protected one." The seriousness in Akane's golden eyes. Mizuki's smile disappearing for just a moment. The way Akane had checked outside the window. And the withered flowers. The tingle in his fingertips. He looked at his right hand. It still felt like it was there. That sensation. (Why would static electricity feel like that?) He ate dinner, finished his homework, and got into bed. He dreamed immediately. The light in his chest. Bigger than before. White, slowly expanding. Pulsing. Two shadows reached their hands toward that light. A shadow with long silver hair and—a shadow in a red cardigan. The two shadows reached for the light, and it shattered. He woke up. Dark room. The clock read past 1 AM. Haruto didn't move in his futon. His breathing was slightly fast. The dream's afterimage wouldn't fade. He looked at his pillow. Three particles of light, rice-grain sized, were floating there. Faint. A warm color. It reminded him of something—the same color as the ache in his chest. Haruto reached out. Tried to touch it. But the light particles silently faded away. Nothing remained. Just the dark room. Outside the window, the Misogi River glowed in the moonlight. Haruto lowered his hand. In his futon, he stared at the ceiling. Something was wrong. It was the first time today that thought had become a clear word. Not a vague sensation, but a definite question that had taken root in his mind. What was Akane trying to protect? What had Mizuki seen in that moment? The flowers withered, his fingertips tingled, light shadows came in his dreams, light particles floated by his pillow—it all felt connected somehow. He tried to go back to sleep. But the ache deep in his chest kept throbbing, and sleep wouldn't come easily. The moonlight from the Misogi River continued to quietly illuminate the window.