I'm Airi Kotori, a high school sophomore. People say I'm the cutest in class, but that's the last thing on my mind right now. Today, my childhood friend Haruto confessed to the most popular girl at school, Toto Kozakura, and got shot down in spectacular fashion.
Haruto's been my hero since we were kids. He protected me from bullies, made me laugh with his silly jokes. But his eyes were always fixed somewhere far away. I knew he was looking at Kozakura-san since middle school.
I've been by Haru
Until the Snow Melts, I'll Think of You - Good morning, melted into a cookie, from 10 years' worth of days.
The electronic chime announcing the preheated oven echoed through the quiet kitchen.
I, Takanashi Airi, took the rested dough out of the refrigerator. When I peeled off the plastic wrap, the sweet scent of vanilla and butter gently tickled my nose. This fragrance is my favorite smell in the world. And, surely—it must be Haruto's favorite smell too.
In the pocket of my flour-dusted apron was my beloved recipe notebook. Now on my third volume, its corners were worn down and rounded. Opening its pages revealed countless rewritten notes and dates from trial batches, filling every inch.
"...Alright."
I gave myself a small pep talk and picked up the dough.
Today is Friday. Tomorrow, the Hibari Festival finally begins. It's the biggest school festival in Minase City—the Hibarigaoka High School culture festival. A huge annual event that even the locals look forward to.
But my mind was far more occupied with something else than the festival preparations.
Haruto said he was going to confess to Kosuzume-san today.
I found out yesterday after school. My childhood friend Haruto pulled me aside in the corner of the classroom and, in a voice only I could hear, confided, "I'm going to tell Kosuzume-san tomorrow."
*(I see. So that's how it is.)*
I think I smiled and said, "Good luck." But I don't really remember what kind of face I was making. The only thing I remember is that I couldn't keep looking into Haruto's earnest eyes, and I immediately looked down.
My house is about a twelve-minute walk from Minase Station. An ordinary house, twenty-two years old. From the window of my second-floor room, I can see the light in Haruto's room. Back in elementary school, whenever I opened my window and called out, "Hey!", Haruto would poke his head out too. We don't do that anymore, though.
Every time I stand in this kitchen, I remember that day in second grade.
Back then, I was a bit of a target for the boys in my class. It wasn't anything major. I was just small, a crybaby, and easily flustered—I think I was an easy target. That day too, my indoor shoes had been hidden, and I was crying barefoot in the corner of the schoolyard.
The one who found me was Haruto.
At that time, Haruto was much shorter than he is now, a mischievous boy who always wore a baseball cap. He was in the class next door, but for some reason, he'd remembered my name right away.
"Airi, what's wrong?"
Haruto stood before me as I crouched there, my face covered in dirt. I couldn't say anything, just sobbed quietly.
Then Haruto pulled a crumpled little bag from his pocket and said:
"[gentle]Here, take this. Stop crying."
Inside the bag were two misshapen star-shaped cookies. He probably made them himself, I think. They were a bit burnt, and the shapes were crooked. But even now, ten years later, I can still vividly remember the sweetness of those cookies.
That was the day.
The day I started baking cookies.
At first, I couldn't get them right, and I even got scolded by Mom for scorching the oven. But I practiced over and over, and the joy I felt when someone finally said they were "delicious." That feeling of my heart swelling when Haruto said, "Awesome."
That's why, even now, I bake cookies for Haruto.
The oven was ready.
I arranged the dough I'd prepared this morning onto the baking sheet. Today is a special day, so I made more than usual—no, precisely because Haruto might cry today, he'll need my cookies.
My brown semi-long hair, tucked behind my right ear, swayed near my shoulders with every movement. My hairpin is shaped like a tiny cookie. I found it at a variety shop in middle school and fell in love at first sight.
I slid the baking sheet into the oven and set the timer. Fifteen minutes.
Through the kitchen window, I gazed down at the residential neighborhood veiled in morning mist. In the direction of the Hibarigaoka hills, I could faintly see the high school building. Surely today would begin just like any other day—that's what I thought.
---
Lunch break.
The classroom buzzed with noise. Everyone was full of talk about tomorrow's Hibari Festival. My class, 2-3, was planning to run a "Cookie Café." I was in charge of the menu, and Kaede was handling the decorations.
But I sat there, staring at the paper bag of cookies on my desk, searching for any sign of Haruto.
"Airi-chan, are you listening?"
The voice from behind me belonged to Kaede, the queen bee of our class.
Her fluffy brown long hair was always perfectly curled, and her large, double-lidded eyes were doll-like. Today too, she wore a slightly flashy flower-motif hair ornament that stood out conspicuously.
"Akiyama-kun is confessing to Kosuzume-san today. Did you know?"
Kaede sat down in the seat next to mine and lowered her voice as if sharing a secret. Her face was smiling, but her eyes weren't. When she gets like that, Kaede is scheming something involving me.
"[surprised]Huh? Kaede, how do you..."
"The boys in class were gossiping about it. You know, Akiyama-kun's the type who can't hide anything, right?"
Kaede said it with a giggle.
"[gentle]You're close to Akiyama-kun, Takanashi-san, so you're worried, aren't you?"
That gentle voice made my heart skip a beat, just a little. Because I couldn't quite figure out what Kaede was thinking.
"...Yeah."
I gave a vague reply and stood up. I clutched the bag of cookies tightly in my hand.
I headed out to the courtyard.
Surrounded by the school buildings, the courtyard had five cherry blossom trees and eight benches. It was October now, and the leaves were just about to start changing color. Still, the sky was high, and the wind carried a slight chill.
I searched for Haruto.
I found him immediately.
Haruto was there, under a cherry blossom tree. And facing him—was Kosuzume Toto.
Without thinking, I hid behind the shadow of the school building.
Haruto's short-cropped black hair clung to his forehead with sweat. He hunched his 178-centimeter tall frame, visibly stiff with tension. His profile was the same as the Haruto from elementary school who laughed while covered in mud, yet now he wore a completely different expression.
Meanwhile, Kosuzume-san's waist-length black hair swayed smoothly with every breeze, like a scene from a movie. Her intelligent, narrow eyes gazed steadily down at Haruto, and looking at those eyes, I thought, *Ah, this person understands everything.*
"[serious]Kosuzume-san. I've liked you ever since middle school."
Haruto's voice carried on the wind.
Deep in my heart, a pain shot through me, as if it were being crushed in a tight grip.
"Please go out with me."
Haruto bowed his head.
Kosuzume-san smiled, just a little sadly. And then, she said it clearly.
"[sad]I'm sorry. There's someone else I like."
I squeezed the bag of cookies in my hand.
I felt some of them crumble slightly inside.
*(Good. Haruto got rejected. That's good.)*
Somewhere in my head, a part of me thought that. A horrible, horrible part of me. Because even though Haruto looked like he was about to cry, somewhere in my chest, I felt relieved.
But, more than that—
*(It hurts.)*
Haruto told Kosuzume-san he'd liked her for a long time. Since middle school. I've liked Haruto ever since second grade.
A difference of just one year. But it felt like a distance that would never, ever close.
When Kosuzume-san left, Haruto sat down weakly on a bench alone and hung his head.
I didn't know what to do. I just stood there for a while, the bag of cookies in my hand.
---
After school.
Only Haruto and I remained in the classroom. The sunset streaming through the windows dyed the desks and chairs orange.
I gathered my courage and held out the bag of cookies to Haruto.
"Um... Haruto, here."
Haruto looked up, a slightly surprised expression on his face. His slightly drooping black eyes gazed at me. Those friendly eyes were just a little red, and my chest tightened.
"[gentle]Thanks, Airi."
Haruto took the bag and popped a cookie into his mouth.
"Delicious."
He said just that, then chewed in silence. I sat in the seat next to Haruto and waited without saying anything.
After a while, Haruto murmured quietly.
"[serious]I really do like Kosuzume-san, after all."
I knew it. I knew it. But somewhere in my heart, I heard a faint tearing sound.
"At the culture festival, I'm going to tell her again. Properly, this time."
In Haruto's eyes dwelled a determination that hadn't been there moments before. Reckless, straightforward, a bit of an idiot—but that's exactly the Haruto I fell for.
That's when it happened.
"[excited]Oh, nice, nice! I'll help you out!"
Kaede appeared from the back door of the classroom. With timing as if she'd been listening outside the whole time.
Haruto turned around, startled.
"Tomorrow at the Hibari Festival, let's do a public confession on the gymnasium stage! In front of everyone, with a bang! It'll definitely be a huge hit!"
Kaede skipped closer and stood before Haruto. Her smile was perfect, the kind that would make anyone think she was a "good girl."
But.
For just an instant, Kaede glanced at me. I didn't miss how strangely cold that gaze was. As if she was saying, "I don't care about your feelings at all."
"[surprised]Huh, but..."
"It'll be fine! If someone says it that earnestly in front of everyone, even Kosuzume-san will definitely be swayed! And besides, I think Akiyama-kun is actually pretty cool."
Kaede casually placed her hand on Haruto's arm. It was so natural that Haruto didn't seem to notice a thing.
I could feel my heart growing dark and murky.
Kaede likes Haruto. That's why she thinks now, when Haruto's just been rejected by Kosuzume-san, is her chance. And—
She's trying to use me to get closer to Haruto.
Even so, I—
"[sad]...I'll help too."
I ended up saying it.
Because I wanted to cheer Haruto up. Because I wanted to see Haruto's smile. I pushed my own feelings down once again.
Keeping ten years' worth of feelings hidden, without telling a soul.
"[excited]Takanashi-san, you really are such a good girl!"
Kaede hugged me. The sweet scent of her perfume wafted over me, making me feel dizzy.
At that moment, I saw two girls from another class passing by outside the hallway window.
Kaede immediately pulled away from me, then turned her back with a smile toward Haruto and left the classroom.
A few seconds later.
From the hallway, I faintly heard a voice.
"[sarcastic]She's just, like, really easy to use, you know?"
It was unmistakably Kaede's voice. She must have been talking to her hanger-on friends. Those words echoed unpleasantly through the hallway, hushed by the sunset glow.
I clearly saw another classmate happen to pass by and overhear it.
But I couldn't do anything.
I just watched as Haruto smiled happily and said, "Sorry for the trouble, you two."
---
On the way home from school.
The bicycle pedals felt much heavier than they had this morning. The downhill slope from Hibarigaoka Hill. The wind whipped through my hair. My route to school.
Halfway down the hill, Haruto and I pedaled side by side. From the direction of the Minase River embankment, I could faintly hear the sound of flowing water. I remembered catching bugs together here back in elementary school.
We were almost in front of Haruto's house.
"Haruto."
I stopped my bicycle.
"[gentle]I'll bake cookies again tomorrow, okay?"
Haruto turned around and said with his usual smile:
"[happy]Yeah! With Airi's cookies, I'll feel like a hundred men strong."
With that, Haruto disappeared through the front door of his house.
Pushing my bicycle, I walked the rest of the way.
I went home, entered my room, and looked out the window. I waited for the light in Haruto's room to turn on, then gently closed my curtains.
The pamphlet for the confectionery vocational school, pinned to my wall, caught my eye. There's no vocational school in Minase City, so after graduation, I'll have to leave the prefecture.
Will my heart be able to leave Haruto b
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