Haruto entered the classroom with his schoolbag slung over his shoulder.
The moment he stepped inside, the entire room fell silent. Those who had arrived early froze in surprise at the sight of him. Some even rubbed their eyes, wondering if they were seeing things.
"Good morning."
He smiled warmly and greeted them. Only then did the students confirm that this was no illusion. One by one, they exchanged glances, slowly recovering from their shock before answering back, "Good morning," and breaking into hushed whispers.
As more students trickled in, those who were closer friends with Haruto noticed that the long-empty seat was finally occupied again.
After making sure it wasn't a mistake, they hurried toward him.
"Haruto! Man, it's been ages. You've been gone three whole months! I heard you were sick?"
"Mm. There was a little accident. I ended up in the hospital for three months. I was discharged yesterday, so I came back to school today."
"You alright now?"
"I've recovered, but my body's still weak. No intense exercise for a while."
"I see..."
Yuuji studied Haruto's pale face and, satisfied with the answer, nodded before quietly returning to his seat.
Not long after, Eriri and the Nakano sisters walked in together.
Spotting Haruto at his desk, Itsuki's eyes widened with surprise. She wanted to ask how he was doing, but someone else beat her to it.
"How's your health?"
"Hm? Much better now, almost fully recovered. Thanks for asking."
"...I see."
Eriri nodded softly and went back to her seat.
Watching the blonde girl walk away, Itsuki lost her own urge to approach Haruto. She remembered he still attended the cram school and decided to wait until evening to ask him about everything that had happened during his absence.
Just before class began, Haruto noticed another familiar figure.
He had already heard some things from Setsuna about what had happened during his coma, but seeing that person sitting in the classroom in front of him still caught him by surprise.
The other simply smiled at him but didn't come over.
The teacher entered soon after. Catching sight of Haruto in his seat, even he looked astonished. Still, he only gave Haruto a small nod before starting the lesson.
—
When the period ended, during the break, Fukuhara appeared at the door and called Haruto to the faculty office.
There, in private, they briefly discussed academics.
Learning that Haruto had already self-studied all three years of high school curriculum and was also attending cram school, Fukuhara realized he was already at university entrance exam level. He suggested Haruto rest at home a while longer.
But Haruto politely refused. He wanted to attend classes as usual.
"I see. In that case, just take care of yourself while you're here. I'll let the PE teacher know you don't need to participate."
"Thank you."
"It's nothing. But to think you got into an accident because you were saving someone... I've taught for years, but this is the first time I've had a student like you. Remarkable."
It was rare for Fukuhara to openly praise a student. Haruto thanked him sincerely before returning to class.
Almost immediately, Akihisa bounded over, full of concern. Once he heard Haruto had spent three months in the hospital, he sighed regretfully.
"That must've been so boring! If I'd known, I would've lent you my PSP."
"It wasn't that bad. I read a lot of books. Even kept up with weekly manga those were fun."
"You did?!"
The topic quickly shifted to manga, and Akihisa forgot all about the hospital, happily chattering until the bell rang and he had to scurry back to his desk.
—
At noon, Haruto remembered someone waiting for him. He headed alone to the science lab, where a familiar girl in a white coat sat buried in a book. Knocking gently on the doorframe, he spoke.
"Good afternoon, my dear."
Rio Futaba froze. She slowly lifted her head, disbelief in her eyes.
"You... you've been discharged?"
"Just yesterday. I thought about skipping school there's less than two weeks left anyway. But then I thought of you waiting here, so I came."
"..."
Normally, Rio would have thrown in a sarcastic remark. But seeing Haruto standing there, freshly released from the hospital, she found herself unable to be tsundere. Closing her book, she walked over quietly.
Haruto set his lunchbox aside, spread his arms, and drew her into a tight embrace. He breathed in her familiar scent, filled with nostalgia.
"Three months... did you feel lonely?"
Rio didn't answer. She only held him tighter.
Seeing her silence, Haruto didn't press further. They simply stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, unmoving for a long while.
When he finally loosened his hold, he noticed the redness in her eyes and the faint tracks of tears on her cheeks.
He gently removed her glasses and brushed away the tears with his thumb.
"I'm back."
Looking at him, Rio forced a smile and buried her face against his chest again. Her uncharacteristic vulnerability caught him off guard, making his heart tremble.
They stayed a little longer in the lab with the door closed, savoring the quiet reunion. When the lunch bell ended, Haruto slipped back to class only after making sure the hallway was empty.
—
The afternoon lesson was on Kenkō Yoshida, also known as Yoshida no Kaneyoshi, a poet and recluse born in 1283.
While the teacher lectured about the author's works and background, Haruto sat quietly in the back, scribbling notes—not about today's class, but to fill in the gaps from the three months he had missed.
Unable to catch up with everything, he borrowed Nozaki Umetarou's notebook to stay on track. The teacher noticed but said nothing, continuing the lecture as the class remained peaceful.
—
When the final bell rang, Akihisa and Yuuji invited Haruto to a small get-together at Akihisa's house.
But Haruto declined. He had other places to be.
Leaving the building, he climbed the long flights of stairs toward the Astronomy Club's room. By the time he reached the top, sweat dotted his forehead even in winter, his weakened body couldn't handle the strain.
He pushed the door open.
Inside, curled up on a chair with her arms wrapped around her white-stockinged legs, was koharu. Her eyes were fixed on the entrance.
"You're late."
"Climbing stairs took a bit. These on the wall... are they from the hospital?"
He glanced around. The walls were plastered with photos every one of him, asleep. Judging by the backgrounds, they were taken while he was unconscious in the hospital.
From the door to the ceiling, the room was covered. Haruto stared, unsure whether to feel touched or unsettled. For a moment, he wondered if the girl had hidden yandere tendencies.
"I was worried about you, but I couldn't stay at the hospital all the time. So I took pictures... When I was alone, I prayed for you while looking at them."
"..."
Although he was touched by the girl's intentions, Haruto found himself speechless as he looked at the countless photos plastered across the walls. From tiny sticker-sized shots to poster-sized portraits, every angle of him had been captured.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something yet no words came.
After staring at his own image on the walls for a while, he decided it was best to ignore them. He walked over and leaned against the desk in front of her, lowering his gaze to meet hers.
"About the hospital... thank you. I'm sure the doctors who saved me must have caused you a lot of trouble."
"Father was upset at first," Koharu admitted softly, "but he eventually agreed."
"I see... sorry for troubling you all so much."
"It doesn't matter. As long as you're safe, that's enough. So, Haruto..."
Sitting in her chair, Koharu slowly lifted her head. Her eyes shimmered with an intensity that startled him.
"Make me pregnant."
"..."
Haruto brushed back the longer strands of hair at his temple grown out during his hospital stay and stared at her in silence. Somewhere in his past, he felt as though he had heard words like these before.
"Did I just... mishear you?"
"No. I want to carry your child. That way Father won't object anymore. And there would be someone to inherit the family estate."
"...You mean, I'd marry into your family?"
"If you don't want to change your name, you don't have to."
It was a generous offer. If this had been before he met Setsuna, he might have agreed without hesitation whether out of gratitude for her saving him or because of her obvious feelings for him.
But now... after a moment's thought, he shook his head.
"It sounds tempting, but..."
"If that girl Setsuna Kiyoura weren't around," Koharu interrupted, her voice cool and even, "would you say yes?"
Her eyes bore into his, devoid of emotion, as if it were just a casual question. But it froze Haruto's mind for a heartbeat. The words he had been about to say died in his throat. Staring at his senior in her white stockings, he fell into silence.
For a long moment, the two only looked at each other. Then Haruto closed his eyes.
"That was just a joke, right?"
"...Yes."
After a brief flash of dissatisfaction, Koharu regained her composure. She realized how dangerous her words had been.
"No one knows what the future holds," she murmured. "But with her... when problems come, she can't help you. Just like this time."
She lowered her gaze to her knees, then slowly lifted her head again to look into Haruto's eyes. Her voice trembled with the weight of her question:
"Are you truly happy with her?"
They remained in the Astronomy Club room for nearly an hour.
When Haruto finally left, his expression was heavy. He didn't want to dwell on her question.
Because he knew too well: once he thought about it seriously, the fragile illusions he had built up would collapse.
He told himself it was just a "dull phase" in the relationship, a fleeting rut. But deep down, he knew—he was only forcing himself to compromise, playing along with everyone's image of "Haruto," keeping up the facade.
Walking out of the school gates, hands stuffed into his pockets, the usual smile was gone from his face. He trudged forward in silence.
"...I should go see her."
He stopped, turned around, and chose a different path instead of heading back to his apartment.
At the cram school, Nakano Itsuki had been waiting with a list of questions in her heart. But when class ended and Haruto still hadn't come, disappointment clouded her expression. She walked home quietly, her thoughts heavy.
~~~~~~~~~~
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