One Hour Later
Kaito's younger siblings began to stir, the house filled with the muffled sounds of footsteps and sleepy voices. But Kaito had already left. He was the first to wake—an event that rarely happened. His usual habit was to sleep in until the last possible moment, but today had been different. He had woken early, his mind restless, his thoughts heavy.
7:30 AM – Kaito was Inside the School
Riku, Kaito's older brother, yawned as he stepped into the kitchen. His hair was a mess, his eyes still half-closed from sleep. "Mom, where's Kaito?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"He already went to school," their mother replied, setting a plate of eggs on the table.
"What? That's rare. He's usually the last one out the door," Riku said, his voice tinged with confusion.
Their mother paused, her eyes softening as she placed a hand on Riku's shoulder. "I don't know, son. But something's changed… ever since Sayuri's death."
Riku fell silent. The mention of Sayuri cast a shadow over the room, a silence that spoke volumes. Kaito's transformation after that night had been unmistakable. He was no longer the boy who laughed easily, who enjoyed the small moments. Instead, he was quieter, more withdrawn. And no one could pinpoint the exact moment he had become this distant version of himself.
Riku sighed, glancing out the window. "I hope he's okay."
Meanwhile, at School
The school grounds were still quiet as Kaito pushed through the front doors. The sun had only just risen, casting long shadows across the hallways. The world outside was still asleep, but Kaito was wide awake, as though something inside him had stirred too early for the rest of the world to catch up.
He walked slowly, his footsteps echoing softly in the empty hall. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his eyes focused on the ground. His mind wasn't here, not really. He didn't want to be here, didn't want to face the world without Sayuri.
But he had to.
He entered his classroom, the same classroom he had sat in for the past few years. It was empty. He was the first one there. As he walked to his usual seat—by the window—he stared outside, the early morning light spilling across the campus. The breeze carried the scent of fresh grass and the soft rustling of leaves.
A sigh escaped his lips.
His gaze wandered, but his thoughts remained heavy. The clock on the wall ticked slowly, the minutes dragging on as he sat there in silence. He glanced at the window, but the view only reminded him of the rooftop—the place where everything had changed.
His hand tightened around the edge of his desk.
He stood up, grabbing his bag. A minute later, he was walking down the empty hallway, each step echoing like a hollow reminder that he was alone in this. The air felt colder as he approached the stairs. The sound of his footsteps was the only thing that filled the space.
He climbed the stairs slowly, each step a reminder of the time that had passed since he had last been here, on this rooftop. The place where Sayuri had confessed her feelings to him, the place where everything had begun to fall apart.
His hand rested on the cold metal door handle of the rooftop. He hesitated, then turned it.
The door creaked open, and a cold breeze greeted him. He stepped outside.
The rooftop was just as it had been, and yet, it felt different. Empty. The same breeze that used to bring laughter and joy now felt heavy, like a reminder of what had been lost. The sky above was clear, but it felt distant. The same place, but not the same.
Kaito walked toward the railing, his eyes scanning the edges of the rooftop. Memories of Sayuri and Koji flooded his mind, images of them laughing, teasing each other, standing on this very rooftop, full of life and hope.
But that was all gone now.
A cold knot formed in Kaito's chest as he stared at the ground. The memories didn't hurt anymore, not in the same way they used to. But they still lingered, just out of reach, like a shadow that never truly left.
He wasn't sure why he came up here today. To feel something? To remember? Or to escape?
Kaito's eyes landed on something near the corner of the rooftop. Beneath a pile of fallen leaves, half-hidden in the shadows, was an envelope.
A letter?
He crouched down and picked it up. It was sealed with a red heart drawn on the front—childish, yet delicate.
A love letter.
Kaito's fingers brushed over the paper, the weight of it unfamiliar, foreign. He didn't open it. There was no need to. He knew what it was, what it meant. But he wasn't ready to face it yet.
Instead, he slipped it into his pocket and turned to leave.
As he walked back toward the door, a gust of wind swept past him, sending a chill down his spine. The door closed behind him, and the sound of his footsteps resumed, the emptiness of the school surrounding him once again.
Back in the Classroom
Kaito returned to his seat and sat down, his thoughts still lingering on the rooftop, on the letter, and on the memories he couldn't escape. The world outside the window continued, as if nothing had changed. But Kaito knew that something had. He could feel it deep inside, the weight of it pressing on his chest.
He didn't want to be here, in this classroom, in this life. But he didn't have a choice.
8:15 AM - Outside
Koji walked alone on the sidewalk, his school bag slung over his shoulder. The day felt unusually quiet, almost as if something was missing. He glanced around but didn't see Kaito by his side.
"That's strange…" Koji muttered to himself. "Kaito's usually with me."
He frowned, thinking about what had happened the night before. Kaito had been soaked from the rain, his clothes clinging to him like a reminder of how broken things had become. Maybe he was sick. Maybe that was why Kaito had skipped their usual morning routine.
Koji sighed. He couldn't help but worry about his friend.
He arrived at the school gate and entered the grounds, still looking around for Kaito. His eyes scanned the classrooms, and that's when he saw him—Kaito, already inside.
Koji raised a hand and used their unique hand signs to greet him.
"Yo, Kaito, why didn't I see you on the sidewalk?" he asked, his fingers moving quickly, forming the gestures that only the two of them understood.
Kaito saw him, and his fingers responded with a quick series of gestures.
"I was early. Got here at 7:30," Kaito's hand signs explained.
Koji blinked, then smiled, a little too widely for Kaito's liking.
"Okay," Koji signed back.
As Koji walked to his own classroom, he thought to himself, Kaito is still Kaito. Even if he seemed distant, even if something had changed, he was still his friend. His constant. And for now, that was enough.
But Kaito couldn't shake the image of Koji's smile. He looked almost too happy, like he was trying to hide something. Kaito raised an eyebrow, confused.
What the hell is he smiling about? He looks like a crazy person.
The sound of the classroom door opening drew Kaito's attention. His teacher stepped inside, the bell ringing as she did so.
"Alright, everyone, we have a new transfer student today," she announced.
A girl stepped in. She had a quiet grace, walking with measured steps. Her white hair, cut in a neat hime style, framed her face perfectly, contrasting against her pale skin. Her eyes were calm but alert, scanning the room as she introduced herself.
"My name is Airi Nakamura. I'm happy to be here," she said softly, her voice gentle but steady.
Kaito's eyes snapped to her, and something inside him froze. His chest tightened, and for a brief moment, everything around him seemed to blur.
Why does she feel familiar?
He couldn't place it. The way she carried herself, the way her eyes lingered on him for just a second longer than anyone else's. It wasn't Sayuri. His mind instantly rejected the comparison, but the feeling remained. A distant memory, slipping through his fingers like water.
Airi glanced at him again, her gaze brief but knowing.
Who are you? Kaito wondered, his heart beating faster than it should. Why do you make me feel like this?
The class continued as usual, but Kaito couldn't shake the feeling. Something was different.
And that letter… he couldn't forget it. Not yet.