Leah Boutsuki woke with a heaviness in her chest. The morning sun seeped through her curtains, painting soft streaks across her room, but the warmth of the day did little to chase away the tension she still carried.
She remembered the fight—the shouting, the tears, the cold glares at the private playground yesterday. The argument replayed in her mind in flashes. Sakurai-san had looked so determined, so unyielding, and Miyazaki-san… Miyazaki-san had walked away without a word, her face calm but distant. Leah's own outburst of emotion had left her feeling both relieved and ashamed.
With a sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I can't… I can't do anything about it right now," she muttered softly. She got dressed, quickly, mechanically, avoiding glances in the mirror, avoiding thinking too deeply about anything.
She left her house quietly, skipping breakfast. She didn't want to face Miyazaki-san or Sakurai-san this morning—at least, not until she could collect herself.
Meanwhile, Miyazaki-san sat at her desk in her own room, staring at the school calendar, her pencil hovering above an open notebook. Her mind wasn't on her studies. It was on Jousuke Daikuhara—his smile, the way he listened, the subtle warmth he carried. And the last time she'd seen him… before the New Year's fireworks, before all the chaos with Leah and Sakurai-san.
Her eyes narrowed, thinking. "Where could he be?" she whispered to herself. "He hasn't been in class. He didn't answer any of my calls… He didn't reply to my messages."
Her fingers tapped nervously on the desk, then she grabbed her phone. She considered texting, but stopped. She wanted to see him. She needed to see him. She wanted to make sure he was… okay.
By the time school started, Leah was already seated at her desk in Class 1-F, her posture stiff, her gaze fixed on her notebook. She scribbled absentmindedly, her mind elsewhere. Around her, Sakurai-san gave small glances toward her, but Leah refused to meet her eyes. The tension from yesterday still clung tightly around her, invisible yet undeniable.
Miyazaki-san, meanwhile, moved through the halls with careful determination. She checked in with Jitsukawa-chan and Poku-chan briefly, asking if they had seen Jousuke. No luck. Each passing corridor, each classroom, left her with a growing unease.
"He's not in the student council room," she muttered. "And he didn't come to our scheduled meeting… Where is he?"
Her heart beat faster with every unanswered question. The uncertainty gnawed at her. She knew he wasn't ignoring her intentionally—he had a quiet, thoughtful way of doing things—but not knowing… not seeing him… it left a cold emptiness she hadn't felt before.
During the break, Sakurai-san found herself beside Miyazaki-san in the empty courtyard near the back of the school.
"Have you seen him?" Sakurai-san asked, her voice low, but urgent.
"No," Miyazaki-san replied sharply, a little defensively. "I've been looking everywhere. And you? Have you?"
Sakurai-san shook her head, frowning. "I went to his house yesterday. He wasn't there. His mother said… he hasn't been home either."
Miyazaki-san's hand clenched slightly. "Then… where is he?"
Sakurai-san didn't answer. Instead, she looked around nervously, her gaze flicking down the streets that stretched from the school. "I… I don't know. Maybe he's… avoiding something? Or maybe he just… needed space?"
Miyazaki-san's chest tightened. "Avoiding? He wouldn't avoid us… I know him better than that. Something must have happened."
Sakurai-san said nothing, and the tension between them was palpable. Neither wanted to admit how worried they really were.
By lunchtime, Miyazaki-san had gathered some information from Poku-chan and Jitsukawa-chan. Jousuke had been seen walking in town a couple of times but alone, no one could confirm where exactly he went or where he ended up.
Leah, still tense and quiet, noticed Miyazaki-san's restlessness but stayed silent. She wasn't ready to speak yet, not when her own feelings were still tangled and raw.
Miyazaki-san decided she couldn't wait any longer. She would find him herself.
After school, she left the campus without telling anyone, walking briskly down the streets she thought he might take. Her breath came in visible puffs in the cold winter air. Every step was heavy with anticipation and worry.
Sakurai-san, unable to resist her concern, had followed discreetly from a distance. She watched Miyazaki-san's determined stride, her jaw tightening. "I can't just wait," she whispered to herself. "He might be in trouble… or he might be alone… and that's not okay."
The two girls, walking separately but with the same destination in mind, scanned the streets and parks around their neighborhood.
Miyazaki-san paused near a small bridge over a quiet river, her chest heaving. She closed her eyes for a moment, imagining his face, imagining the quiet way he smiled when he wasn't worried about anyone else.
"Where are you, Jousuke…" she murmured, almost to herself.
She opened her eyes, scanning the surrounding streets again. And then a thought hit her.
"What if… what if he went to that place? That one place he always goes when he… needs time alone?"
Her heart raced. She didn't know why she thought of it, didn't know why it suddenly came to mind—but it felt right.
Miyazaki-san clenched her fists. "I have to go there. I have to find him."
Sakurai-san, a little behind her, watched the intensity in Miyazaki-san's eyes. She didn't speak, but her own worry mirrored it.
The afternoon sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the quiet streets. Miyazaki-san's thoughts raced with possibilities. She had to find him. She had to know he was okay.
As she continued walking, a strange mix of anticipation and fear built up inside her.
"Maybe he's there… maybe he's waiting… maybe… something happened."
Her breath caught, and her heart thumped in her chest.
And just as she rounded the corner, she froze.
Because in the distance, a familiar figure appeared—walking slowly, head down, unaware of anyone around him.
Miyazaki-san's eyes widened. "Jousuke…" she whispered, almost like a prayer.
Her hands shook slightly. Her heartbeat raced. The long week of uncertainty, worry, and restless searching had led her to this moment.