Saki sat curled up in the corner of the couch, her knees pulled to her chest. The way her hand rested under her chin felt like a single shoulder was trying to carry the weight of the entire world.
The living room was silent… yet Saki's mind was the complete opposite, overflowing with storms.
"Hmm… who's the second person…?"
Her thoughts offered no reply.
"Ugh…"
She took a long, shaky breath.
"So what am I supposed to do now…?"
It felt as if someone had dropped a single question deep inside her heart, and that question kept growing and growing.
Who was it?
Who else knew that special song?
Who besides Hiroki could possibly know it?
Yet someone else did… and that person wasn't giving any answers.
Saki suddenly jumped to her feet.
"Thinking about it won't solve anything," she muttered.
She opened the kitchen cabinet, grabbed a pack of crackers, and went back to the couch.
But even after opening the pack, she couldn't eat a single piece.
Her thoughts were too heavy—heavier than her hunger.
Then her phone buzzed.
A bright name lit up the screen: Miyuki.
Saki held her breath.
Should she ignore it?
But her finger had already tapped the screen.
Miyuki: Sakiiiiii!
Saki rolled her eyes and typed back:
Saki: What is it, Miyuki?
A moment later, Miyuki answered:
Miyuki: Well, you embarrassed Hiroki!
He just remembered everything and now he's super shy!
If you want, I can tell him to come back, hihihi.
Saki's heart instantly sped up.
Hiroki… was embarrassed?
Why?
Because of what?
But Miyuki's carefree tone triggered another thought.
"Miyuki… leave me alone."
She sent the message, then tossed her phone face-down onto the couch.
Something curling in her chest felt suspiciously like jealousy… but she wasn't ready to admit that to herself.
"…I just realized," she murmured with a tremble,
"…Hiroki and Miyuki are pretty close."
Her hand drifted back under her chin, her eyes clouding with unease.
"What if… the second person… is Miyuki?"
The possibility stung—sharp and sudden.
Miyuki was her closest friend.
But knowing that song?
No… impossible…
It was too special.
Too private.
A piece of Saki's inner world.
"No…" she whispered.
"Would Hiroki really tell Miyuki something that important?
Then again… maybe he would."
Even that tiny possibility tightened her stomach into a cold knot.
She clutched her teddy bear against her chest, its soft fluff somehow helping her breathe.
"I want to know…" she whispered.
"I want to know who it is…"
And with the weight of her tangled thoughts, her eyes slowly closed.
Sleep wrapped around her like an escape.
---
The Next Morning — School's Chaos
Saki walked to school in a distracted haze.
The wind tousled her hair, but it couldn't dislodge the thoughts tangled in her mind.
Even the chatter of students pouring in through the school gates couldn't drown out the question repeating nonstop in her head.
"Who is the second person…?"
"Why didn't Hiroki say anything?"
"Is it Miyuki… or someone completely different?"
Every hallway she walked down, every face she passed—everyone suddenly felt suspicious.
Then a firm voice thundered behind her:
"Aoki! Just reminding you the project deadline is tomorrow!"
Principal Fujita's voice hit her like a slap.
Saki blinked. "To… tomorrow?"
Of course she had forgotten.
All she'd thought about yesterday was that one thing:
The person who knew the song.
And Hiroki's expression.
She reached for a classroom door, but at the exact same moment another hand grabbed the same doorknob.
Time seemed to freeze.
Her breath caught.
She slowly turned her head.
Hiroki.
A gentle surprise flickered in his eyes, and a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"Saki? You seem distracted."
His voice was softer than usual—almost careful—
as if he could sense the storm swirling inside her.
Saki snatched her hand back.
"Ah—uh… just a bit sleepy…"
But that wasn't true.
The real reason… was Hiroki.
Every question she had revolved around him.
Hiroki opened the door and glanced back at her.
"I thought something happened to you."
Saki took a slow breath and forced the words out:
"Hiroki… can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
Her heart raced, her cheeks warming.
"Um… that song… you know the one…"
Hiroki froze.
His expression darkened for a split second—barely noticeable—before he steadied himself.
Saki continued softly:
"There's… someone else who knows it.
But I don't know who."
Hiroki stepped back, avoiding her eyes.
"Saki… not now. Please."
"N-Not now…?"
Her voice cracked slightly.
Hiroki gave her a gentle, almost apologetic smile.
"Later," he said.
"When the time is right."
Then he walked into the classroom.
He didn't look back.
But Saki noticed something:
Hiroki's ears were bright red.
The Quiet Inside Saki
Hiroki knows something.
He definitely knows something.
But why won't he say it?
What is he hiding?
From me… or from someone else?
A faint trembling stirred in Saki's chest—
a mix of fear, embarrassment, and a small, undeniable hint of jealousy.
"Could it be… the person I'm thinking of…?"
And the moment she learned the answer—
her entire tomorrow would change.