Part 7 — Souta Arrives Alone
The classroom slowly filled with conversation as students arrived one by one.
Some talked about assignments.
Others talked quietly about the explosions from the previous evening.
Nobody seemed completely relaxed anymore.
Even the usual morning energy felt weaker.
Haruto sat in his seat, occasionally glancing toward the door.
Kaito looked tired.
Ayame sat quietly beside them.
Then Haruto's eyes drifted toward a familiar seat.
Yuna's.
Empty.
Several students had already looked over at it.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The longer it remained empty—
the more uncomfortable the room became.
Arashi eventually leaned back slightly.
"...She's late."
Amaya frowned.
"...Yuna is never late."
Izumi quietly nodded.
Even that simple observation made the room feel heavier.
Nobody wanted to say what they were thinking.
Then—
the classroom door slid open.
Everyone looked up.
Souta stood there.
And immediately—
the room fell quieter.
Because something was wrong.
Not visibly wrong.
But wrong.
His uniform looked rushed.
His hair wasn't properly fixed.
Dark circles sat beneath his eyes.
His shoulders looked heavy.
Like he was carrying something nobody else could see.
For a moment nobody spoke.
Souta didn't greet anyone.
Didn't smile.
Didn't complain.
Didn't joke.
He simply walked toward his seat.
Slowly.
Silently.
Then sat down.
His bag slipped from his shoulder onto the floor.
And he just stared at his desk.
The room remained quiet.
Haruto exchanged a glance with Ayame.
Even Kaito looked uneasy.
Eventually Haruto stood.
"...Souta?"
No response.
Souta remained staring downward.
Ayame spoke gently.
"...Are you okay?"
Still no answer.
One by one—
Class 1 slowly gathered around him.
Haruto.
Kaito.
Ayame.
Arashi.
Amaya.
Izumi.
Even several others nearby.
Nobody knew exactly what was wrong.
But everyone knew something had happened.
Then Arashi finally asked:
"...Where's Yuna?"
The question hung in the air.
Souta's fingers tightened slightly.
His head lowered further.
For several seconds—
he didn't answer.
Then quietly—
almost too quietly—
he spoke.
"...She's still in the hospital."
The classroom froze.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Haruto felt his chest tighten.
Kaito immediately stiffened.
Ayame's expression changed.
Arashi stared.
Amaya's eyes widened.
The room became completely silent.
Souta continued staring at his desk.
"...Yesterday..."
His voice sounded exhausted.
"...We were going out to eat."
Nobody interrupted.
"...Then the explosion happened."
The silence remained.
"...I carried her."
A pause.
"...There was blood."
His voice nearly disappeared.
"...A lot of blood."
Several students looked away.
Others stared at the floor.
Nobody knew what to say.
Souta swallowed.
"...The doctors treated her immediately."
His hands clenched.
"...They said..."
His voice stopped.
The words refused to come out.
For several moments—
nothing.
Then quietly—
he forced himself to continue.
"...They said we were lucky, because she might have died if i would have taken her a bit late."
The room remained silent.
Nobody missed what that meant.
Nobody needed further explanation.
Haruto slowly lowered his gaze.
Kaito's hands had become fists.
Ayame looked shaken.
Because suddenly—
yesterday's explosions didn't feel far away anymore.
Now they had a face.
A friend.
A classmate.
Someone they saw every day.
Souta rubbed his eyes quickly.
Trying not to cry.
"...She's awake now."
Several students released breaths they hadn't realized they were holding.
But Souta still looked exhausted.
Still looked scared.
Still looked like he hadn't slept all night.
Nobody knew what to say.
Nobody knew how to help.