"Chihara?" I called out softly, my voice echoing faintly through the quiet hall.
The moment that name left my lips, the woman froze mid-step. Her back stiffened slightly, as if the word had struck something deep within her.
Her hair was different now. It was longer, a little bit darker, and the color had changed to something richer than before. She didn't look exactly like the person I once knew, but even so… I could never mistake that face. It had only been days since the last time I saw her, yet the image of that woman was burned too deeply into my memory to fade away so easily.
She was the one who had always been there for Tsubasa when no one else was. When he had no one to lean on, she was by his side, quietly supporting him. They had grown close—too close—that every time I saw them together, it felt like someone was squeezing my chest.
And then, she became the reason for his death.
