"It's been a long time since school ended… Why are you two still here in the classroom? Yoshida-san? You weren't around all afternoon. Did something happen?"
Standing at the doorway, Kiryu Yuzuki blinked in surprise as she looked into the nearly empty classroom. Seeing Haruto there was unexpected—but not too unusual. But when her eyes landed on Saki, her expression shifted to one of genuine concern and confusion.
Yuzuki stepped in slightly, her gaze quietly scanning the two students.
Haruto had just turned around, having helped Saki gather her things. Hearing the familiar voice, he looked back and raised an eyebrow in surprise. He hadn't expected today to be Kiryu-sensei's turn for cleaning duty.
Behind him, Saki visibly shrank back.
Uneasy, she slipped behind Haruto's back, avoiding Yuzuki's gaze entirely. After all that had happened, she could no longer trust people so easily.
She'd learned the hard way—through silence, through cold stares—that people would rather pretend not to see cruelty than get involved. Even teachers… she no longer believed they were exceptions.
Her body trembled slightly as she clung to Haruto's back, biting her lip to keep from saying anything.
Haruto could feel her hesitation. Her trembling against his back told him more than words ever could.
He sighed quietly, then looked up at Kiryu.
"Sensei, could I talk to you for a moment?"
"Of course. If something's wrong, I'd like to help. Did something happen?"
"Not here. Can we talk outside? Yoshida-san… please wait in the classroom. I'll be back soon."
He turned and gently placed a hand on Saki's head, giving her a soft smile as he ruffled her hair. She looked up at him, eyes wide, but nodded faintly.
Then, with a small glance toward Kiryu, the two of them stepped outside. They stopped just a short distance away—close enough for Saki to still see them from inside.
Kiryu's expression grew serious. She'd already sensed something was off when she saw the girl hiding behind Haruto like that.
"This is about Yoshida-san, isn't it?" she asked, voice low.
"How much do you know?" Haruto asked in return.
"Not much… I noticed she wasn't in class this afternoon, so I asked around. The other students said she might've gone to the infirmary."
"Did you check there?"
"I did. But she wasn't there. I asked again… but no one gave me a straight answer."
She hesitated. Her gaze shifted slightly, recalling how she hadn't thought much of it at the time. She'd looked for Saki around the school but eventually gave up and went back to her own duties, deciding to follow up tomorrow.
But now, seeing the two of them together—she realized this wasn't something she could leave alone anymore.
"…Did something serious happen?" she asked, watching Haruto closely.
"She's being bullied."
"…I thought so." Her tone stiffened. "Do you know exactly what's been happening?"
"It started with her being forced to take over cleaning duties. But now it's escalated… She was cornered and bullied in the girls' restroom."
Kiryu's eyes widened slightly. Her brows furrowed with concern as she took a deep breath.
"Do you know who did it?"
Haruto shook his head. "I've only heard bits and pieces. I don't know their names."
"But… Yoshida-san must know, right?"
"She's not in any state to talk about that right now. I don't think pressing her for details would help."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"Let's exchange contact information, Sensei. Once I've confirmed who they are, I'll pass it along to you."
Kiryu turned to glance inside the classroom again, her eyes falling on the timid girl who was still hiding in the corner. Seeing that, she nodded quietly.
The two exchanged contact info. With a small bow of gratitude, Haruto returned to the classroom. He took Saki's hand gently and, after saying goodbye to Kiryu, led her out of the school.
"…Um, Miyamizu-kun," Saki spoke hesitantly.
"Yeah?"
"What did Kiryu-sensei say back there?"
"She's been trying to find you all afternoon too. She went looking, even checked the infirmary—but you weren't there. Don't worry. I'll tell her who those girls are. She and I will deal with it. You don't have to worry about a thing."
"…Okay."
Saki nodded softly, casting a side glance at Haruto's hand holding hers. Her cheeks flushed with warmth.
As they reached her house, she stopped in front of the door and turned to him.
"Well… I guess I'll head back now," Haruto said gently.
"Um… Miyamizu-kun…" she mumbled, fidgeting.
"Yeah?"
"My family… they're not home. So… would you… maybe stay for a bit?"
She looked up at him, eyes slightly wet, voice barely more than a whisper.
Haruto blinked, then smiled softly.
"Sure. I'll keep you company for a while."
There wasn't anything pressing waiting for him at home anyway. Normally, he'd spend his evening around Sekai or just zoning out in his apartment, stuck trying to think of what to write next. Spending time with Saki seemed like a better way to pass the time.
With that, he stepped inside at her invitation.
She led him to the living room, where he sat down on the couch while she poured him a cup of tea.
"Are your parents away because of work?"
"Mm… they've been sent overseas on a long-term assignment. Something about a chaotic region. They said it'd be better if I stayed behind."
"Overseas?" Haruto echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. It's apparently not the safest place, so they didn't want me going with them…"
She trailed off.
Given what had happened today, Haruto figured—if her parents found out—there were only two options: either they'd cancel the trip to stay with her, or they'd take her abroad with them.
"Did they even consider taking you with them?"
"They said it was too dangerous… and besides…"
"If they knew what happened today, I'm guessing they'd change their minds. They might want to take you with them for your safety."
"…."
After hearing what Haruto said, Saki fell silent. Sitting in the living room, she bit her lip and lowered her head.
Leaving the country—perhaps in the past it wasn't a good option. But now, it might just be the best one for her.
Starting over in a new place. A new life.
But as she slowly lifted her head and looked at the boy in front of her, there was a flicker of hope in her eyes. She bit her lip again, this time with determination.
"I... want to stay. I want to try living on my own. I don't want to leave this place."
Haruto was a little surprised by her answer. He hadn't expected her to say that.
"You talked with Kiryu-sensei a lot earlier… it was all for me, right? If I just ran away… it would feel like I was betraying her efforts too. So… I want to stay. I want to try facing everything."
"I see," Haruto said, nodding in understanding as he looked at her.
"Then let's work together. We'll handle this properly—together."
"Yeah!"
After spending some time at Saki's house, Haruto eventually headed back to his apartment.
Once home, he casually gave a call to Koharu, chatted briefly, then headed to the Kiyoura household to see if Setsuna was home—and maybe join them for dinner.
_ _ _ _ _
What happened with Saki had been a heavy ordeal. For a normal girl, it was too much to handle alone. Unable to maturely process things, she had just kept enduring the bullying, burying her fear deep inside without telling anyone. That kind of pressure could easily lead to something worse.
"So, what happened?" Koharu asked.
"They were caught red-handed by Kiryu-sensei," Haruto explained. "They had no way to talk their way out of it. I also spoke to my father about it, and the school has decided to take disciplinary action. Those girls will be spending some time at home for reflection."
Haruto had coordinated with both Koharu and Kiryu-sensei to stage a kind of trap. Not exactly a noble plan, but effective.
The idea was simple: bring up the bullying incident during class in a vague but pointed way—just enough to make the culprits feel exposed. If they showed remorse, it would end there. But if they tried to retaliate...
And as Haruto expected, most people don't take responsibility. Those girls placed all the blame on Saki, assuming she had snitched, and grew even more hostile.
During lunch break, when Saki went to the restroom alone, the two girls followed her—just like last time. They intended to give her another "lesson."
But what they didn't expect was Kiryu-sensei hiding in one of the stalls.
At first, Kiryu-sensei didn't like the idea of using bait to catch students. She didn't believe they could be that malicious. But Haruto's insistence convinced her to try. Even she hadn't expected just how cruel those girls really were.
Meanwhile, Koharu—being the daughter of a school board director—had quietly shared the incident with her father, expressing her concern for safety on campus.
Back in the astronomy club room, Haruto wrapped his arms around the silver-haired girl and gently kissed her soft cheek.
"Thanks. You really helped."
"I hate that kind of thing too," Koharu said. "That's why I wanted to support you. But… Haruto, why did you help a girl like Yoshida Saki in the first place? Was there some other reason?"
She tilted her head up, peering curiously at him. If it were a cute or popular girl, maybe she could understand. But Saki was plain, almost invisible at school.
"Because I know her," Haruto replied softly. "Just knowing someone is enough."
"I see."
"Are those white stockings today?"
The sudden shift in topic made Koharu blink in confusion. She looked down at her legs, then gave a small nod.
"Yeah."
"You're so cute, Koharu."
With her petite frame, Haruto easily lifted her into his arms. Gazing into her sparkling eyes, he leaned in...
After school, as Haruto approached the school gate to head home, he spotted a familiar figure waiting—Yoshida Saki. Their eyes met, and she quickly stepped toward him.
"Were you waiting for me?"
"Miyamizu-kun… thank you."
"You should be thanking Kiryu-sensei. Without her, this wouldn't have gone so smoothly."
"I already did," Saki said, nodding. "So… do you have time today?"
Haruto raised an eyebrow.
"What's up?"
"My parents aren't home today… so… I was wondering… would you like to come over…?"
Her voice trailed off into a whisper, barely audible. Her cheeks were flushed red as she stared up at him.
Haruto found her reaction amusing. After a moment of thought, he smiled and nodded.
"Sure. I've got time."