The weeks following the birthday party slipped by in a blur of classes, exams, and the quiet hum of everyday life, but Hayato still hadn't found the right moment to tell Chiaki about his plans to study in the U.S. after graduation. Hayato had rehearsed the conversation in his mind countless times, but every time he tried to bring it up, something always seemed to get in the way—whether it was a group of classmates interrupting, a teacher calling for attention, or simply his own hesitation. He didn't want to hurt her, and the thought of leaving her behind filled him with a sense of guilt he couldn't quite shake.
Meanwhile, Chiaki had noticed the subtle changes in Hayato's behavior—the way he sometimes seemed distant, lost in thought, or the way he would look at her as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself. She didn't press him, though. She trusted that he would tell her when he was ready.
Everything changed one afternoon during P.E. class. The sun was bright, casting a warm glow over the school as students ran laps around the track. Chiaki, never the athletic type, was trying her best to keep up when a classmate, distracted by a joke, accidentally bumped into her.
She fell hard, scraping her knee on the rough track. Pain shot through her leg, and blood started to trickle down. Before she could react, Hayato was already beside her, his face full of worry. Without saying a word, he gently lifted her into his arms and carried her straight to the nurse's office. Chiaki's cheeks flushed t from how protectively he held her.
At the nurse's office, Hayato insisted on cleaning her wound himself. His hands were steady and gentle as he applied antiseptic, his focus never wavering. Chiaki watched him quietly, her heart full. There was something in the way he cared for her—the softness in his touch, the way he focused so seriously. Finally, gathering her courage, she spoke his name softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hayato..."
He looked up, his expression unreadable but his gaze steady. "Actually, I..." she began, her voice trembling with the weight of her confession. But before she could continue, Hayato interrupted her, his tone firm yet gentle. "I have something to tell you too," he said, his eyes searching hers. Chiaki's heart stopped. Could he possibly...? Was he about to say what she had been longing to hear? Her mind raced with possibilities, her breath catching in her throat.
But before either of them could say another word, the door to the nurse's office burst open, and a group of concerned classmates rushed in, their voices overlapping as they asked, "Chiaki, are you alright?"
The moment was shattered, the fragile thread of connection between them snapped. "Yes, thanks to Hayato," she managed to reply, forcing a smile as she tried to mask her disappointment.
One of the girls, oblivious to the tension, giggled and said, "You two must be dating! How lucky, Chiaki!" The comment made Chiaki's cheeks burn, and she quickly shook her head, her voice firm.
"No, you've got it wrong—we're just childhood friends. Right, Hayato?" But when she turned to look at him, he stood up and walked out of the room without a word. His sudden, cold departure left Chiaki stunned, the air around her feeling heavier, emptier. She stared at the door, her heart aching with the sense that something had irrevocably changed between them. Yet, despite the turmoil inside her, she couldn't find the courage to call out to him. The moment had passed, and with it, the chance to say what she had been holding in her heart for so long.
In the days that followed the incident in the nurse's office, Hayato grew increasingly distant, his once warm and familiar presence now replaced by a cold, unapproachable demeanor.
Each time Chiaki tried to approach him, whether it was to ask about homework, share a quick laugh, or simply check in on him, he would find a reason to slip away—suddenly remembering an errand he had to run, a friend he needed to meet, or a class he had to prepare for. His avoidance left Chiaki confused and hurt, her mind racing with questions she couldn't answer. Had she done something wrong? Was he upset with her? The more she tried to bridge the gap between them, the wider it seemed to grow.
He stopped waiting for her after class, choosing instead to leave early with other friends, his laughter echoing down the hallway as he walked away without a backward glance. If she texted him, his replies were short and indifferent, devoid of the warmth and playfulness she had come to cherish.
When she entered a room, he would turn his back or pretend to be deeply engrossed in a conversation, his body language screaming that he wanted nothing to do with her. The sudden shift in their relationship felt like a knife twisting in her chest, and she couldn't understand why he was pushing her away.
One afternoon, after days of trying and failing to get through to him, Chiaki finally caught up to Hayato outside the school gates. She called out to him, her voice trembling with a mix of frustration and desperation. "Hayato, are you avoiding me? Did I do something wrong?" she asked, her eyes searching his face for answers. Hayato stopped in his tracks, his jaw clenching as he stared at the pavement, refusing to meet her gaze.
For a moment, he said nothing, the silence between them heavy and suffocating. Then, finally, he spoke, his voice low and tinged with bitterness. "You made it clear, didn't you? We're just childhood friends. Nothing more." His words hit her like a punch to the gut, leaving her breathless and stunned.
Chiaki opened her mouth to respond, to tell him that she hadn't meant it that way, that she cared about him more than he could ever know, but Hayato had already walked away with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. The finality in his tone crushed her.
Then came the morning that changed everything. Chiaki woke to the insistent ringing of her phone, the sound jarring her out of a restless sleep. She fumbled for the device, her heart already racing as she answered the call. "Chiaki, where are you? Aren't you coming to the airport?" Sohei's urgent voice crackled through the line, catching her completely off guard.
"The airport? What do you mean?" she asked, her mind still foggy with sleep. There was a pause on the other end, and then Sohei's voice, tinged with disbelief, replied, "You don't know? Hayato's leaving for the U.S. today." The words hit her like a thunderclap, her breath catching in her throat as the realization sank in. Hayato was leaving. Today. And he hadn't told her. The call ended abruptly, leaving Chiaki in a state of panic. She scrambled out of bed, her hands shaking as she threw on the first clothes she could find and rushed out the door, her heart pounding in her chest.
The drive to the airport was a blur, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts and emotions—why hadn't he told her? How could he leave without saying goodbye? What did this mean for them?
When she finally arrived at the airport, her breath coming in short gasps as she sprinted through the terminal, she found him. But what she saw stopped her in her tracks, her heart shattering into a million pieces. Hayato was standing near the departure gate, his luggage at his feet, but he wasn't alone. Beside him stood a striking young lady, her elegant demeanor and confident smile making her seem like the perfect complement to Hayato. They were talking quietly, their heads close together, and the intimacy of the moment was unmistakable.
Chiaki felt as though the ground had been ripped out from under her, her mind reeling with questions she couldn't answer. Who was she? Why was Hayato leaving with her? And why hadn't he told her any of this? The sight of them together, so effortlessly connected, shattered something deep inside Chiaki, leaving her with a pain that would haunt her for years to come. She wanted to run to him, to demand answers, to tell him how she felt, but her feet refused to move. Instead, she stood there, frozen, as Hayato and the mysterious woman disappeared through the gates, taking with them the answers to questions she hadn't even known to ask. And just like that, the boy who had been her constant, her protector, her everything, was gone.