The days after the Momiji High second-year school trip felt like a dream drifting further into memory. Time passed gently yet irrevocably, and now Hikaru Kagawa and his circle of friends had crossed the threshold into their third year. It was summer vacation—a time for festivals, late-night conversations, and reflection.
Hikaru sat on the couch of his quiet house, the lights dimmed, a faint breeze from the fan brushing against his hair. Beside him, curled under a blanket like a timid hamster, was Yuki—his younger sister.
"I don't know why you do this to yourself," Hikaru said dryly, arms folded as he stared at the screen.
Yuki's eyes widened as a shadow appeared behind a girl on the screen. The girl turned around—empty hallway—and then BAM, a grotesque figure lunged at her.
Yuki shrieked and buried her face in Hikaru's shoulder.
He sighed. "You shouldn't watch it if you keep your eyes closed most of the time."
She peeked with one eye, pouting. "No, I'm definitely going to finish the trilogy. I need to know if the demon gets defeated or opens a bakery or something."
Despite himself, Hikaru chuckled. That was Yuki—terrified of everything but determined to face it anyway.
When the movie ended, Yuki bolted up and scampered to her room like her life depended on it, blanket trailing behind her like a ghost's tail. Hikaru shook his head, smiling fondly, before the doorbell rang.
"Please, don't summon any demons", Hikaru teased.
Opening the door, he found a tall, sharp-featured man in a formal business suit. Mr. Kagawa—his father.
"Father," Hikaru said quietly, stepping aside.
Mr. Kagawa nodded, entering with a mechanical grace, carrying the scent of cologne and corporate efficiency.
They sat across each other, like two polite strangers at a formal meeting.
"Are your studies going well?" his father asked.
"Yes. I got a perfect score on the last exams."
"Well, knowing you, that's expected."
Silence. Awkward, lingering silence. Then, Mr. Kagawa's voice lowered.
"Where is your sister?"
"She's sleeping."
Mr. Kagawa's face clouded. It wasn't disappointment or sadness—it was something like guilt, but stifled beneath layers of pride. He didn't say anything more about Yuki.
"I have to go now."
"Right."
When the door shut, Hikaru stared at it for a long moment, expression unreadable.
Will they ever accept Yuki? he thought. A girl like Yuki, so bright and alive, so brave in her fear. Yet even now, her father refused to see her.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, laughter filled a modest apartment. Haruki Kiryuu and Sakura Ayazawa were in the middle of what they called a 'home date'—cheap snacks, soft music, and teasing banter.
"Souta's love life is more tragic than the entire movie industry," Haruki said between bites of takoyaki.
Sakura giggled. "Six rejections in one semester. He should be awarded."
Haruki laughed. "Yeah. I told him not to confess to a girl just because she gave him a pen.'"
They burst into laughter. But as the chatter faded, the quiet between them grew tender.
Haruki glanced at Sakura, her eyes glistening with mirth, lips curled into a gentle smile. It struck him again just how deeply he loved her.
"I love you," he said softly.
Sakura turned red, avoiding his gaze. "Y-Yeah, me too."
It was the first time he had said it out loud like that. The silence stretched, and then Haruki leaned in. A kiss—brief, but it lingered in their breath.
Sakura was a little surprised but it seemed like she enjoyed it.
Later, they stepped outside. The summer evening was warm, cicadas chirping in the distance. Hand in hand, they strolled the quiet streets of Tokyo.
"I remember when we first met," Haruki said. "I was this awkward, isolated kid, and you… you were this unstoppable force of kindness."
Sakura smiled, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "You were hard to approach, you know. Always sitting in the corner. I thought you hated everyone."
"I didn't hate them," Haruki murmured. "I just… didn't know how to trust anymore."
Sakura squeezed his hand. "You've come so far."
But fate had its own plans.
As they walked through the mall, Sakura suddenly stumbled.
"U-Uh…" she said faintly.
"Sakura?"
Her knees buckled. She collapsed.
"Sakura!!" Haruki shouted, his voice breaking through the mall's white noise.
Panic erupted. Staff and strangers rushed over. An ambulance was called. Everything happened too fast.
At the hospital, Haruki sat alone in the waiting area. The clock ticked painfully slow. His hands trembled.
Not her, please not her.
Sakura's mother appeared with red eyes. "You can see her now."
Haruki rushed in.
Sakura lay in bed, pale but smiling, tears lining her eyes. "Hey…"
He sat by her side, gripping her hand. "What happened? Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay."
"I'm sorry," she said. "I've been hiding something from you."
"What do you mean?"
"I have cardiovascular disease. I've known since first year. The doctors say… I don't have long."
This was the secret of Sakura Ayazawa which Hikaru Kagawa found out somehow.
Haruki's world shattered in a single breath.
He stood, eyes wide. "No. No, that's not possible. You—no, you can't…"
"I didn't want to burden you. Or scare you away."
"Why didn't you tell me?!"
His voice broke. Tears fell. His heart felt like it had been torn open.
He couldn't stay. He ran.
He didn't know how far he ran. Somewhere between blocks of Tokyo and the edge of despair, he found himself on a park bench. The sun had begun to set.
Why? Why her? he thought. Why now?
He remembered middle school. The beatings. The laughter. How they called him a freak for reading alone. For stuttering. For existing.
He remembered walking into high school with walls thicker than steel. Not speaking to anyone. Sitting in the last seat by the window. Watching. Hiding.
And then, one day, she sat next to him.
Sakura Ayazawa.
"Do you always read alone?" she had asked.
He hadn't replied.
The next day, she brought two juice boxes. One for her. One she left on his desk.
It kept going. Every day, small gestures. A notebook when he forgot his. A pencil when his broke. A laugh when he muttered something sarcastic under his breath. And somehow, he started replying.
She didn't break through his walls—she sat outside them until he opened the door.
Through her, he always got closer to Renji Kanzaki and Yume Amagiri.
Back in the present, Haruki wiped his tears.
She never gave up on me. I won't give up on her.
Haruki made up his mind. He decided to spend time with Sakura and maker her happy.
He wanted to spend the days together until death aparts them .
He returned to the hospital.
When he entered her room again, Sakura's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry," he said, sitting beside her. "For running."
She shook her head. "I'm the one who didn't tell you the truth."
"No. You were scared. And so was I."
He reached out, gently taking her hand.
"Why did you talk to me when no one else did?"
"I don't know," she said, smiling through tears. "I guess… it was fate."
"Thank You" he whispered.
At that moment, Sakura thought in her mind
"It wasn't me who saved you. It was you who saved me"
Their bond, now etched in suffering, love, and acceptance, deepened.