The world didn't end when Shizuku died.
But for Rin, Kanemachi froze in place.
He wandered the empty halls of Hoshikawa High in late January, where lockers stood silent
and footprints faded on frosty floors. The school's cleanliness crew still placed a single
bouquet on the rooftop bench each morning—no one knew who left it.
Two days after the small funeral at Kanzaki General Hospital, Rin drifted home through
Asahigaoka, past dimly lit izakaya and shuttered shops, until he reached his apartment. He
collapsed on the tatami, the mirror with the cherry blossom pressed against his chest.
✦ Morning After
Kazuki Nanami stormed into his classroom, flung open the sliding window, and let in a gust
of winter air.
"This isn't living," he barked at Rin, who sat at his desk like a ghost.
Rin's gaze remained fixed on the falling snow. "I'm just… here."
Kazuki dropped a paper bag on the floor. Inside: onigiri, bottled barley tea, and the photo of
the three of them on the rooftop.
"She wanted you to see snow," Kazuki muttered. "So here it is."
Rin didn't move. Kazuki left the bag by his feet and walked out.
✦ Night on the Rooftop
That night, moonlight glinted off the snow-dusted fencing of the Hoshikawa High rooftop.
Rin climbed the stairs without hearing the echoes of his own footsteps.
He reached the ledge—the one where he and Shizuku shared secrets—and stepped onto it.
The city lights of Kanemachi stretched below like a sea of fireflies.
His phone buzzed. A message from Kazuki:
"Don't do this alone."
Rin slipped his phone into his pocket and closed his eyes.
One step forward—
A soft creak from the opposite side of the railing stopped him.
He opened his eyes to find a girl standing there, coat collar high, hair drifting in the wind.
"Hikari Minamoto," he breathed. "What are you doing here?"
She didn't answer. She simply met his gaze, then sat at the edge, legs dangling into the night.
"This is where she laughed," he whispered, voice echoing against the metal bars.
Hikari looked up at the sky. "I came here because it's quiet. And because… I thought I'd be
alone."
He swallowed. "You're not."
Snow began to fall as they both stepped back from the edge and sat down on the cold
concrete floor—two broken hearts in the winter of Kanemachi.