After library That Evening – Shion's flat
His desk was scattered with mock papers.
He scribbled: Define psychological trauma.
The pen froze.
Even writing the word was heavy.
Exams weren't just questions for him—they were triggers. Each answer scraped at old wounds.
His phone lit up.
Kasumi's message:
"Are you studying?"
Shion typed back: Yeah.
Her reply came quickly:
"If something's hard, just ask me… I mean, if you want to."
Shion stared at the screen. He typed something… then deleted it.
Only one word circled in his heart—shion.
That night, lying in bed, he whispered to the ceiling:
"…If I come first again… then what?"
Only silence answered.
---
Exam Day – Courtyard
The courtyard buzzed with nervous chatter.
Groups of students clutched their notes. Anxiety and excitement mixed in the air.
Ren paced frantically.
"I studied, I swear I did… but it all evaporated this morning!"
His friends laughed behind him.
"Egret's gonna sink again!"
Ren spun around, furious.
"You little—!" But they bolted away.
Shion arrived, calm as ever. Kasumi walked in with Yeamori and Youri.
Yeamori glanced at Kasumi, her thoughts sharp.
You never told me you liked Shion… Is he really the right one for you?
Shion sat beside Souta on a bench.
"Why are you so calm?"
Souta smiled faintly.
"I like being this way."
But in his mind, Airi's voice echoed: "Best of luck, Minami."
Shion studied his face.
"You okay, Souta?"
Souta forced a small laugh.
"Hah… Shion Amano worrying about me? I'm fine. Good luck to you too."
---
Inside Exam Hall
Papers opened. Pens scratched.
Shion was locked in focus. Souta wrote at a steady pace. Kasumi leaned forward, carefully shaping her answers.
Ren, meanwhile, wore his usual exaggerated stress face, muttering under his breath.
When time ended, the students flooded out of the hall.
Kasumi stood to the side, waiting. Souta passed her, said nothing, and walked on.
Kasumi's heart whispered: I want to talk to Shion. Walk with him. Just… be near him.
Yeamori and Youri approached.
"How was it?" Yeamori asked.
Kasumi smiled.
"Pretty good."
They waved goodbye, leaving her alone.
Then, Shion stepped out slowly. His eyes flicked toward her in far.
She's waited for me every day… Maybe I should start coming out earlier.
Shion walk , close to kasumi and softly say.
"Thanks, Kasumi."
She blinked. "For what?"
"For waiting for me."
Her face lit up with a glow she couldn't hide.
"…Okay."
Side by side, they walked out the gates.
Their footsteps fell into the same rhythm—quiet, but together.
Kasumi and Shion walked side by side along the footpath.
White wired earphones rested in Shion's ears. His eyes stayed forward, expression calm.
Each step matched the steady rhythm, as if the music itself controlled his pace.
Kasumi waved her hand in front of his face.
He blinked slowly. "What is it?"
"I… I wanna listen too," Kasumi said, a little hesitant.
Shion pulled out one earbud and held it toward her.
"Here. Play your favorite."
A small smile touched her lips. She unlocked her phone, scrolled, then slipped the earbud in.
"Okay."
Music began—
The music floated softly into her ear, a love song about meeting someone who had always been waiting. Her chest warmed instantly.
Her eyes drifted from the road… to Shion's face.
The air carried only the lyrics, and the silence of their hearts.
A faint smile curved her lips, while something softer, unfamiliar, spread across his.
In that moment, Kasumi's smile awakened a new melody inside Shion—
a fleeting harmony that made life, if only for a while, feel more beautiful.
Crowds of students walked past, but for the two of them… the world had shrunk to something small.
Something theirs alone.
Latter that moment,Evening after the exams, Shion sat alone in his room.
The desk lamp threw a cone of light over his notebook. The page was still blank.
A pen was in his hand, but the courage to write seemed to have slipped away.
"today before school… that smile… that song…"
His voice barely left his throat.
"I don't know what Kasumi was thinking. Maybe she felt it casually… and maybe I read it all wrong."
His phone flashed. Kasumi's name lit the screen.
"Good luck for tomorrow "
Shion stared at the message for a while. His finger moved to type, then froze.
He flipped the phone face down. No reply.
At the same time, Kasumi sat in her room. Her textbook lay open, but her eyes weren't on it. Her phone rested in her hand.
"Why didn't he reply?" she wondered.
"Did I act too casual today? Or did he expect something else from me?"
She sighed, set the phone aside, and opened her diary. She wrote:
"Today felt like he was a little distant. Maybe I should give him some space."
Two people in two rooms. Both thinking the same thing—yet neither could reach the other's heart.
The next morning was the last day of exams. Kasumi and Shion opened their flat door together and stepped out. As they descended the stairs, their eyes met.
Kasumi's heart thudded and thought.
"After I played that song yesterday… my feelings got deeper. Now I can't even look him in the eye."
Shion kept watching her and softly whispered.
"Why are you so quiet, Kasumi? What are you thinking?"
When she walked closer, Shion reached out and placed his hand on her forehead.
"W-what are you doing?" Kasumi blushed.
"Just checking if you have a fever."
"I'm fine… not sick."
"Then why weren't you looking at me?"
She froze.
"N—nothing."
Latter They walked side by side down the footpath. After a while, Kasumi hesitated and then asked,
"Shion… what are you doing for vacation?"
"I don't really have plans yet."
"Then… come to my house. I think you'll like it."
"You'll have trouble, though."
"Not at all. I just want you with me…" She left the sentence unfinished.
"Kasumi?"
"Please come."
Shion glanced at her, then nodded.
"All right. I'll go."
A soft glow spread across Kasumi's face.
The corridor still buzzed with small talk. Exam stress showed on everyone's faces. Then President Souta appeared—calm, confident.
"I know exams were tough," his voice carried down the hall, "but now it's time to relax. Christmas is coming… and I want you all to enjoy your holidays without worry."
A student piped up, half-joking, "What if the results are bad?"
Souta just smiled.
"Do your work, don't worry about the outcome. And with that—I announce this year's winter school party, just like last year!"
The corridor erupted in cheers.
"You always show up with the best announcements!"
"Nice one, President!"
Even the teachers standing nearby smiled at one another.
---Chapter 18 end---