Echoes of the Past: Unraveled and Unseen"?

The next morning, I found myself waiting—though I wasn't sure why. Was I expecting Kane? No, that couldn't be it… could it?

A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. My heart jumped slightly as I went to open it.

It wasn't Kane.

Sayoko stood there, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow. "What's with that look?"

"Huh? Nothing," I said, quickly masking my disappointment.

She tilted her head. "Were you expecting someone else?"

I hesitated for a second too long. "…No."

Sayoko smirked. "I see. Well, I won't tell anyone~."

I nodded, pretending not to care, but she had already seen through me.

"Anyway, let's go to school," Sayoko said casually.

I frowned. "Why do you want to go with me?"

She shrugged. "Well, we went to karaoke together in front of everyone, so why not? There's no reason to hide it."

I sighed. "That's not really a reason."

She smirked. "Besides, you walk to school with Inoue-san, don't you? That means you have to go with me too."

I let out a small chuckle. "That logic makes no sense."

But I didn't argue further.

With that, we left for school.

As I stepped into the classroom, I immediately noticed something was off—everyone was staring at me. I had no idea what their problem was, so I ignored them and headed to my desk as usual.

"Good morning," Haru greeted.

"Morning," I replied, glancing at the seat beside me. Inoue was absent today. I mumbled something to myself but didn't dwell on it.

Homeroom passed in a blur, and before I knew it, lunch break had arrived.

As I made my way to the cafeteria, someone suddenly stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

Shibata.

To give some context—he's one of the most popular guys in our class.

 Shibata smirked. "Hey, I guess this is the first time we're talking, right? Um… Nara?"

I sighed. "It's Yuki Hara."

"Oh yeah, sorry. I didn't know your name since you're barely in class."

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, so what do you want, Shibata?"

He chuckled. "Oh? You know my name? That makes me happy."

I waited for him to get to the point.

"So… do you know why Inoue-san is absent today?"

"I don't."

He tilted his head. "Really? I thought you might since you two always come to school together."

"No idea. Now, if you'll excuse me—"

"Oh yeah, sure."

With that, I headed to the cafeteria, bought myself a rice ball, and started looking for a place to sit. But today, the cafeteria was packed—every table was full. As I scanned the room, wondering where to go, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

It was Sayoko, chatting with her group of friends.

She didn't notice me standing there, and I decided to leave her be. I didn't want to intrude. As her group disappeared into the crowd, I was left with the same question—where should I eat?

Then, I remembered the terrace. It was off-limits, but I knew how to get there unnoticed.

As I reached the entrance, ready to slip inside, I hesitated.

Someone was already there.

My heart skipped a beat. Was it a teacher? A staff member?

Now I was stuck—going in could get me caught, but turning back might draw attention.

What should I do?

 The person stood at the edge of the terrace, looking down, lost in thought. I wasn't sure if I should approach them. Maybe I should just sit quietly and not bother them.

But as I turned to take a seat, I stole another glance at them—

It was Kane.

She turned and noticed me. "How did you get up here? This place is forbidden, you know?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I know. But the cafeteria was packed, so I came here instead."

She nodded. "I see."

A brief silence settled between us before I asked, "What about you? You weren't in class today. Why are you here now?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering, "I had something to take care of, so I didn't come to school earlier. Then I had to talk with my grandfather, so I came back."

"I see," I said, not wanting to pry further.

I glanced at my watch. "I guess I should go now. Lunch break's almost over anyway."

She said nothing.

The whole time, she just stood there, staring at the clouds with a blank look in her eyes.

I turned to leave, but before I could take another step—

She ran toward me and wrapped her arms around me from behind.

Her voice was quiet, almost trembling. "What would you do if you knew you were going to die soon?"

I hesitated for a moment before answering. "If I knew I was about to die soon… I guess I'd feel relieved, knowing my suffering would finally end."

Silence.

"…Can you let me go now?" I asked softly.

She didn't move.

"Please stay like this for a while."

I said nothing.

Because I could feel her tears soaking into my shirt.

The bell rang.

She slowly let go of me, taking a step back. Her voice was soft, almost apologetic.

"I'm sorry… I took up your time. And I—" she glanced at my shirt, noticing the faint traces of her tears. "I made a mess… You couldn't even eat your lunch because of me. Also… about what happened today… Can you please keep it a secret?"

I exhaled. "It's fine. I was only going to eat a rice ball anyway. And yeah, I'll keep it a secret."

I paused, looking at her carefully. "But forget about me—what about you? You seemed worried. Then you started crying… and that weird question you asked."

She forced a small smile. "No, I'm okay… It's just… I have a lot going on lately."

She lowered her gaze. "And I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time. I know you don't like giving it to others."

Then, she bowed deeply. "I truly apologize."

 "It's fine… If it's you, I don't mind giving you my time."

For some reason, she blushed. Then, as if she hadn't been crying just moments ago, she smirked.

"I see… So, you can give me your time, huh?" she teased, nudging me.

I sighed. She bounced back fast… but at least she seemed okay now.

Just as I was about to respond, the sky rumbled, and within seconds, rain started pouring. Cold droplets hit our skin, soaking us in an instant.

"Great… just what we needed," I muttered.

With no choice, we ran toward the infirmary to dry off.

The school nurse gave us a sharp glare, arms crossed. "The terrace is off-limits, you two. What were you even doing there?" she scolded.

Neither of us answered.

After a long sigh, she handed us spare clothes. "Change into these before you catch a cold." And with that, she left.

Kane held up her set of clothes, then looked at me. "I'm going to change, so you better not peek, okay?"

I rolled my eyes. "Of course, I won't. I'm not a pervert."

She smirked. "Hmm… I'll take your word for it."

 With that, I turned around, giving Kane privacy to change.

"So, ask me anything," she said casually.

Before I could even think of a question, she started teasing.

"Hmm… Do you wanna know my bra size?" she giggled. "Or maybe what my type is? Oh! Or if I'm a virgin? But, you know, it's not very gentlemanly to ask a woman such things."

I sighed. "I'm not interested."

She pouted. "Oh man, that's too bad. I would've even told you, you know?"

Ignoring her playful antics, I asked something that had been on my mind. "Why did you ask me that weird question earlier?"

Silence.

The teasing atmosphere disappeared in an instant.

Then, in a quiet voice, she said, "You see… I've been diagnosed with cancer."

I froze.

I turned around, searching her face for any sign that this was some sick joke. "Please stop joking around, Kane. This isn't funny."

She met my gaze, her expression unreadable. "I'm not kidding." She let out a small, bitter laugh. "Even I just found out yesterday… I still don't know what to do about it."

I was at a loss for words. My mind went blank, and for a moment, the world around me felt unreal.

Kane let out a small breath and continued. "The doctor said it's the second stage of cancer. For now, they'll observe and start treatment. There's… a chance I could survive."

She tried to sound calm, but I could hear the uncertainty in her voice.

I didn't know what to say. What could I say? Nothing felt right. Nothing felt enough.

So, I did the only thing that came to mind—I turned to her and said, "Don't worry… I'm here for you."

.

Before I could react, Kane suddenly punched me in the face.

"Where are you looking, you pervert?!" she shouted, her face red.

I quickly turned away, but that brief glimpse… I couldn't lie to myself—it was breathtaking. Damn, I guess I really am a pervert.

Kane huffed. "Now I can't get married! You're taking responsibility, right?"

I rubbed my cheek, still stinging from her punch. "Huh? It's your fault for changing in front of a guy your age!"

"This and that are different things!" she protested.

"Not my fault."

She clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed. But after a deep breath, her tone softened.

"Still… thank you. What you said earlier… it made me kind of happy."

I shrugged. "It's nothing. Don't think too much about it."

A moment of silence settled between us before she spoke again.

"Hey, Yuki-kun, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

She hesitated, her voice quieter than before. "Back when we met at my grandfather's office… what did you mean by what you said?"

I tensed.

"It's not something you should know. To be honest… I don't know how you'd react. And I'm scared of what'll happen next."

She stepped closer, her gaze steady. "Didn't I tell you before? I'd take half of your suffering. So tell me."

I swallowed hard. My throat felt dry.

Finally, I forced the words out. "I killed my parents."

Silence.

Kane didn't say anything. She didn't move. Her expression froze.

The air between us became unbearably heavy. And in that moment, I knew—things had just changed. As I silently changed my clothes, Kane's voice broke the silence.

"I know you had a reason for that, right?" she said softly. "Even if you can't talk about it now, don't worry. When you're ready, just tell me. Until then… I'll wait for you."

I turned to look at her. Her expression wasn't one of fear or judgment—just quiet understanding.

Something inside me cracked.

Before I knew it, tears slipped down my face.

Kane's eyes softened. She stepped closer and gently patted my head. "It must have been so hard… holding it all in until now, right?"

I couldn't speak. I couldn't move.

She smiled, warm and reassuring. "It's all right now. No matter what happens from now on… I'll always be with you."

I turned away and said, "I'm sorry, Kane. You had to see that side of me… Please, can you keep it a secret?"

Kane smirked. "A secret, huh? That comes with a price, you know."

I chuckled. "Oh? And what's the price, Inoue-sama?" I teased her back.

She pouted. "Now don't tease me."

For the first time in five years, I smiled—really smiled—in front of someone I didn't know that well. Kane's expression softened as if she was relieved to see it. I couldn't tell exactly what she was feeling, but for some reason, it made me feel lighter.

After that, I returned to class. Haru raised an eyebrow.

"Where the hell have you been since lunch break?"

"In the infirmary. Got caught in the rain, so I had to change clothes."

"I see," he said, not pressing further.

Like always, I walked home with Sayoko. Haru couldn't join us today since he had club paperwork to handle.

As we walked, Sayoko glanced at me. "So, where were you the whole time?"

I explained how I was in the cafeteria and saw her but didn't call out. Of course, I left out everything about Kane and what happened on the terrace.

"Is that so?" she said, crossing her arms. "If you saw me, why didn't you just call out?"

"You were with your friends. I didn't want to interrupt."

Without warning, she pinched me in the stomach.

"Idiot," she huffed before storming off ahead.

I called out her name, but she ignored me, walking home angrily. That's just how she had always been since childhood—quick to get mad, but never for too long.

Soon, I reached my home, letting the day's events sink in.

 I tossed my bag onto the floor, letting it land with a dull thud. Without thinking, I collapsed onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.

Too much had happened today.

Kane had cancer.

I told her about them.

About what I did.

It still didn't feel real.

The weight of it all pressed down on me, but I couldn't grasp the situation—not yet. For now, I would just watch and wait. Observe.