"Echoes of a New Bond"

Today, Kane didn't bother to show up. I couldn't shake the feeling that it had something to do with what happened that day. With that thought lingering in my mind, I made my way to school.

A lot had happened since the start of the semester. Thinking back, I never had a strong reason for enrolling here—I only applied because Kaneki-san promised me a discount on tuition. It might sound like a weak reason, but believe me, there are people out there willing to donate massive amounts just to secure a spot at this school.

And honestly, who wouldn't? Graduating from here means never having to worry about getting into a good college. This school is known for scouting geniuses, and once you're in, opportunities come knocking at your door.

I trust that the graduates passing out this year will find themselves in top institutes.

Since my usual route was under construction, I had to take a longer way to school. As I walked, I glanced at the unfamiliar street ahead.

"If I take a right turn here… I think it should lead me to school," I mumbled to myself.

"Hey, can you quiet down a bit?" A voice whispered from behind

Shocked, I gathered all my strength and turned around. Standing in the corner was a high school girl.

I hesitated before calling out to her. "Ah—I'm sorry for the trouble I caused. I'll be more careful next time."

She stood up, took a few steps toward me, and examined me closely. "Do you go to Kurokaze High School?"

I blinked, confused by her question. My expression must have said it all—Isn't it obvious?

She was about the same height as me, with short, dark brown hair. Cute, I thought as my gaze briefly lingered on her before settling on her uniform.

At Kurokaze High, different grades wore different uniforms, but hers wasn't the same as mine. That meant she was an upperclassman. I considered asking but decided against it.

"Yes, I go to Kurokaze High School," I replied.

A small smirk appeared on her lips. "Thought so. You're a first-year, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, as punishment for being so loud, you're going to walk with me to school."

"Huh? Why should I?"

"You have to listen to your senpai."

I sighed. "Now that you put it like that, I guess I have no choice. But only until the school gate. That okay?"

"Yeah, that works. So, what's your name?"

"I don't share my name with strangers."

She pouted. "Dude, you're no fun at all."

"Is that so? Then I'm glad."

She groaned. "Ugh, this is boring. It'll take a while to reach school—let's play a game."

"What kind of game?".

""Oh? Kohai-kun is finally interested in something!" she teased.

"I am not! I just want to know, that's all."

"Even if that's the case, let me explain the game."

She grinned before continuing, "I'll say something—it could be a truth or a lie. But the rule is, you don't reveal the real answer. Simple, right?"

I raised an eyebrow. "And how do we decide the winner?"

"The first one to admit defeat loses."

"Alright… so I'm going first?"

"Yep! Show me what you've got, Kohei-kun."

I paused for a moment before saying, "I was born a girl but decided to cut off my—"

"WAIT, WHAT?!" she burst out laughing. "Now that's what I'm talking about! You're finally playing properly!"

I sighed. "Senpai, it's your turn now."

She smirked. "Alright… I skipped all my freshman-year classes."

I tilted my head. "That sounds too believable."

She ignored my comment and continued. "I don't mind when people disturb me while I'm sleeping."

"Mm-hmm."

"I drink water after eating ice cream."

That one made me pause for a second. "That's… not good for your throat, Senpai."

She chuckled. "Who knows if it's a lie?"

I shook my head as she carried on.

"I don't like being alone."

"I'm a people pleaser."

"I've never fallen in love before."

"I have exes everywhere I go."

I hesitated, wondering if any of those statements were true. Then, without thinking, I mumbled, "The girl who sits beside me is really cute."

Senpai immediately perked up. "Ohhh? Is that so? Who is this cutie? Introduce me to her!"

I could feel irritation creeping up on me. "Senpai!!!"

"Okay, okay! I'm just messing with you."

She giggled before adding, "I was forced to be an honorable student."

I sighed. "That sounds tough."

"I didn't spend much time outside as a kid," she finished.

I glanced at her, wondering which of her statements were actually true.

"I hate my younger sister because she gets everything she wants."

"I miss my father."

For a moment, Senpai's playful expression faded. She must have seen the truth hidden in my words, yet she chose to feign ignorance.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said softly.

I did my best to stay composed, though it wasn't easy. "Senpai, it's just a game. Who knows what's the truth, right?" I forced a small smile.

She hesitated, then returned my smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Ah, that's true. Sorry for being weird all of a sudden… but it looks like we have to end our game here."

"Huh? But we still haven't reached school."

"I have some business to take care of," she said, her tone lighter now. "I'll take my leave first."

"…Is that so? Well, I guess it can't be helped."

She took a step back and waved. "See you later, Kohai-kun."

I watched as she walked away, feeling the weight of unspoken words lingering between us.

 Soon, she was out of sight. After walking for a while, I finally reached school.

I slipped off my shoes, placed them in my locker, and took out another pair before heading straight to the classroom.

For the first time, I arrived before everyone else. The room was eerily quiet, completely empty. With nothing else to do, I pulled out a book and started reading.

Minutes passed, and gradually, students began to trickle in. The usual hum of conversation filled the air, bringing the classroom to life.

Then, Haru walked in. His eyes swept over the room before landing on me. He looked genuinely surprised.

Sighing dramatically, he smirked. "Oh—look who decided to show up early today."

"Is it that weird?"

"Uh-huh, so how did you come this early today?"

"Well, I couldn't sleep last night"

Showing concern on his face, he asked "Why is something bothering you?"

I just couldn't bring myself to say it. The words sat heavily on my tongue, restless, aching to be spoken—yet they never left my lips. Instead, I swallowed them down, burying them beneath a forced nod.

There was so much weighing on me, so much I wanted to tell him. But where would I even begin? And if I did, would it even matter? Would he understand?

So, I stayed silent. Because sometimes, the silence was easier than trying to explain the storm inside me.

He didn't say anything right away. Just sat there, tapping his fingers against the desk, his gaze flickering toward me, then back and forth. The usual chatter of the classroom buzzed around us, but between us, there was a silence thick enough to be noticed.

Haru knew me well enough to sense that something was wrong. Concern flickered in his eyes, but he masked it behind a forced smile.

"If something's bothering you," he said gently, "don't forget—I'm here to listen."

I nodded, but that was all I could manage.

Before the silence between us could stretch any further, Sensei entered the room, tapping the desk lightly to grab our attention.

"Homeroom is starting! Everyone, take your seats."

At her words, the usual classroom chatter died down as students shuffled to their places.

As the lecture dragged on, I could feel Haru glancing at me from the corner of his eye. He was still worried—I could tell. But I kept my expression unreadable, unwilling to let him see past the surface.

Finally, the last bell rang, and Sensei dismissed the class. I let out a quiet sigh, tension easing from my shoulders just a little.

"Man, today's classes were hectic," Haru sighed, stretching his arms.

"I get you," I replied.

"I'm heading out now. What about you?"

"Nah, I'll stay a bit longer."

"Is that so? Well, see you later!"

"Later."

With that, Haru left the classroom, his figure soon disappearing from sight. The room fell silent.

I stood up, my fingers brushing against the desk beside mine. It felt strange—every day, she would sit here, pestering me with her usual antics. But now, she was gone.

The emptiness was unsettling.

I wasn't sure what this feeling was, but it lingered, refusing to fade.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing to my desk, you pervert?!"

A sharp voice cut through the silence.

I turned my head toward the doorway, tracing the sound back to its source. Kane stood there, arms crossed, eyes locked onto me as I rested my hand on her desk.

She walked toward me, her gaze scanning me up and down. We stood about five feet apart.

"Why are you here? I thought you were absent today."

"I was, but I had to meet my grandpa to report my results. On my way back, I ran into Haru, and when I asked if you'd already left, he said you hadn't. So, I came to check on you."

"Yeah, I was just about to leave."

"I see."

"So, how did it go? Are you going to be okay?"

"The doctor told me to take my medicine and follow some precautions."

"I'm glad to hear that."

As soon as she heard me say this, a sense of relief washed over her face—like she had been waiting for those words. A small smile tugged at her lips.

Then, her expression quickly shifted.

"So, what exactly are you doing to someone's desk, you creep?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I felt a bead of sweat roll down my temple.

"W-Well... I had my reasons…" I stammered.

She leaned in slightly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Oh? Do tell."

I swallowed hard. This wasn't going to end well.

There was a silence—like the eerie calm before the start of a storm.

And then, the silence shattered.

"What reason?" she repeated, her voice dangerously low, each word dripping with restrained fury.

I could feel the tension crackling in the air, and before I knew it—before she could do anything—I tackled her.

It wasn't a calculated move. More of a desperate, knee-jerk reaction.

One moment, she was standing there, eyes narrowed, and the next, we were both tumbling to the ground.

Hearing my words, her eyes widened slightly, and a faint pink hue dusted her cheeks. She opened her mouth as if to say something but quickly shut it again. The weight of my words lingered in the air between us, thick and inescapable.

The silence stretched on, pressing down on us, and for a moment, I wondered if I had said too much. Maybe I should have just laughed it off, given some half-assed response to dodge the question. But I didn't.

Instead, I stood there, watching her, waiting.

Her fingers clenched and unclenched at her sides as she finally muttered, "Idiot."

A chuckle escaped me. "Yeah, maybe."

She let out a deep sigh, shaking her head before turning toward the window. "You… you shouldn't say things like that so easily," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

I tilted my head. "Why not?"

She glanced at me from the corner of her eye, hesitating. "Because… it makes it hard to ignore you."

There was something in her eyes—something deep, almost sorrowful—as if seeing a boy who had just learned what it meant to long for someone. 

"You did miss me, that makes me happy!"

I struggled to make sense of her words but I masked my confusion with a quiet nod.

"Anyway! Walk me home."

"Huh?"

"You heard me." She grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "You made me come all the way back here. It's only fair you compensate me by walking me home."

"That logic makes no sense."

"Shh. It makes perfect sense." She grinned, already walking toward the door. "Come on, yuki I don't have all day!"

I exhaled through my nose, shaking my head. "You're impossible."

"Yeah, yeah. Now hurry up before I leave you behind."

Despite my protests, I found myself following her out of the classroom.

The evening air was crisp as we walked down the road. The sky was a mix of orange and pink, and the distant sound of cicadas buzzed in the background.

We didn't talk much at first. Just walked side by side in comfortable silence. But eventually, Kane spoke.

"So… what do you think of me?"

I blinked. "What kind of question is that?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. Just curious."

I thought for a moment before saying, "You're annoying."

Kane gasped dramatically. "How dare you?!"

I smirked. "And loud."

"Wow. Keep going, Kohai-kun. You're really boosting my self-esteem."

I pretended to think harder. "And you have a bad habit of forcing people into things."

She laughed. "That's called 'charisma.'"

"Sure, let's go with that."

She nudged me with her elbow. "Okay, okay. But seriously, what do you think of me?"

I sighed. "I think… you're not as bad as I first thought."

Kane blinked, seeming genuinely surprised by my response. Then, she grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

We reached a small intersection where our paths would split. She turned to face me.

"Well, this is where we part ways."

"Yeah."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "You should get some sleep tonight."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you care?"

She shrugged. "I don't." Then, with a smirk, she added, "I just don't wanna see your ugly sleep-deprived face tomorrow."

I scoffed. "Thanks for the concern."

Kane waved over her shoulder as she walked away. "Later, yuki!"

I watched her go before turning in the opposite direction.

For some reason, I felt a little lighter than before.