Chapter 20

Echoes of the Past

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The golden hues of twilight slowly faded into the deeper shades of evening as Kaito and Misaki remained atop the hill, their quiet conversation lingering in the air between them. There was something unspoken yet deeply understood in the way their silences stretched, comfortable and unhurried.

But just as Kaito was about to say something, a voice interrupted them.

"I didn't think anyone else knew about this place."

Both of them turned toward the sound. A figure stood near the base of the hill, the last remnants of sunlight casting a soft glow on his form. He had slightly tousled silver hair that caught the light, and sharp yet tired blue eyes that held a quiet intensity. The school uniform he wore was slightly disheveled, as if he had stopped caring about appearances a long time ago.

Kaito frowned slightly. "Who are you?"

The boy stepped closer, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. "Takeshi Hayashi. I transferred here a week ago."

Misaki tilted her head. "A transfer student?"

Takeshi gave a small nod before glancing around the hilltop. "Didn't expect to run into people here. This spot's nice. Quiet."

Kaito studied him for a moment, sensing something off about the way he carried himself. There was a weight behind his words, an exhaustion that didn't quite match his age. "You come here to think, too?"

Takeshi let out a dry chuckle. "Something like that."

A breeze passed between them, rustling the grass. The atmosphere shifted, no longer just an intimate moment between Kaito and Misaki, but something else—something that hinted at change.

Misaki glanced at Takeshi again, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "You don't seem like the type who transfers schools just because you want to."

Takeshi's lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. "Sharp. But yeah, let's just say circumstances pushed me here."

Kaito exchanged a glance with Misaki before looking back at Takeshi. There was something about this guy that unsettled him—not in a bad way, but in a way that made him feel like Takeshi had seen things others hadn't. He had an aura of someone who had been through more than he let on.

Takeshi sighed, stretching his arms before shoving his hands back into his pockets. "Well, sorry for disturbing your little moment. I'll get out of your hair."

Misaki hesitated before calling out, "Wait."

Takeshi stopped, raising an eyebrow.

"You can stay if you want," she said softly. "It's not like we own this place."

Kaito shot her a glance, surprised. But then he looked at Takeshi again—at the way his expression briefly faltered, as if he wasn't used to people offering kindness so easily.

Takeshi scoffed lightly. "You two are weird."

Still, he didn't leave.

Instead, he sat down a few feet away from them, his gaze drifting toward the city below. And just like that, the dynamic shifted once again. It was no longer just Kaito and Misaki figuring things out between them. There was now a third presence, one that neither of them fully understood yet.

But something told Kaito that Takeshi Hayashi was going to be important.

And that this night was only the beginning of something much bigger.

--

The stars had fully emerged by the time the three of them settled into an unusual quiet. Takeshi, despite his earlier reluctance, remained seated a short distance away, his sharp blue eyes gazing out at the city lights below.

Kaito, arms resting behind him, stole occasional glances at the silver-haired newcomer. There was something about him that made Kaito uneasy—not in a way that screamed danger, but in a way that felt oddly familiar. Like Takeshi had been through things most people their age hadn't.

Misaki was the first to break the silence. "So, Takeshi… what's your story?"

Takeshi huffed out a quiet chuckle. "You ask that like I have some grand tale to tell."

"You might," she countered, tilting her head slightly. "People don't just transfer schools out of nowhere."

Kaito smirked. "And people don't just happen to find a place like this unless they're looking for somewhere to be alone."

Takeshi shot him a sidelong glance. "Guess I'm not the only one who thinks too much."

The response was vague, but there was something in his tone—something heavy. Kaito didn't press, though. He knew what it was like to have things you weren't ready to talk about.

Instead, he shifted the conversation. "You're in our year, right? Class?"

"3-B," Takeshi answered. "Not that I've been paying much attention."

Misaki frowned slightly. "You don't talk to anyone, do you?"

"Not really interested." Takeshi leaned back on his palms. "I'm just here to graduate and move on."

"That's… kind of sad," Misaki murmured.

Takeshi exhaled sharply. "It's practical."

Kaito narrowed his eyes slightly. "So what happens after you graduate?"

Takeshi shrugged. "Dunno. Wherever I end up."

His words were casual, but there was an underlying weight to them, as if he had stopped expecting things from the future a long time ago. It was unsettling.

Misaki exchanged a glance with Kaito before hesitantly saying, "Well… if you don't want to be alone all the time, we don't mind having you around."

Takeshi turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Why?"

She blinked. "Why… what?"

"Why would you care?" Takeshi's voice wasn't cold, but it held an edge of disbelief. "You don't know me."

Misaki hesitated, then smiled softly. "I don't think you need to know someone for years to want them to be okay."

For the first time since they'd met, Takeshi's expression shifted. A flicker of something—maybe surprise, maybe something deeper—passed through his eyes before he quickly masked it with indifference.

"You really are weird," he muttered.

Misaki simply smiled, unfazed. "So I've been told."

Kaito, watching the exchange, felt something settle in his chest. He still wasn't sure about Takeshi, but he could tell one thing for certain: This guy was carrying something heavy. Something that maybe, just maybe, he wasn't meant to carry alone.

As the wind rustled through the trees, Kaito stretched his arms and stood. "Well, if you're gonna keep showing up here, might as well make it official."

Takeshi raised an eyebrow. "Official?"

"This is our spot now," Kaito said simply, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Not just mine. Not just hers. Ours."

Misaki's eyes widened slightly, then softened. "Yeah… I like that."

Takeshi looked between them, as if trying to gauge if they were serious. Then, with a quiet chuckle, he leaned back against the grass. "You guys are something else."

Neither Kaito nor Misaki responded. They didn't need to.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Takeshi Hayashi had found a place where he didn't feel like he had to be anywhere else.

And as the night stretched on, the three of them sat in a quiet understanding, a connection forming between them—one that none of them had expected, but somehow, felt just right.