As the final bell sounded throughout the school.
Almost instantly, classrooms filled with the sounds of chairs scraping, bags zipping shut, and students eagerly making their way home.
Among the crowd...
Two familiar figures drew more attention than anyone else.
Asaji and King.
Once, they had rarely been seen apart.
Now... They barely walked in the same direction.
There, quiet whispers followed them through the hallways.
"Didn't they used to be close?"
"I heard they had a fight."
"Maybe their personalities just don't match."
"Or... maybe King's family didn't approve."
Yet, no one truly knew the answer.
Only rumors remained.
Meanwhile, despite everything...
King never truly gave up.
Even after her mother's command.
She secretly walked behind Asaji whenever she had the chance.
Never too close.
Never enough to be noticed by others.
Just enough to hope...
That one day Asaji would turn around.
That she would smile, run over and greet her...
Just like the day they first met.
Except...
That day never came.
Ever since Asaji's meeting with King's mother...
She was no longer the same.
She always kept her distance.
She even requested to change seats.
No more cheerful greetings.
No more conversations after class.
No more training side by side.
Little by little...
King found herself alone once again.
Without Asaji...
She once again gradually shut herself away from everyone else.
Back to the day before the arrival of Asaji.
At the same time, from afar, she could only watch.
Watch Asaji laughing with classmates.
Watch her talking to others.
And every time...
A quiet ache settled in her heart alongside a painful wish that the person beside Asaji was still her.
But what King never knew...
Was that Asaji was waiting too.
Waiting for King to speak first.
Waiting for her to bridge the distance between them.
Waiting for a single sign that their friendship could still be saved.
Because she was afraid.
Terrified that her own presence would ruin King's future.
At least...
That was what King's mother had made her believe during their last encounter.
How if she remained by King's side, she would only become a burden.
A weight holding King back.
A barricade that obstructed King's bright future.
So she convinced herself...
Leaving maybe was the kindest thing she could do.
The smartest choice she could make.
On the other hand, King carried a fear of her own.
How she couldn't bring herself to oppose her mother's wishes.
How she, too, was terrified to make the first move.
So she waited.
Hoping fate...
Or perhaps a miracle...
Would somehow mend what had been broken.
Return what had been lost...
...
...
...
Except...
No miracle ever came.
As King quietly followed a short distance behind Asaji.
She heard something.
Something that pulled her from the trance she had trapped herself in.
"Hey, Asaji," one of the girls beside Asaji called. "I heard you're transferring soon..."
"Yeah!" another chimed in. "It's going to be so lonely once you're gone!"
There, Asaji chuckled.
"What are you two talking about?"
"It's not like we can't still hang out after I transfer."
"Besides, I'm only transferring to the nearby prefecture because of my mama's new job."
"It's not that far off from here."
"But it'll be different!" one of the friends jumped in.
"You'll meet new classmates... make new friends."
"Old friends like us always end up getting replaced."
"Whether we like it or not." The girl shrugged.
"Oh, come on, guys!" Asaji smiled, trying to brighten the mood.
"It's not like I'm going to forget about you guys!"
"Enough with the gloomy talk."
"How about... we turn it into something fun instead!"
The girl on her left grinned. "Oh...?"
"What do you have in mind?"
"How about we check out that new café nearby?" Asaji beamed.
"My treat!"
"Seriously?!" The other girl practically bounced with excitement.
"I heard they have this amazing carrot crêpe!"
"I've been dying to try it!"
"Then it's settled."
"Let's go!"
The three of them continued chatting excitedly as they disappeared down the path.
Behind them...
King remained several steps away.
Her head slowly lowered, and her fists tightened until her nails dug into her palms.
The miracle she had been waiting for...
Felt as though it was slipping further away with every passing day.
But even if it did.
Still... She refused to let go.
As long as she kept believing...
Surely...
Somehow...
Everything would return to the way it was.
Everything would become like it used to be.
So, just please...
Let it...
...happen...
...
...
...
One week later...
The day had finally arrived.
The day for Asaji's transfer.
And the classroom was filled with mixed emotions as everyone gathered to send her off.
One by one, her classmates stepped forward.
Some handed her carefully wrapped gifts.
Some couldn't hold back their tears.
A few even sang a heartfelt farewell song that filled the room with bittersweet laughter.
There were warm embraces.
Words of gratitude.
Endless praise for Asaji who had brightened their lives throughout the last few years.
Everyone in the class...
Everyone...
Except one.
King remained seated at her desk.
Her head stayed lowered.
She watched everything unfold from afar.
Despite her effort to blend into the background, a few classmates noticed.
"King," one of them called gently.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye?"
"You two used to be close, right?"
King simply lowered her gaze even further.
"..."
She couldn't.
Instead...
She quietly stood up.
"I-I'll... be back."
She left the classroom before anyone could stop her.
Making her way to the restroom.
And there, she had only intended to hide there until the farewell party was over.
At least... that was the plan.
Instead...
Before she could keep her cool...
She cried.
Alone in the stall.
No one was there to hear the sobs she desperately tried to suppress.
No one saw the tears that refused to stop falling.
And no one was there to... uplift her anymore...
No friend.
No one.
No Asaji...
...
...
...
Not long afterward...
Classes eventually came to an end.
And this was it...
Asaji's final day at the school.
Her final walk through these hallways.
Her final trip home.
Unfortunately...
The sky had long since darkened from the earlier day.
Heavy clouds gathered overhead, threatening to burst at any moment.
As the dismissal bell rang, students immediately hurried out of the school before the rain could catch them.
Each ran faster than the other.
Within minutes...
The campus had emptied far earlier than usual.
Everyone left.
All except King.
As always... She stayed behind for her daily training.
With her bag over her shoulder, she began making her way toward her trainer's office.
And halfway there, she was encountered by her trainer.
"Oh, King!" said her trainer as he waved at her.
He then gave an apologetic smile as he looked toward the storm clouds outside.
"I hate to say this, but I think we'd better cancel today's training."
"The weather's only getting worse."
"And I don't want you to catch a cold afterward."
He then reached into his pocket.
"Why don't we give your parents a call so they can come pick you up?"
"Here," said her trainer as he extended his phone toward her.
"You can use mine."
"They should be here in no time—"
Before her trainer could finish, King quickly gave a small shake of her head.
"It's okay..."
"I'll just walk home today."
"Walk home?" Her trainer blinked in surprise.
"Are you sure?"
"You've always been picked up by your driver. Do you even know the way?"
King nodded, "It's alright."
"I'm sure I can find my way home."
"But—"
"Farewell, Trainer."
"I'll see you tomorrow."
Before he could stop her, King had already turned away.
She walked farther and farther down the corridor, leaving her puzzled trainer behind...
Not long after...
As King reached the school entrance...
A familiar figure hurried past her.
Instantly, King's eyes widened.
"A-Asaji...?!"
Instead of leaving the school...
Asaji seemed to be rushing back toward their classroom.
Without thinking, King looked left and right before following.
She carefully trailed behind, slipping around corners and hiding whenever Asaji glanced back.
Eventually...
They somehow arrived at their classroom.
King quietly peeked through the doorway.
There...
Asaji stopped in front of a desk.
Not her own, but King's.
She hurriedly searched through her bag.
Left.
Right.
Again.
"Where did I put it again...?" she muttered as she continued searching.
After another frantic search, she sighed.
"Oh well..."
She pulled out a blank sheet of paper and a pen instead.
Quickly, she began writing.
Her pen scribbled across the page before she neatly folded the paper.
Then...
She gently placed it inside King's desk drawer.
"There!" She nodded to herself proudly.
But before she moved, her eyes softened slightly as she gently traced her finger across King's desk.
"G-Goodbye... Halo..."
"I hope we meet again... in a better future."
Without another moment's hesitation, she slung her bag over her shoulder, turned, and sprinted toward the exit.
Meanwhile, by the doorway, King's eyes widened.
Caught off guard by Asaji's sudden sprint, she scrambled to duck behind the corner.
But it was too late.
The moment Asaji rounded the corner, she stopped.
In front of her, King stood frozen.
Neither of them had expected to see the other.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
They simply stared at each other, their eyes locked.
Both unable to move.
Until...
King finally found her voice.
"A-Asaji..." Her fingers tightened around her bag.
"C-Can we... talk...?"