Part 3 — The Empty Room
The moment the door closed—
the room loosened slightly again.
Lunch boxes opened slowly around the classroom.
Small conversations returned quietly.
But not fully.
Not comfortably.
Because everyone's attention still drifted toward Misaki sometimes without meaning to.
Misaki quietly opened her lunch alone at her desk.
Slow movements.
Careful movements.
Like she was intentionally focusing on small actions.
For a while—
nobody approached her.
Not because they didn't care.
But because everyone suddenly became afraid of saying the wrong thing.
Then finally—
Yuna quietly stood up first.
"…Misaki…"
Several nearby students unconsciously looked over.
Misaki raised her eyes slightly.
"…Hm?"
Yuna hesitated immediately after getting her attention.
"…I just…"
She struggled finding words.
"…How is your father…?"
The nearby atmosphere softened immediately.
Misaki stayed quiet for a second.
Then lowered her gaze toward her lunch again.
"…He's not suffering anymore."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Even Haruto froze slightly after hearing that.
Kaito slowly lowered his gaze too.
Misaki quietly adjusted the lid of her lunch box afterward.
Her fingers paused slightly against it.
Then she lowered her gaze.
"…He isn't in pain anymore."
Her voice stayed calm.
But quieter now.
Not controlled—
more like tired.
Yuna slowly lowered her eyes.
Nobody interrupted.
After a few seconds, Misaki softly continued:
"…It just feels strange."
A pause.
"…The room was always there before."
Her fingers tightened very slightly against the lunch box lid.
"…Now it's empty."
That was it.
No dramatic breakdown.
No crying.
Just a simple sentence.
But somehow—
that made it hurt more.
Because it didn't sound like Misaki was thinking about death itself.
It sounded like she still expected to walk into the hospital room and see her father there again.
Like part of her mind still hadn't caught up yet.
The classroom stayed quiet afterward.
Not forced silence.
Just children realizing there wasn't really a correct response to something like that.