Morning arrived quietly, but Hiyori Shirakawa had already been awake for several minutes before her alarm rang.
The soft gray light of dawn slipped through the curtains of her room, painting pale streaks across the walls. She stared at the ceiling, listening to the distant sounds of the neighborhood waking up—bicycles rolling down the street, a shop shutter sliding open somewhere nearby, and the faint chirping of birds perched on electric wires.
Her fingers rested lightly on the silver charm around her neck.
Without thinking, she rubbed the crescent-shaped pendant between her fingers, just like she always did when she was lost in thought.
But today, her thoughts were not calm.
They kept returning to yesterday.
To the courtyard.
To the boy beneath the oak tree.
Ren Akiyama.
Hiyori turned onto her side, pressing her face slightly into the pillow. "It was just a conversation," she murmured quietly to herself.
Yet the memory of his voice lingered strangely in her mind—calm, observant, almost as if he had known her already.
Her alarm suddenly buzzed beside her bed, breaking the silence.
She groaned and quickly reached over to shut it off.
"Right… school."
The normal word somehow grounded her again.
School meant routine. Homework. Classes. Friends complaining about teachers. Ordinary things.
Things that made sense.
She pushed herself out of bed and walked to the window, pulling the curtain aside. Outside, the sky had turned a soft pale blue, and the street below was slowly filling with people heading to work and students walking toward the nearby school.
Everything looked normal.
And somehow that made yesterday feel even stranger.
—
By the time Hiyori reached the school gates, the campus was already lively.
Students gathered in small groups, chatting loudly about assignments, sports matches, and weekend plans. Some leaned against the metal railings, while others rushed across the courtyard, trying not to be late.
The usual energy of the morning buzzed through the air.
Hiyori adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder as she stepped inside.
Her eyes instinctively drifted toward the courtyard.
Toward the oak tree.
The same one from yesterday.
Golden-brown leaves still covered the ground beneath it, rustling softly whenever the wind passed through.
For a moment, she slowed her steps.
Was he there?
Her eyes searched the shadows between the branches.
Nothing.
Just leaves swaying quietly.
She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
Of course he's not there, she thought.
Why would he be?
It was just a random moment.
Just a random conversation.
"Hiyori!"
A voice suddenly called from behind her.
She turned to see her friend Mika jogging toward her, her short ponytail bouncing as she ran.
"Hurry up," Mika said, slightly out of breath. "Class is starting soon."
Hiyori blinked, snapping back to reality. "Oh—right."
The two girls walked toward the school building together.
Mika glanced sideways at her. "You look tired today."
"I'm not," Hiyori replied quickly.
"You are," Mika insisted with a grin. "Did you stay up studying again?"
"Not really."
"Well, if you didn't study, then that's even worse."
Hiyori laughed quietly, shaking her head.
Talking to Mika felt normal.
Comfortable.
The kind of normal she needed this morning.
As they entered the hallway, the sounds of lockers opening and students chatting filled the space. Papers shuffled, footsteps echoed, and somewhere down the corridor someone was arguing loudly about a forgotten homework assignment.
"Wait," Mika said suddenly. "Did you finish the math worksheet?"
Hiyori froze.
"…What worksheet?"
Mika stared at her.
"You're kidding."
"No…"
"Hiyori!"
Mika dramatically covered her face. "We had a whole worksheet! Tanaka-sensei said it was important!"
Hiyori groaned. "I completely forgot."
"Great," Mika sighed. "Now we're both doomed."
The two girls laughed as they stepped into their classroom.
Students were already seated, some talking, others copying homework from classmates at the last minute.
Hiyori slid into her seat near the window, placing her notebook on the desk.
The classroom smelled faintly of chalk and paper.
Outside the window, the courtyard stretched out below.
And from this angle…
The oak tree was visible again.
Her eyes lingered there for a second.
Nothing.
Just wind stirring the leaves.
"Hiyori?"
She turned.
Mika was staring at her.
"You spaced out again."
"Oh… sorry."
"You're definitely distracted today."
"I'm fine," Hiyori said quickly.
But even as she spoke, she felt it again.
That faint, strange sensation.
The feeling of being watched.
She glanced toward the classroom door just as it opened.
But it was only another student entering late.
She looked back down at her notebook, trying to focus as the teacher began the lesson.
Yet her mind kept drifting.
To yesterday's quiet courtyard.
To a pair of dark eyes watching carefully.
To a voice that seemed to notice things others didn't.
—
The lunch bell rang loudly, instantly filling the hallway with noise and movement.
Students poured out of classrooms, laughing and talking as they headed toward the cafeteria or the courtyard.
Mika stretched her arms above her head. "Freedom!"
Hiyori chuckled as she packed her notebook into her bag.
"Come on," Mika said. "Let's eat outside today."
They walked through the hallway together, blending into the flow of students moving through the building.
The moment they stepped outside, the fresh air greeted them.
The courtyard looked brighter now, filled with groups of students sitting on benches or under trees.
Hiyori's gaze drifted again toward the oak tree.
Still nothing.
She felt slightly ridiculous for even checking.
Mika sat down on a nearby bench and opened her lunch box.
"You're doing it again," she said suddenly.
"Doing what?"
"Looking around like you lost something."
Hiyori hesitated.
"Just… thinking."
"About math?"
"…No."
Mika narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
But before she could say anything else, Hiyori's attention shifted.
Someone was standing across the courtyard.
Not very close.
Not very far either.
Just standing quietly near the walkway.
Her breath caught slightly.
Ren Akiyama.
He wasn't doing anything unusual.
Just standing there, hands in his pockets, looking toward the courtyard.
Yet somehow his presence felt different from everyone else around him.
Calmer.
Still.
Like he existed in his own quiet space while the rest of the school moved around him.
For a brief moment, their eyes met.
Hiyori quickly looked away.
Her heart skipped a beat.
"Hey," Mika said.
"Hm?"
"You're blushing."
"I am not!"
"You totally are!"
Hiyori grabbed her lunch box quickly to hide her face.
When she glanced back toward the walkway again…
Ren was gone.
Just like yesterday.
Vanished into the crowd.
—
Classes passed slowly after that.
Not because they were difficult.
But because Hiyori couldn't stop thinking.
Every time someone walked past the classroom door, she instinctively glanced up.
But she never saw him again.
Until the end of the day.
The final bell rang, and students began packing their bags.
Hiyori walked into the hallway, adjusting the strap of her bag.
The corridor was quieter now as most students had already left.
She turned the corner toward the exit.
And stopped.
Someone was leaning casually against the wall near the stairway.
Dark hair.
Calm posture.
Watching her.
Ren Akiyama.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then he straightened slightly and walked toward her.
Her heart began beating faster.
When he stopped in front of her, his expression was calm, almost curious.
"Good afternoon," he said quietly.
Hiyori blinked.
"Hi…"
There was a brief pause.
Then Ren tilted his head slightly.
"You looked for me today."
Hiyori's eyes widened.
"I didn't!"
He smiled faintly.
Not teasing.
Just certain.
"Yes," he said softly.
"You did."
Her fingers instinctively moved to the silver charm at her neck.
"Why would I look for you?" she asked.
Ren glanced briefly toward the courtyard outside the window.
"The same reason you stayed there yesterday," he replied.
Hiyori frowned.
"And what reason is that?"
Ren's eyes returned to hers.
For a moment, his gaze seemed deeper than before.
Almost thoughtful.
"You'll figure it out," he said.
Then he stepped past her and began walking down the hallway.
Hiyori stood frozen for a moment before turning around.
"Wait!"
Ren stopped.
But he didn't turn back immediately.
Finally, he glanced over his shoulder.
"Yes?"
Hiyori hesitated.
There were so many questions she wanted to ask.
But only one came out.
"…Will I see you tomorrow?"
Ren's faint smile returned.
"Probably."
And then he continued walking down the hallway, disappearing around the corner.
Hiyori stood there quietly, her fingers still holding the silver charm.
Outside the window, the wind rustled the leaves of the oak tree once more.