While Sakura lay unconscious, I received a call from Todo. He wanted to hang out, but I told him I wasn't home. When I mentioned that I was at Sakura Hoshino's house, he was completely shocked and demanded to know what I was doing there. I told him I would explain everything later and hung up.
A few minutes later, Sakura slowly opened her eyes. The moment she saw me, she suddenly threw her arms around me and kissed me. Tears streamed down her face as she whispered how happy she was that I had finally appeared—even if it was only in her dreams. She was convinced she was still asleep. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her cheeks were flushed deep red.
"I'm not a dream," I said softly. "I'm really sitting here in front of you."
She stared at me in disbelief and told me to pinch her to prove it was real. When I did, realization struck her instantly. She pulled me into a tight embrace and began to sob.
From the doorway, her mother quietly watched us. Instead of interrupting, she simply smiled and walked away, giving us our moment.
Through her tears, Sakura confessed, "I lost the pendant... I broke my promise."
I reached into my pocket, took out the silver pendant, and placed it gently in her hand.
"You didn't break anything," I said.
Her eyes widened in shock. After a moment, recognition slowly appeared on her face. She realized who I was—her childhood friend from the village, Estival.
Later, her mother left a plate of food in the room. Knowing how weak Sakura had been for the past few days, I fed her myself. For the first time in days, she finished every bite.
After the meal, Sakura gently rested her head on my lap. We began talking about our childhood—playing in the park, the silly games we used to play, and how she used to protect me from bullies. Eventually, her voice grew quieter, and she drifted off to sleep right there.
I didn't have the heart to move. I simply stayed where I was, waiting for her to wake again.
As she slept peacefully, my thoughts drifted back to the day we first met.
Her father had just been transferred to our town, and their family had rented the house right next to ours. To greet the neighbors, they were visiting each house with small boxes of sweets. When they rang our doorbell, my mother answered.
Her father introduced their family as the new neighbors, and my mother invited them inside for tea.
That was when her father looked at me and asked my name.
Stuttering nervously, I replied, "M-m-my name is Estival Ardent."
I had always been an introvert, even as a child, and sudden questions made me nervous. When he asked what grade I was in, I told him I was in first grade.
Throughout the conversation, Sakura sat quietly beside her father. Eventually, he encouraged her to go play with me.
We went to my room, though she seemed slightly uncomfortable there—almost as if she found it a little strange or creepy. Trying to ease the awkwardness, I asked her to introduce herself.
"My name is Sakura," she said softly. "I'm also in first grade."
Seeing that she still seemed uneasy, I suggested we go back to our parents.
After spending so long lost in these memories, I suddenly noticed Sakura stirring.
Her eyes slowly opened, and she looked up at me.
"Are you really here?" she whispered. "I just wanted to see you one more time..."
She paused, her voice trembling.
"...before I forget you."
My heart froze.
"What are you talking about?" I asked quickly. "How could you ever forget me?"
But she didn't answer.
She looked away, refusing to meet my eyes.
In that heavy silence, I felt it—a cold certainty.
Sakura was hiding something from me.
Something far darker than a lost pendant.