4 days had passed since the monster incident.
And somehow… life was starting to feel normal again.
Classes continued, students laughed in the hallways, teachers gave impossible homework, and the terrifying memory of that night slowly faded into whispers.
But there was still one thing Kazumi couldn't get out of her head.
Kiyoshi Jisei.
For some reason, ever since they reunited, he had been stuck in her mind constantly.
And honestly…
It was starting to annoy her.
It was another ordinary afternoon at Blue Sky National High School.
The classroom buzzed with noise as their science teacher wrote a new activity on the board.
"Today, you'll be having a group reporting about the human body systems."
Instant groans filled the room.
The teacher quickly divided the class into four groups by numbering them one to four.
Kazumi and Rose ended up in Group 1.
Emily was assigned to Group 3.
And Kiyoshi…
Group 4.
The teacher gave them time to prepare, and almost immediately, Kazumi was chosen as leader of her group. Nobody even questioned it anymore. She was smart, organized, and naturally charismatic.
"Rose, you handle the visual aids."
"You two, research the respiratory system."
"I'll do the introduction and conclusion."
Everyone quickly got to work.
Meanwhile, across the classroom…
Kiyoshi was doing absolutely nothing.
He sat lazily in his chair, staring out the window like the activity had nothing to do with him.
His groupmates were practically losing their minds trying to finish the report while he just sat there casually spinning a pen between his fingers.
Kazumi frowned.
What is wrong with this guy…?
Even when the preparation time was almost over, he still hadn't done anything.
Eventually, the reporting began.
Group 1 went first.
Kazumi's group presented confidently and flawlessly. Their explanations were detailed, organized, and professional.
When they finished, the teacher smiled proudly.
"Excellent presentation. 45 out of 50."
The class clapped.
The second group followed with a decent performance.
Then came Emily's group. They stumbled a few times and clearly lacked preparation, but they still managed a respectable score.
"43 out of 50."
Emily sighed dramatically in relief while the others laughed.
Finally…
Group 4.
Kazumi expected chaos.
Instead, Kiyoshi casually stood up and walked to the front of the classroom.
The moment he started speaking, the room changed.
His tone was informal.
Unprofessional.
Way too casual for a report.
He joked in the middle of explanations, teased his own groupmates, and somehow turned a discussion about body systems into something entertaining.
And yet…
Nobody looked bored.
Not even the boys who normally slept during class.
Everyone was listening.
Everyone was laughing.
Even the teacher was smiling.
Kazumi stared at him in disbelief.
How is he doing this…?
Kiyoshi wasn't even trying to sound smart.
But somehow, every word he said pulled people in naturally.
Like he was born to make people listen.
When the presentation ended, the classroom erupted into applause.
"47 out of 50," the teacher announced.
Kiyoshi's group exploded in celebration.
Kazumi blinked.
She genuinely hadn't expected that.
And somehow…
She found herself smiling too.
Later that afternoon, Emily and the others invited everyone to karaoke.
Kazumi originally planned to refuse.
But after Rose and Emily begged her repeatedly, she reluctantly agreed.
When they invited Kiyoshi, however, he shook his head.
"Sorry. I have something important to do."
Important?
That alone was enough to make Kazumi curious.
The karaoke room was loud and chaotic.
Emily was screaming lyrics off-key.
Rose was laughing so hard she could barely sing.
The boys were fighting over snacks.
Everyone seemed to be having fun.
But Kazumi couldn't focus at all.
For some reason…
She kept thinking about Kiyoshi.
Eventually, she quietly texted the group that she wasn't feeling well and decided to leave early.
Nobody questioned it.
As she walked home alone, kicking small pebbles along the sidewalk, she let out a deep sigh.
Why do I keep thinking about him so much…?
She paused.
Then another thought entered her mind.
Could this actually be… love?
"No way," she muttered to herself immediately.
"It's way too fast…"
They had only reunited less than a week ago.
There was no way she could already feel something like that.
…Right?
As she continued walking, she passed by the nearby park.
The warm orange light of the setting sun painted everything gold.
And then—
She saw Merry.
Kazumi quickly hid behind a tree.
Merry was happily playing with the neighborhood children, laughing innocently while running around the playground.
But before Kazumi could think further—
A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder.
"PERVERT."
"AHHHH—!"
Kazumi nearly jumped out of her soul.
She spun around and found Kiyoshi standing behind her, holding plastic bags full of snacks.
"You scared me!!"
Kiyoshi smirked.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were at karaoke."
Kazumi awkwardly looked away.
"I left early. I wasn't feeling well."
Then she crossed her arms.
"What about you? Weren't you supposed to be doing something important?"
Kiyoshi lifted the snacks.
"I am."
Kazumi blinked.
"…Watching your sister?"
"No," he replied calmly.
"Playing with them."
Right on cue, Merry noticed them.
"KAZUMI! KIYOSHI! COME PLAY WITH US!"
Kazumi froze.
One look at Merry's sparkling eyes was enough to destroy any chance of refusal.
And just like that…
She ended up joining them.
What started as "just a few minutes" turned into almost the entire afternoon.
They played tag.
Hide-and-seek.
Random made-up games the children invented on the spot.
And surprisingly…
Kiyoshi was ridiculously competitive.
"THAT DOESN'T COUNT!"
"You cheated!"
"I WAS CLEARLY SAFE!"
He even shamelessly taunted little kids after winning.
"You're all too slow."
"Skill issue."
"Get better."
"You're bullying children…" Kazumi deadpanned.
"They started it."
For the first time since seeing him again…
Kazumi saw Kiyoshi genuinely laugh.
Not the small fake smiles he usually gave.
Not the calm expression he always hid behind.
But a real laugh.
Carefree.
Bright.
Human.
And somehow…
Seeing that made her chest feel warm.
Before she realized it, Kazumi herself was laughing harder than she had in days.
More than the karaoke.
More than school.
More than anything recently.
For a brief moment…
It felt like time itself had stopped.
The warm sunset.
The laughter of children.
The cool evening breeze.
The orange sky slowly fading into purple.
It all felt strangely nostalgic.
Like a memory she hadn't lived yet—
But would someday miss dearly.
Eventually, the sky darkened, and the children finally went home.
Kazumi and Kiyoshi walked together quietly through the evening streets.
Both of them were covered in dirt and sweat from running around all day.
And honestly…
Kazumi hadn't felt this alive in years.
She glanced toward Kiyoshi beside her.
His slightly messy hair.
His tired expression.
His drenched clothes sticking slightly from sweat.
And suddenly—
Her face turned red.
What am I even thinking?!
Merry was literally walking beside them.
Trying to distract herself, Kazumi spoke.
"Kiyoshi…"
"Hm?"
"What's your dream?"
Kiyoshi looked surprised.
"My dream?"
"Yeah. Like… what kind of future do you want?"
He stayed silent for a moment.
Then he looked toward the fading sunset.
"…A perfect world, maybe."
Kazumi blinked.
"A perfect world?"
"I know it sounds weird," he said with a small laugh. "But I want a world where everyone can genuinely be happy."
For a moment, Kazumi simply stared at him.
The orange light reflected in his eyes.
And for the first time…
She realized he truly meant it.
There was no joke.
No teasing.
No mask.
Just sincerity.
And somehow…
That made her admire him even more.
Then Kiyoshi glanced at her.
"What about you?"
Kazumi froze.
Even though she was the one who asked first…
She didn't actually know her own answer.
"…I think…"
She hesitated.
"…I just want to live my life with the person I love someday."
Kiyoshi smiled softly.
"That's a beautiful dream."
The moment he said that—
Kazumi felt her heart skip.
And she hated how obvious it felt.
When they finally parted ways, the sky had already turned dark.
The moment Kazumi got home, her mother immediately stared at her dirty clothes.
"What happened to you?"
Kazumi awkwardly explained everything.
Her mother simply laughed.
"You look happier than usual."
"MOM."
That night, Kazumi lay quietly in bed, staring at the ceiling.
Thinking about the sunset.
The laughter.
The games.
The walk home.
And Kiyoshi's smile.
Outside, the night continued silently.
Unaware that this peaceful moment—
Would soon become one of the memories Kazumi treasured most.