《Whispers beyond the horizon》


 Chapter 1: Dreams!

    ¡°Dreams. They are the fleeting visions we see when we close our eyes to sleep. At times, they are gentle and comforting, yet they can just as easily become nightmares that haunt us. But some dreams are more than mere figments of imagination. They hold a deeper meaning, like a glimpse into the future¡ªa puzzle yet to be solved.


    Dreams are shrouded in mystery, often carrying hidden messages or goals. They might lead you toward a path of happiness or veer you into a world of challenges. The outcome depends entirely on how you choose to interpret them.


    There is a saying: ¡°Dreams are the whispers of fate.¡± For those who dare to listen, they might find their destiny unfolding before their very eyes. But now some dreams are different, they feel like glimpse, into a future not yet written¡±


    The classroom was filled with chatter, but one student remained silent, lost in his own world. This boy¡¯s name is Kaito Shirogane. He was smart, maybe even too smart for his own good. But he didn¡¯t care much for popularity. He never acted cool but having such a dark black hair and silver eyes makes him cool and sometimes mysterious. Again while others exchanged stories about their weekend, Kaito sat by the window, engrossed in a light novel, the pages turning with a practiced ease.


    ¡°Kaito, you¡¯re at it again, huh?¡± a voice interrupted his quiet moment. It was his childhood friend, Kaguya Yuuki, grinning as she leaned over his desk.


    Kaguya¡¯s presence always brought a sense of nostalgia, like the scent of blooming cherry blossoms in the spring. Her ash-gray hair, cut just above the shoulders, swayed with each step, catching the light with a natural sheen. Her shoulder-length ash-gray hair had a soft, natural shine, shimmering gently as she moved.


    The silky strands of her ash-gray hair framed her face, their subtle shine catching the light with every movement. Her fair skin seemed to glow under the moonlight, with a gentle smile that could melt even the coldest heart.


    She had a warm smile, the kind that made you feel like everything would be okay, even on the worst of days. Her ice-blue eyes sparkled like the surface of a sunlit ocean, concealing a playful glint known only to her closest friends.


    With a gaze as clear and bright as ice, her blue eyes shone like sunlight dancing on a crystal-clear lake. It is like a reflection of her lively spirit and the hidden mischief that few ever noticed.


    Kaguya often dressed in simple, comfortable clothes, preferring practicality over fashion, yet she somehow always looked effortlessly charming. She had a habit of brushing a strand of hair behind her ear whenever she was deep in thought¡ªa gesture Kaito found oddly comforting, as if they were still the kids who used to play together until sunset.


    ¡°You should really try talking to people instead of living in those books ¡°again she said to him.


    Kaito glanced up, offering a small smile. ¡°The stories here are more interesting,¡± he replied.


    Kaguya rolled her eyes but couldn¡¯t hide her amusement. ¡°Speaking of stories, have you heard about that old cave up in the mountain¡¯s? They were telling, it only appears to those who need it the most.¡±


    Kaito was whispering to himself, ¡°Cave, huh!¡± Then the Haruto interrupted as third person.


    This young boy is also Kaito¡¯s childhood friend, had a way of brightening up any room he walked into, with his infectious smile and the easy going aura he carried. His hair, a light shade of chestnut brown, was always a bit messy, as if he had just rolled out of bed, yet it suited him perfectly. It fell slightly over his forehead, framing his sharp, yet kind, almond-shaped eyes that shone with a golden-brown hue.


    He wasn¡¯t particularly tall, but he had an athletic build, the kind earned from years of playing soccer in the park after school.


    He often dressed in casual clothes, a simple hoodie, jeans, and sneakers, preferring comfort over style, though his relaxed appearance somehow only added to his charm.


    He was the type of person who would stand by your side no matter what, his loyalty unwavering like the roots of a tree grounded in years of shared memories.


    Haruto asked them if they wanted to go to solve the mystery. Kaguya started to saying cheerfully ¡°Yes! Yes! I wanna go.¡±


    But Kaito didn¡¯t pay attention to them. So, they again started chatting among themselves. And this one quite person again entered his own world.


    After the school Kaito was about to left the school, then he glanced on the clouds in the sky without thinking. He thought that it might be rain. But that day he hadn¡¯t brought his umbrella.


    He said to himself, ¡°Such a bad luck.¡±


    He thought it would be foolish to think about his bad luck and he didn¡¯t pay attention to the weather. Therefore he started walking.


    He was walking through the quite road. This road is always keep quiet. Sometimes there will be a few vehicles to pass the traffic jam. So he always went through this road. It is by the sea. He was listening music and reading the light novel. For a moment, his eyes drifted from the book. Without realising he found himself staring at the mountain. He felt like something was off. He was about to remember something. It gave him some pain into his head. He took a long breath and fresh his mind. But even then he was feeling like something he will lose again that is precious to him.


    He reached at his house after half an long walking. He entered the house saying, ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± It sounded like cold.


    A little girl came out of the living room and stood in front of the door. This cheerful and energetic girl is Kaito¡¯s little sister Kaori Shirogane. She is in junior high school. She is pretty attractive and elegant. She is talented but talk to much. She is fond of mysteries.


    Unlike Kaito, she is very social. Her violet hair cascaded down her back, shimmering like the evening sky at twilight. But it was her eyes¡ªintense, dark purple¡ªthat held an unspoken power, as though they concealed the mysteries of the cosmos. Together, they gave her an ethereal beauty, as if she belonged to a world far beyond this one.


    Kaori asked Kaori asked, ¡°Have you brought my pudding, big brother or you forget to bring it?¡±


    Kaito replied, ¡°Sorry, I forgot.¡±


    ¡°How can you forget it? Even I have also texted you, you forgot it¡±, Kaori said this with a puffed up face.


    Kaito hadn¡¯t replied. Then, their mother scolded them and said, ¡°Why did you two start fighting? You two are not child anymore.¡±


    Kaori then started complaining to her mother about his brother and her mother was comforting her.


    Kaito quietly passed them and was going towards to his room. His mother then called him. He asked her, ¡°What is it, mom?¡±


    His mom said to him, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take shower? You must be tired. After that, take your lunch, too.¡±


    ¡°Okay, mom.¡±


    This young lady who was Kaito¡¯s mom named Shirayuki Shirogane who is the embodiment of quiet elegance. Her violet hair flowed like a cascade of twilight, brushing against her slender shoulders with a natural shine that seemed to absorb the light around her. Her eyes, deep and intense like amethysts bathed in shadow, carried a quiet strength, as if they had witnessed both the beauty and cruelty of the world. They weren¡¯t just eyes¡ªthey were stories untold, holding a thousand unspoken emotions behind their dark purple depths.


    There was a calm grace in the way she carried herself, every movement deliberate and thoughtful, as if she danced to a rhythm only she could hear. Despite the trials of life, Shirayuki never lost her gentle smile, though it was often tinged with a sadness she rarely spoke of. After getting divorce from her ex-husband, her children were her world, and though her voice was soft, it carried the unwavering determination of someone who had faced the storm and emerged stronger.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    She is a gifted novelist and illustrator, celebrated for her fantasy stories that captivate readers with their vivid worlds and deep emotions. Her career allows her to work from home, balancing her professional success with the responsibilities of raising her children. Her creative profession reflects her resilience and the ability to turn imagination into reality, even in challenging times.


    As an author, her words painted pictures more vivid than reality, her stories weaving magic that brought comfort to countless readers. Her illustrations, delicate yet bold, gave life to characters who felt as real as her own struggles. Working late into the night, her desk bathed in the glow of a single lamp, she poured her heart into her work, finding solace in the very worlds she created.


    He then went to take shower. That moment he again remembered about the mountain. He was thinking that there might be a connection between the mountain and the dream he had occasionally. He had dreamed after so long. He couldn¡¯t think how long it is that he had dreamed last. But for few days the dream he had are not normal. Because it was giving him hints about someone whom he had forgotten a long ago.


    After taking shower, they all started taking lunch. No one was talking. But Kaori can¡¯t keep her amusement. Suddenly, Kaori asked her mother, ¡°Mom, have you read today¡¯s news? My friends were talking about something unusual about the cave which is on the mountain . They had read it into the newspaper.¡±


    ¡°What is the unusual thing about the mountain?¡± the question slipped out before Kaito could stopped himself.


    Kaori was shocked to hear that. She couldn¡¯t believe that her brother had paid attention to something that he wasn¡¯t possibly interested. She had got a chance to tease him. She couldn¡¯t help but mock him gently. With a cheeky smile, she started to prod him.


    A mischievous grin spread across her face as she began to taunt him and said, ¡°When did you start paying attention, big brother?¡±


    Kaito snapped, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tell me?¡±


    That moment he got flustered and angry at the same time. But tried to act as casual as he was before.


    Kaori replied with a cheeky smile, ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m telling you. But promise me you will buy me manjuu.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will buy you manjuu,¡± Kaito replied.


    Then their mother scolded them, ¡°Why are you two talking when you¡¯re eating. Talk later. Now focus on eating.¡±


    Kaori said, ¡°Yes, yes, I am eating. Then I will tell you after finishing lunch.¡±


    After lunch, in the living room, the brother and sister sat on the sofa while their mother washed dishes in the kitchen. Kaori leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    ¡°This is such an interesting rumour going around right now, so don¡¯t interrupt me, okay?¡± she said firmly.


    Kaito, leaning back with a sigh, nodded. ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡±


    With a grin, Kaori began recounting the story she had heard,


    ¡°One day, a family of four decided to escape the city and venture into the mountains for a camping trip. The day was filled with laughter and the smell of grilled food, but as the sun dipped below the horizon, they realized they had lost their way back. The forest seemed unfamiliar, with shadows stretching in every direction, and a sense of unease settled in.


    Just as panic began to set in, a soft, melodic sound drifted through the trees ¡ª a song, delicate and haunting, unlike anything they had ever heard before. At the same moment, the sky darkened, and raindrops started to fall, light at first but quickly growing into a downpour. Desperate for shelter, the family spotted the entrance to a cave and hurried inside, away from the cold rain.


    As they stepped deeper into the cave, the song grew louder, clearer. It was beautiful, almost enchanting, like the voice of a siren calling out to them. Curious, they followed the sound until they stumbled upon a figure. There, bathed in the dim light filtering through the cave entrance, was a girl. At first glance, she looked human ¡ª slender, with long hair cascading down her back ¡ª but as they approached, they noticed the large, feathered wings folded behind her.


    The family froze, their hearts pounding. This wasn¡¯t a girl; it was something else, something out of a fairy tale. Before they could react, the girl¡¯s eyes opened, meeting theirs with a calm, almost sorrowful gaze. Overcome with fear, they turned and fled the cave, not daring to look back.


    The next day, rumours of their encounter spread like wildfire. The local newspaper ran the headline: ¡®Family Claims to Have Seen a Winged Girl in the Mountains!¡¯ It became the talk of the town, a story shared in whispers and hushed conversations, as people speculated whether it was just a wild imagination or if there was truly something mystical hidden in the mountains.¡±


    Kaito replied coldly, ¡°That can¡¯t be true. They were probably dreaming. Besides, it¡¯s just a rumour. They might have written fake news to grab attention. I don¡¯t believe it.¡±


    Kaori shot back, ¡°Believe it or not, I don¡¯t care. But why don¡¯t we go there ourselves and see the truth?¡±


    Her expression lit up with curiosity, her face resembling that of a determined mystery solver.


    But Kaito replied in the negative. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure about this. Besides, you haven¡¯t studied lately. Isn¡¯t the exam coming?¡±


    ¡°Again you are dropping the subject by talking about the exam. You have never agreed with me. You always give some excuses and run away. Why don¡¯t you do something like adventurous?¡± She was speaking with a puffed face.


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not interested,¡± he glared, his tone cold and cutting.


    ¡°You¡¯re running away big bro. You see, you¡¯ve not understood the adventure¡¯s meaning. You may be my big brother but you are a little child. On the other hand I am your little sister. I am more talented than you.¡±


    He shot back, his voice laced with irritation, ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? I¡¯m not running away. I¡¯m not interested anymore. If you¡¯re so smart, then why don¡¯t you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°Alright, you two, that¡¯s enough!¡±


    Their mother sighed, leaning over to gently tug at both their cheeks with a small smile. ¡°Do you think I raised you just to bicker like this? Honestly, you¡¯re both acting like little kids!¡±


    She let go, placing her hands on her hips, her tone softening. ¡°Now listen, you¡¯re siblings. That means you have to look out for each other, not fight over every little thing. Got it?¡±


    Her warm but firm gaze shifted between them, and she added, ¡°I¡¯m sure you can work this out without me having to referee, right?¡±


    ¡°But Mom, he started it!¡± she pouted, rubbing her cheek.


    ¡°Oh, sure, blame me as always!¡± he muttered, crossing his arms.


    Their mother gave them a pointed look, and both quickly added, in unison, ¡°Okay, fine. We¡¯ll stop!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed early today and don¡¯t disturb me . Also, I won¡¯t eat my dinner today. I¡¯m not feeling well today.¡±


    He left the room and went to his room.


    His mother said, ¡°What happened to him? He looks too sad.¡±


    ¡°Yes, something might be happened,¡± Kaori also joined.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Won¡¯t you come? You had promised me. Hey, Rio-kun, Have you forgotten me? I¡¯m waiting,¡± a girl was saying to Kaito. The girl was looking sad.


    Kaito asked her, ¡°Who are you?¡± Without answering the question , the girl was disappeared into the mist. Without realising, he found himself standing at the cliff¡¯s edge, peering down at the wave¡¯s crashing below. The ground shifted under his feet and before he could react and he was falling, the wind rushing past him.


    Then he woke up from his sleep by shouting. He was sweating a lot. He was frightened. Again same nightmare he had seen.


    When he saw towards the mountain, he felt like there is a connection between his nightmare and the mountain. Someone has waiting for him. A promise that yet to fulfil.


    The next day he woke up earlier. He made his bed neatly and went downstairs. His mom was making breakfast. He wished his mother good morning.


    His mother said, ¡°Good morning, son. You¡¯ve woken up quite early. You also hadn¡¯t taken your dinner last night. What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I wasn¡¯t feeling well yesterday.¡±


    She said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Wash your face and get fresh.¡±


    When he watching his face, he looked at the mirror and thought about the nightmare he had last night.


    He thought he had met that girl somewhere before. The question is where he met her. But some reasons he could not remember correctly.


    Also the girl addressed him as Rio. But beside his family and his only two childhood friends know that name. ¡°But Who is that girl?¡± he thought.


    When he was walking towards the school that time he also thinking about the dream. Recently he had been dreaming after so long. He could not say when he reach the school front gate. The whole school looks like desolate. In front of the buildings main entrance was a small courtyard and the front gate, with the sports grounds on the opposite side of the school. Before he could realise he passed those. He exchange his outdoor shoes for his indoor slippers. When he opened the door he saw there is no one there. He thought he had come little earlier. But suddenly someone from behind closed his eyes with both hands and asked him, ¡°Now tell me, Who am I?¡± That time he could not feel anyone presence and he was surprised. But he instantly understood that the person was not anyone else but Kaguya. After all they were childhood friend.


    ¡°Kaguya. Kaguya Yuuki. A silly friend of mine.¡±


    She said, ¡°Oh, you are so mean!¡±


    ¡°Have you thought you¡¯re the first one?¡±


    He replied, ¡° No, I didn¡¯t think.¡±


    ¡°No, no, you¡¯ve thought. I can tell it by seeing your face. Just admit it, Kaito-chan. But it¡¯s so unfortunate. I¡¯ve reached here first.¡±


    Kaito noticed that Kaguya was saying every words with a loneliness. Her eyes were talking with a desperate love for him. He thought that that was just his imagination or his illusion.


    Kaito was sitting quietly and reading one of his favourite light novel. And there Kaguya was lazily sitting over her desk and leaning over Kaito¡¯s desk. Her sparking eyes towards him was disturbing the peace of his mind.


    He cannot pay attention to his light novel. He was feeling disturbed. She suddenly stood up and came close to his ear. Then she whispered to his ear, ¡°Y¡¯know, Kato. I like you. I love you very much. Wanna go out with me.¡±


    Kaito started blushing. Kaguya started laughing and said to him, ¡°Just kidding. You¡¯re so easy to catch off-guard.


    He hadn¡¯t said a word and hid his face behind book. But couldn¡¯t hid his blushing face. He took a long breath and gained his peace. But he again started thinking about the nightmare he had last night.


    Spring is coming. Everything has started to change. Someone will come and some one will disappear. Some one is waiting. Yes, I¡¯m waiting.

 Chapter 2: Club disaster!

    The students had already started coming to school. There was a huge crowd of students on the entrance of the gate. Students were coming as a group or solo.


    [Kaguya and Kaito all alone in the class. Kaguya tried to do a chat and Kaito tried to avoid]


    Kaguya said, ¡°It has already started. I thought I would be able to talk with you more.¡±


    Kaito said, ¡°I dunno.¡±


    Her voice rose, sharp and biting, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®I dunno¡¯, huh!¡±


    He replied, ¡°I dunno means I dunno.¡±


    She said, ¡°You are dumb. You are now alone with a girl and your attitude towards the girl is so cold.¡±


    Taking a moment to gather herself, she said, ¡°You know, you are so mean. One day you will hurt someone.¡±


    ¡°That''s why I don''t get along with others,¡± he whispered to himself.


    ¡°What did you say, Kaito?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°Nothing, nothing at all,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I¡¯m sure. You are just imaging things.¡±


    ¡°Yes, maybe I am imagined. But after that day you have changed. You¡¯re not acting well from the day. Why?¡± she asked him


    ¡°Please don''t talk about it. I don''t want to talk about this.¡±


    After that those two was not talked for sometime. The class had already full of the students. And the classroom was also full of chatter.


    The atmosphere of the classroom was as it was everyday. Everybody was passing their time as they do always. On the other hand, this boy never try to change.


    He was always avoiding this crowd, even sometimes his close two friends.


    [Class had started]


    Their home room teacher, Yukina Shimuzu, was entered the class. They all wised her good morning and she also wished them, too.


    After taking everybody is attendance, she asked, ¡°Before starting the class, Is Kaito Shirogane here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sensei,¡± Kaito stood up.


    ¡°Shirogane-san, please meet me at office room after the class, I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sensei,¡± Kaito replied.


    He was looking worried. He thought something must be happened. He was lost in this thought.


    The whole class he could not concentrate on his studies. On the other side, Kaguya also started worrying about him. After the class, he went to the office room.


    [Kaito at office room]


    He met his class teacher. He asked, ¡°What did you want to discuss with me?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Shirogane-san, It¡¯s nothing important. It¡¯s just about your class performance. For some days, the test exams you had given was not good. Also, you have not cut a good figure in the exams.¡± She thought for a second, ¡°Have you study properly? Or you had not felt well about something that haunted your attention from study?¡±


    ¡°No....Yes, Sensei.¡±


    ¡°What is it? Are you afraid of something?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the case,¡± he hesitated.


    After a pause, he inhaled deeply and began, ¡°But, to be honest, yes, I can''t focus on my study for some days. I have just losing in some weird thoughts.¡±


    He was quite for a moment. Than he again said, ¡°Also I am having nightmare. So, you can say, I am having trouble on studying. But I will try my best to focus on studying, Sensei.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you have any other problem, you can talk to me. But don''t skip your class. You had also skipped your class last week. Best of luck. You can go to your class now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sensei.¡± Kaito was started to go back to his classroom.


    ¡°Oh, Shirogane-san, by the way, how is your family doing? Are they fine?¡±


    He stopped and stepped backwards. He replied, ¡°They are doing well. Everyone is fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, They are doing well. Say hello to them on the behalf of me. I am counting on you.¡±


    Kaito¡¯s Sensei Yukina Shimuzu is a old friend of his mother and now she is the home room teacher of his class. So they¡¯re close to each other like a mother and a son.


    Yukina Shimuzu is a woman in her late twenties, exuding a graceful yet approachable aura that makes her a favourite among students and staff alike. Standing at an average height with a slender build, her posture is always upright and composed, reflecting her dedication and professionalism as an educator.


    Her hair, a cascade of crimson red, is often tied in a neat ponytail or occasionally let loose to frame her oval-shaped face, accentuating her golden eyes. These eyes, often described as pools of understanding, have a way of making anyone she speaks to feel seen and heard, especially her students.


    Yukina has a habit of dressing in soft pastel blouses paired with pencil skirts, favouring simplicity over extravagance. A delicate silver pendant, a gift from Kaito¡¯s mother during their college years, rests around her neck¡ªa subtle reminder of their enduring friendship.


    Her voice, calm and melodic, carries an inherent kindness, capable of calming even the most restless of classrooms.


    Despite her youthful appearance, Yukina commands respect through her balanced teaching style. She is strict when necessary but always fair, believing in fostering a supportive environment where her students can thrive academically and personally. Her desk is often cluttered with books, lesson plans, and small handmade trinkets gifted by her students, a testament to her connection with them.


    [Kaguya and Haruto was chatting]


    Kaguya asked, ¡°What do you think, Haruto? Why was Kaito called for?¡±


    Haruto replied, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. It must be about his academic results.¡±


    ¡°I hope so.¡± Kaguya whispered. Haruto tried to consulate her.


    He added, ¡°You¡¯re just overthinking. Besides, have you forgotten? Sensei¡¯s relationship with Kaito extends beyond that of a typical teacher and student, largely due to her close friendship with his mother, Shirayuki-san.¡±


    With a deep breath, he uttered, ¡°Having known Kaito since he was a child, she holds a soft spot for him, though she takes care to treat him fairly, ensuring no favouritism.¡±


    Kaguya then said, ¡°Yeah. I agree with you about that. I think Sensei remembers Kaito as a curious, imaginative boy who would often sit in the corner of the room with a sketchpad, lost in his own world.¡±


    Pausing for a second, she drew in a breath and said, ¡°She¡¯s watched him grow into a quiet, introspective teenager, and while she respects his reserved nature, she worries about the distance he keeps from others. He has totally changed. It¡¯s really worrying.¡±


    As his homeroom teacher, Yukina goes out of her way to check on Kaito, both academically and emotionally. She¡¯s noticed the faraway look in his eyes during class and the way he often stares out the window as if searching for something beyond the horizon.


    During parent-teacher conference, Yukina hadn¡¯t shy away from gently addressing these observations with Shirayuki, though she was careful not to alarm her.


    [Kaito returned to class and overheard their chatting]


    When they were talking to each other, Kaito was returned to his class and took his seat.


    ¡°What did Sensei discuss?¡± Kaguya asked him with a rushing attitude.


    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just about my class performance. Nothing more than that,¡± he replied with offering a small smile.


    ¡°Now have you calmed down, princess? You were just thinking in vain,¡± Haruto teased her. She had made a puffed face.


    ¡°Okay, okay. Don¡¯t just fight in vain, too.¡± Kaito tried to stop them.


    The quite change nature whispered in Kaito¡¯s ear, ¡°Are you coming, Rio-Kun?¡± He looked around but no one there. He felt like a girl was hugged him from behind and whispered in his ear.


    Kaito asked, ¡°Hey, guys! Have you ever told about my nickname?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Haruto replied.


    ¡°Neither me, too. But why are you asking that?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I just feel like,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am sure,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°Okay, okay. It¡¯s about the class beginning. Let¡¯s take our seat, guys,¡± Haruto said.


    But in Kaito¡¯s mind, he was just thinking, ¡°Who are you I am thinking about?¡±


    [After the school at the afternoon]


    That day was a rainy afternoon. After school had ended and most students had gone home, Yukina found Kaito sitting alone in the classroom, staring at his open notebook. The faint patter of raindrops against the windows filled the silence. She approached him softly, placing a hand on the desk to catch his attention.


    ¡°Kaito,¡± she said, her voice tender yet firm. ¡°Is everything okay? You¡¯ve been looking a little distracted lately. Is anything haunting you up inside?¡±


    Kaito hesitated, his pencil hovering over the page, before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Sensei. Just¡­ thinking about things.¡±


    Yukina nodded, understanding that he wasn¡¯t ready to open up. She thought he was again thinking about his nightmare that earlier he mentioned.


    Instead of pressing further, she sat in the chair next to him, offering quiet companionship.


    ¡°You know, it¡¯s okay to feel lost sometimes. Besides, You should go to your club. You can feel fresh,¡± she said after a moment.


    ¡°But remember you don¡¯t have to figure everything out on your own. If you ever need someone to listen, I¡¯m here¡ªnot just as your teacher, but as someone who cares about you. Moreover, you¡¯ve two great friends. Treasure them.¡±


    Though Kaito didn¡¯t respond immediately, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. It was moments like these that made Yukina feel her role extended far beyond teaching; she saw herself as a guide, someone who could provide the stability and support her students needed, even when they didn¡¯t ask for it.


    After packing his bag pack, he bade her goodbye and took leave. He went for the club.


    [At club room Kaguya and Haruto was chatting about something]


    Haruto and Kaguya was already there. Kaito entered the club. For a moment, those two were shocked. They were too shocked that they couldn¡¯t say anything at first. It was feeling too cold like snow storm. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Haruto asked, ¡°Is that really Kaito Shirogane? I should take a photo.¡±


    Haruto stared taking photo with Kaito to tease him. Kaito started feeling awful.


    Kaguya said, ¡°I¡¯m surprised. You¡¯ve showed yourself in the club at last.¡±


    Kaito said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. And there is nothing important to take photos, you dumbass.¡±


    ¡°Now, you¡¯ve come back at last. It is a good news. But we also have a bad news for you.¡± Haruto notified him.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Kaito asked out of his curiosity.


    Giving him a paper, Haruto said, ¡°As a club president, you¡¯ve asked to meet the student council president.¡±


    Kaito shuddered. ¡°After so long what does she want from me?¡±


    Kaito started sweating. ¡°I see, no other choice then. Okay, I¡¯ll be back. You two stay here a little longer. I¡¯m going.¡±


    Kaguya said, ¡°See you soon.¡±


    Kaito was thinking what she wanted from him.


    [At student council room]


    When he had entered the room, he found no one there. But the door was opened. Someone from his behind closed his eyes with both her hands. And asked, ¡°Now guess who am I?¡±


    He fell for the same trick two times, also different two person. He couldn¡¯t even predict it.


    ¡°Stop playing with me, senpai. I¡¯ve already known that it is you,¡± Kaito said to her.


    This is Nanami Arisugawa, the student council president of Kaisei Academy, exudes an aura of elegance and unyielding authority that commands the respect of her peers and faculty alike. Her appearance alone is enough to leave an indelible impression.


    Her long, silken hair cascades like a waterfall of deep sapphire blue, shimmering in the sunlight as though imbued with the ocean¡¯s essence. It flows down her back in soft waves, framing her delicate, heart-shaped face.


    The contrast of her striking hair with her golden-amber eyes is nothing short of mesmerizing. Her eyes gleam with an intensity that mirrors the fiery spirit of her leadership, always observant and seemingly capable of piercing through lies.


    They hold a duality of warmth and sharpness¡ªsoft when offering guidance to her peers but unyielding when enforcing discipline.


    Nanami¡¯s sense of style further accentuates her poised demeanour. Her uniform, while adhering to the academy¡¯s strict code, is immaculately tailored to reflect her meticulous nature. She wears a silver lapel pin shaped like a phoenix¡ªan emblem of her role as the president and a subtle nod to her fierce determination. Her slender fingers are often adorned with a simple yet elegant silver bracelet, adding a personal touch to her otherwise pristine appearance.


    Nanami¡¯s voice carries an air of authority that makes people stop and listen, yet it retains a soothing quality that puts others at ease when she speaks.


    Whether addressing the entire school during assemblies or resolving disputes among students, her tone remains calm, measured, and persuasive. Her leadership is characterized by her ability to balance strictness with empathy.


    She believes in leading by example and holds herself to the same high standards she expects from others. Despite her commanding presence, Nanami is not without a softer side.


    She is deeply compassionate, often going out of her way to assist students in need, whether it¡¯s helping them navigate personal challenges or mediating conflicts.


    Her warmth shines most brightly during moments when she offers quiet, one-on-one advice, her golden eyes softening as she listens intently.


    Nanami has a knack for remembering the smallest details about people, a trait that endears her to the student body. Whether it¡¯s recalling someone¡¯s birthday or encouraging them about a personal goal they shared in passing, her attentiveness makes her a beloved figure within the school.


    Underneath her composed exterior, Nanami is a perfectionist who works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the student council runs smoothly. She often burns the midnight oil to finalize event preparations or paperwork, driven by an unwavering commitment to her role.


    However, this intense dedication occasionally leaves her vulnerable to stress, a fact she tries to hide from her peers.


    Nanami¡¯s blend of beauty, intellect, and integrity has made her a symbol of inspiration for students at Kaisei Academy. Yet, those who know her closely understand that beneath her polished exterior lies a young woman striving to balance the weight of expectations with her own dreams and vulnerabilities.


    Her presence is like the steady glow of a lighthouse¡ªilluminating the path for others while quietly bearing the tempest within. Because of her strong leadership, this character with her beauty she was called ¡°Queen of Radiance¡±. Kaito named her ¡°Scarlet Empress¡±. Besides some people also called her like ¡®Ruby Sentinel¡± or ¡°The Guiding Star¡±.


    ¡°What do you want from me, senpai?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Welcome to student council office, Sapphire Falcon. But you are so mean. You¡¯re as cold as ever.¡± Nanami said and made a puffed face. This name, ¡°Sapphire Falcon¡± was given Kaito for his detective works by Nanami.


    ¡°Yes. Please don¡¯t call me by this name. Also I¡¯ve heard it before many times that I will hurt someone. Now just tell me what do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you call me by my first name, ¡®Nanami¡¯ when we are alone?¡± she said and then she took her seat.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t. You know, after all you¡¯re one class senior, senpai.¡±


    ¡°You are horrible. Okay, then I won¡¯t tell you, too¡±


    Now Kaito became serious. He leaned casually against the wall behind Nanami, his hand resting near her shoulder.


    With a confident smirk, he said, ¡°You¡¯ve made me serious now. So, be prepared.¡±


    Then, lowering his voice to a whisper near her ear, he added, ¡°Nanami, I like you. Want a kiss or a hug? Or maybe... hear something else?¡±


    Nanami¡¯s cheeks turned crimson, her heart skipping a beat as if struck by an arrow. Her expression turned into an adorable pout as she struggled to contain her embarrassment.


    ¡°Do you.... mean it?¡± she asked hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. She clutched her book tightly, her first instinct being to hide her face behind it in sheer mortification.


    ¡°You wanted to hear that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Kaito replied with a sly grin.


    ¡°Oh, my, now.....tell me!¡±


    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t mean it. I was just kidding.¡±


    Nanami¡¯s face froze in a mixture of disbelief and indignation as Kaito chuckled softly.


    ¡°Enough with the teasing,¡± she huffed, her voice a mix of frustration and lingering shyness. ¡°It was fun for you, wasn¡¯t it? Now, let¡¯s get back to work.¡±


    Kaito stepped back with a casual shrug, his smile lingering. ¡°Alright, alright. Work it is,¡± he said, though the glint in his eyes suggested he wasn¡¯t quite done enjoying her reactions.


    ¡°So what is the matter you want to discuss with me?¡± he asked with a strong vibe.


    ¡°This is nothing else. It is about your club. Your club had been created less than one year. But this club has not reported anything. Besides there is no advisor in your club,¡± she said.


    She added, ¡°So, that¡¯s mean your club is in great danger. It is losing it¡¯s qualifications. After two weeks, there will be a meeting where it will be discussed. You have less than two weeks. So you have to take steps.¡±


    Steeling himself with a deep inhale, he spoke, ¡°So that¡¯s mean our club is really going to disband. What should I do then?¡±


    ¡°You have to do two things. First of all, you have to find an advisor for your club. Second, you have to report something that will be qualified your club activities. Here¡¯s a form for your club advisor. You just need a signature,¡± she said and finished her advice.


    After that she took out a template from her desk and again said, ¡°Here a special gift for you. This is a template for you. It may help you. Take your decision carefully. From today, no, from this moment your time has already begun.¡±


    Kaito expressed his gratitude towards her and bade her goodbye. Taking the form and the template he left the student council office. Then when he went for the club, he passed the council members.


    [At ¡°Manga Club¡± room]


    Kaito returned to his club. Haruto and Kaguya were chatting. Kaguya was also arranging the books which was being kept unarranged on the bookshelf.


    Kaito entered the club with a quiet vibe. Those two understood instantly that something had happened. Because they were watching his mood off face.


    Kaguya asked, ¡°What happened Kaito? Why are you looking sad? What was the president called for?¡±


    Kaito did not reply. He kept quiet. Then Haruto asked, ¡°It is about the club, isn''t it?¡±


    Kaito with a sad vibe on his tone he replied, ¡°Yes, it is about our club. Our club is going to disband.¡±


    Haruto said after hearing this, ¡°So, I guess right. There must be a way, mustn¡¯t there? Knowing her, she might have told you something.¡± He tried to act cool so that he could consulate him. Kaguya was totally shocked.


    Then Kaito replied, ¡°Yes.¡± And showed them the template.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Kaguya took the template with curiosity.


    It was about a manga based competition. It was a competition which was the key of their success. If they couldn¡¯t bring any result, they club would be disbanded.


    ¡°So that is our target. Creating a masterpiece and bring any one of the prize for our class succession,¡± Haruto said.


    ¡°Yes, but not any of them. The first prize. We have to gain this if we want our club. Because our school has not got any other prize expect first prize. There is no other way after all,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°So, this is the final decision. Let''s give our best guys. Now cheer up,¡± Kaguya tried to cheer up them.


    ¡°We can take help from your mother, can¡¯t we?¡± Haruto asked.


    ¡°Yes. There is no other way. Have have to take this risk,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°But, at first, we have to find someone who will be our club advisor,¡± Kaito again said.


    ¡°Don''t think too much. Leave it to me. I know someone who will be happy to become our club advisor,¡± Kaguya happily replied.


    ¡°Who?¡± Kaito and Haruto asked.


    ¡°Just wait for tomorrow. You two will meet soon.¡± Kaguya smiled.


    ¡°Okay, then I will take my leave to feel the form,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Then we should get going and I will be locked the room and return the key to office room. We will meet each other at the School entrance at 02 :05 p.m.,¡± Haruto said.


    ¡°Okay guys, we have less than 20 minutes. So, see you after finishing our works,¡± Kaito said.


    Then Kaito went for the office room. Kaguya left for the advisor. Haruto locked the room and went to the teachers office room.


    [At student council office]


    Riku asked Nanami, ¡° Who was the boy earlier, president?¡±


    ¡°He is Kaito. Also a colleague back then in my middle school. He was the former vice-president and also the last ¡®Student council president¡¯,¡± Nanami replied.


    ¡°What are you saying? It is not a joke. Someone like him was the ¡®Silver Darkness¡¯, huh!¡± Statsuki was surprised.


    ¡°Yes. He had the name of ¡®Silver Darkness¡¯, also known as ¡°Deep Shadow¡±. But aside the work experience, I know him personally, too. I have never seen someone like him. I haven¡¯t seen no other person as cold hearted as him. He is always lead a unfriendly life.¡±


    Exhaling softly, she said, ¡°Today when I was talking to him, I saw his smile after so long. But even this was a fake smile. I can tell it by looking him. He can¡¯t hide anything from me. I¡¯d watched him for two long years. He shouldn¡¯t forget that I am his senpai. I thought he would be changed after becoming a student council president. But I was wrong.¡±


    Yuna asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because I am not good enough to change him. Maybe I was wrong to think that after becoming a student council president, he will change. I don¡¯t understand what he always thinks. But I can tell this for sure that if he didn¡¯t change now, he will suffer for the rest of his life. Now forget this topic. Let¡¯s do some work. Tell me about reports you all got,¡± Nanami said.


    They all started doing their own work and giving her the reports. On the other hand, even in the work, she was thinking about Kaito. Wondering what he will do.


    Watching outside of the window, the quite change of nature, she was muttering, ¡°Spring is coming, let¡¯s see what will you choose. Will you choose to change or keep it going as it is. Hey, Kaito, tell me what are you going to do? I¡¯m wondering.¡±


    [At library. Kaguya entered the room searching for the advisor]


    On the, Kaguya entered the room and went for the teacher to make the teacher agreed. She took a book from the bookshelf and seated in front of the teacher.


    The teacher asked, ¡°What are you doing here at a time like this? Shouldn¡¯t you go to home?¡±


    Kaguya replied, ¡°Yes, I should have gone home. But I can¡¯t, Ms. Yukina Sensei.¡±


    The person who was sitting on the table in front of Kaguya was Yukina Shimuzu Sensei. She always like to read books on the library after the school.


    ¡°Then why are you? Knowing you, you should be with Kaito. What is the reason you are here?¡± Yukina asked.


    Kaguya replied, ¡°Sensei, please become our club advisor. We are in great danger.¡±


    After that she told her everything what was happened. Then Yukina started thinking something. Then she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get involved with this. But I will consider about it.¡±


    ¡°We need your help Sensei. And you are the only one who can help us. So, aren¡¯t you going to help us. Help us to fulfil our first step,¡± Kaguya requested her.


    ¡°Okay there is no other choice. Please give me today¡¯s night for thinking. I want to think about it. I will tell you tomorrow,¡± Yukina hesitated.


    ¡°If you agree with me to become our club advisor, please just signature here in this paper. I am counting on you, Sensei.¡± Kaguya left the paper there and left the room.


    At the school entrance gate, exactly 02:05 p.m., they all gathered. They all did their job. They left the school and went for Kaito¡¯s house.


    On the way of Kaito¡¯s house, they were going by the sea-side road. A number of cars passed them. Kaito was surprised.


    Kaito asked, ¡°Where are these cars going?¡±


    Haruto replied, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? A number people went to the mountain to see the ¡®Whispered Angel¡¯. After that news people has started searching for her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. So that¡¯s the story. People really are a idiots,¡± Kaito muttered.


    Kaguya suggested, ¡°After accomplishing our goal, why don¡¯t we go there, too?¡±


    Kaito replied, ¡°Why don¡¯t we first focus on this competition? After that, we can see what we will do.¡±


    ¡°Oh, why don¡¯t you agreed with me?¡± Kaguya puffed up her face.


    Again The same look of the girl from his dream appeared in his eyes. He felt a little headache. It gives him some pain. He was seeing everything as a blur.


    Kaguya asked, ¡°Is something wrong, Kaito?¡±


    ¡°No, I was just thinking,¡± he replied.


    He then felt a little relaxed. Then he started going forward with his by-cycle.


    Looking at the mountain, Kaito whispered, ¡°Who are you? Whom am I looking for? I am going to lose someone, huh! It¡¯s so cold. I see. Spring is coming.¡±

 Chapter 3: Manga artist to Mr. detective!

    ¡°So, guys, have you thought how to complete a manga?¡± Kaguya asked.


    Haruto and Kaito stopped. Kaguya was only walking. Then she had also stopped. Those two boys looked so shocked. They were completely forgot.


    Haruto replied, ¡°I was just saying out of my sudden reply to comfort Kaito. I wasn¡¯t thinking about it.¡±


    Kaito said, ¡°I know. But I have not tried to do anything yet. But I can do it if you guys with me. So don''t think too much.¡±


    He hugged those two together. They smiled. On the way home, Kaito suddenly remember that Kaori had asked him to bring manjuu.


    Kaito said to them, ¡°I have remembered something. So, I have to go. Why don''t you two go first?¡±


    Kaguya thought something and replied, ¡°Then we will come at the evening to your house. What do you think, Haruto?¡±


    Haruto gave a rushing replied, ¡°Yes, yes.......Why not?¡±


    ¡°Then all set. Meet you at evening at your house, Kaito,¡± Kaguya said.


    After that they all went on their way to home. Kaito also went for buying manjuu. He then went home after buying it.


    [At home]


    Again Kaori was standing there. She could even scold him, he took out the bag of manjuu¡¯s and showed in front of Kaori.


    ¡°As I promised, I have brought your gift,¡± Kaito replied.


    Kaori was happy to see manjuu. She hugged him. She said something to tease him.


    Kaori said, ¡°Is not something wrong? You have not forgotten. You have brought manjuu.¡±


    Kaito did not replied. He avoided her.


    ¡°But you have not brought my pudding yet, have you?¡± Kaori again asked.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I will bring it tomorrow,¡± Kaito replied.


    He then went to take for shower. He was thinking about the competition. He could not think anything beside that.


    Suddenly a voice whispered to his ear, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. It will be okay.¡±


    He looked his behind but there was no one. He thought it was his imagination. But he could not think anything beside that. He could not forget about the competition.


    [At the dining room]


    He was taking his lunch with his family. His mother and sister are gossiping a little. His mother noticed that he was worried. She thought something must had happened.


    ¡°Why are you looking worried?¡± Shirayuki asked.


    ¡°No....I am....not worried. But....¡± Kaito was hesitating.


    ¡°Is something wrong? Is something happened in your school?¡± Shirayuki asked.


    ¡°Yes. I have got a notice from Student council office. We are in a great trouble about your club, mom.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±


    Kaito then told her everything. Her mother was listening him carefully.


    She asked, ¡°Are you sure that you are going to take part in this competition?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mom. I have to do that. No, we have to do it.¡±


    ¡°So, brother, do you have any skill of writing or artistic skill?¡± Kaori asked.


    ¡°Yes, I have a little experience of writing and art,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have any experience of drawing manga, do you?¡± Kaori asked again.


    ¡°I can try. I want your help mom. I know a little bit of manga . So I want knowledge of manga. Please help me out,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you out. For now finish your lunch or it will become cold,¡± Shirayuki replied.


    [At the living room]


    At the evening, suddenly their doorbell rang. Kaori was lazing at the sofa and watching TV. On the other side, Kaito the reading a light novel.


    Kaori told his brother, ¡°Big brother, why don¡¯t you go to open the door? I don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°Just go. Don¡¯t disturb me. I am reading this. Don¡¯t you see,¡± Kaito replied to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk too much. Just go and open it, brother,¡± Kaori said.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t open the door. If you have such hurry, then why don¡¯t you go and open the door if you want to do that,¡± Kaito replied.


    That evening was a little bit colder than any other day. No one could possibly wants to ruin his time for opening a door. It was a pain for them.


    Also, Kaito was reading. Kaito didn¡¯t want to ruin his time when he was reading a light novel. He wanted to stay with his peace. Again the door bell rang.


    Their mother was cleaning the dishes. She said, ¡°Hey you two, why don''t you open the door? Don''t keep people waiting. Go and open the door.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I am going,¡± Kaito reply to his mother. A trace of regret appeared in his eyes.


    He went to open the door. Again the door bell rang.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I am coming,¡± Kaito replied.


    He opened the door. What a surprise! It was Kaguya and Haruto. They came as they promised. They came there with their luggage like they were going for a trip. The entered the house. Kaito welcomed them.


    ¡°Thanks for having us.¡±


    ¡°Why are you two come along with your luggage? Are you two going on a tour or something?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Kaguya replied.


    ¡°No... It¡¯s just.....¡± Haruto tried to avoid the question.


    ¡°We are not going on any tour. We will stay here with you at your house until the competition finishes,¡± Kaguya replied.


    ¡°Good job. So, you to decided by yourself. Have you ask me where you to will be sleeping?¡± Kaito asked.


    Those two were frozen there. They were sweating. They were frightened by hearing Kaito¡¯s question.


    ¡°Is there no place for us to sleep?¡± Haruto asked.


    ¡°No. There is no room. Why don''t you two sleep in the living room?¡± Kaito again asked.


    ¡°No, no, I can''t sleep in the living room. Is there really no room, Kaito?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding. I was just teasing you two. There is two room for you two. So, don''t think too much. I know you two will come here to stay here with this excuses,¡± Kaito consoled them.


    ¡°For a moment, you had made us confused. Don¡¯t make such a joke,¡± Haruto said.


    ¡°Now, come, come. I was just playing with you two,¡± Kaito laughed.


    ¡°Who has come, Kaito?¡± Shirayuki asked.


    ¡°Kaguya and Haruto, mom,¡± Kaito replied.


    His mom came from the kitchen. She said, ¡°Welcome. Have a seat, you two. So you two came with planning.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Kaguya was called me and then told me to come with luggage,¡± Haruto replied.


    Kaori came running and hugged Kaguya.


    ¡°It''s been a long time. How are you doing, Kaguya senpai?¡± Kaori asked.


    Kaguya replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine and you, little princess?¡±


    ¡°I am doing well,¡± Kaori replied.


    ¡°This is for you.¡± Kaguya gave her a box.


    ¡°What is it, senpai?¡± Kaori asked. She opened the box. It was full of pudding.


    ¡°Thank you, Kaguya senpai,¡± Kaori again hugged.


    ¡°Now enough of this greetings. Have you two thought about the manga?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Haruto and Kaguya instantly replied. They replied like they did not think about it a little.


    ¡°I knew that. You two have not think about it,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°You are here for it. So, we don''t have any tension,¡± Haruto replied.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah I have understood it. You two has not changed a little. So please give us some advice, mom,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°You have to follow some steps. Are you all sure to do this?¡± Shirayuki asked.


    They all replied, ¡°We are ready.¡± She took them at her drawing room.


    [At the Shirayuki¡¯s working room]


    ¡°For you three, you can use this room. But you have to follow some steps,¡± Shirayuki said.


    She continuously telling the steps, ¡°Step one is ¡®Story planning¡¯. Do you guys have any story?¡± Shirayuki asked.


    Kaito replied, ¡°I think I have one or two. It may be into shelf.¡±


    ¡°When did you write a story, Kaito?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°I don''t remember clearly. But I may have written one back then on my middle school day,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°Aside the story, if you have then you have to decide on its beginning, climax and ending. Then, break the story into scenes and dialogue. Also think about the emotional beats and pacing.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Then this is the first step which is story plan,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Are you sure Kaito that you have a story for this?¡± Haruto asked.


    ¡°I am not fully sure. But there maybe one,¡± Kaito replied.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°You have to cut some scenes or add for the story for your manga. So, you three have to do it properly,¡± Shirayuki said.


    ¡°Okay. We can do this. The next step may be about character design, right?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°Yes, character design. You have to draw main character plus other characters from different angle,¡± Shirayuki said.


    ¡°Like experimenting with hairstyles facial expressions and clothing?¡± Haruto said.


    ¡°Yes. You have to create detailed reference sheets, showing various poses, outfits and emotions for each other,¡± Shirayuki said.


    Shirayuki again continued, ¡°You have to draw manga pages. The tools you want, you will find everything here.¡±


    ¡°For the layout, which type of colour pencil we should use?¡± Kaito asked.


    Shirayuki replied, ¡°You can use a blue or light pencil to lightly sketch the pencil, borders and rough placements of characters backgrounds and speech bubbles. For adding text and effects, you have to be careful. Shape and size of bubbles should reflect the tone of the dialogue.¡±


    She was continuously teaching them about how they should do. The lesson was teaching them for an hour. They all seem tired.


    When it is about the manga, Shirayuki is unstoppable. She is really a hidden prodigy in sector of manga.


    They all went for their work, Shirayuki went for cooking. Kaito, Haruto and Kaguya was searching the story book.


    Kaito said, ¡°On the cover ¡®Shattered Horizons¡¯ was written.¡±


    ¡°What did you say, Kaito? I haven¡¯t understood,¡± Haruto replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®Shattered Horizons¡¯, you dumbass!¡± Kaguya said.


    [At Kaito¡¯s room]


    They were searching for the book that Kaito was mentioned. It was a long time ago which was written by Kaito.


    ¡°Man, your room is so clean. How can you do this after doing this much homework?¡± Haruto asked.


    ¡°He is not like you, dumbass,¡± Kaguya said.


    ¡°And you, Kaguya, stop calling me ¡®Dumbass¡¯, I¡¯m not a no-name person. I have got a name. So call me by my name,¡± Haruto said. He was so angry.


    ¡°Cut it out, you two stop fighting. Just find the book,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± those two replied.


    Suddenly Kaguya jumped up. Kaito and Haruto was shocked by her jumping.


    Kaito asked, ¡°What happened Kaguya? Have you found it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I have found it,¡± Kaguya replied with joy.


    After arranging everything which where unarranged, they took their place for sitting. There was total 15 chapters in this story. They each took 5 chapters per.


    They were seem very busy. Those three were setting on Kaito¡¯s desk. They were cutting some sentences or adding some sentences. Also they were marking dialogues. For that day they took three chapters to edit. The finished editing before dinner.


    After having dinner they are went to sleep. Kaguya went to sleep in the guest room and Haruto will be sharing room with Kaito.


    They all went to sleep. But Kaito was still editing another chapter. He was editing that chapter to reduce work. On the way of editing, he fell asleep.


    After few hours, his sleep had broken. He saw that he was sleeping in his desk. Then he went to his bed. But he couldn''t sleep. Then he went to the rooftop with his violin.


    [At the rooftop]


    He was playing the violin. He was playing the ball in like he was throwing out his sadness. There was a note of sadness in the melody of his violin.


    On the other side, Kaguya was also woke up. She heard the tune of the violin. She went to the rooftop. She saw that Kaito was there playing his violin.


    ¡°Hey, Kaito, can¡¯t you sleep?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°Yeah, have I disturbed in your sleep? Or you can''t sleep either?¡± Kaito asked after replying.


    ¡°Me too. I can''t sleep either,¡± Kaguya replied.


    ¡°You see, for some days I am having nightmares. So, sometimes I can''t sleep,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Are you worried about something?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°No, I am not worried but sometimes it''s really gives me headache or pain. By the way, I want to ask you a question. Have you ever told anyone about my nickname?¡± after replying Kaito asked.


    ¡°No, but why did you ask me that?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°No, it may be my imagination after all,¡± Kaito said. ¡°Forget it.¡±


    He was looking worried. Kaguya had also noticed that Kaito was worried. But she did not say anything.


    ¡°So, why don''t you go for sleeping? I am feeling sleepy,¡± Kaguya said.


    ¡°Yes, why not?¡± Kaito replied.


    They went to sleep again. Kaguya went first. After locking the gate of the rooftop Kaito was also went to bed.


    From the next day they had started working hard. First attending school and then part time job. And after finishing the job they came to home. Then there took shower and after that this started editing the story.


    Day one. Day two. Day three. At the fourth day they finished editing. Then they started drawing the manga. At first they started with creating character.


    After that they started experimenting with the character emotional action. Kaito was drawing the characters action and bubbles for dialogues. Kaguya was writing the dialogue and Haruto was doing the inking. They all seemed busy.


    Sometimes, Shirayuki helped them to do their work properly. Shirayuki and Kaori sometimes peeked to see what was they doing.


    Before the competition they somehow finished the manga. Till the late night they were working on this subject.


    ¡°Good work, guys,¡± Kaguya said.


    ¡°Yeah. It''s been a very busy week, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Haruto asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kaito replied, ¡°I am so tired. Tomorrow we will went to submit it. Hope that it will help us.¡±


    ¡°Don''t think too much. We have been working since the last week. We will win the prize and save our club,¡± Kaguya said.


    For that day, they all fell on sleeping on their desk. Kaito covered their bodies with blankets. He also went to sleep in his desk. After arranging everything and put it into an envelope, he fell in a deep sleep.


    Kaito woke up early in the next morning. He got freshen first. After then he started waking them up. The day of the competition submission was finally here.


    Kaito said, ¡±You all go there by the car. And I am going by the cycle.¡±


    Shirayuki replied, ¡°Okay, you go. Before leaving the house, don¡¯t forget to lock, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay, mom,¡± Kaito replied.


    After finishing the breakfast they all left the house. Firstly, Kaguya, Haruto, Kaori and Shirayuki left the house. Then, Kaito left the house with his cycle.


    Kaito clutched his manga manuscript, their hard work, passion, and late-night efforts condensed into a stack of neatly bound pages. As he was heading by the cycle toward the venue, his path was blocked by a group of rowdy men.


    ¡°You¡¯re Kaito, right?¡± one of them sneered, cracking his knuckles. ¡°We¡¯re here to deliver a message: Don¡¯t bother submitting that manga of yours. Turn around and go home.¡±


    Kaito¡¯s eyes narrowed. He instantly realized this wasn¡¯t a random encounter. His rival, Nakayama¡ªone of his closest competitors in the manga competition¡ªhad recently made it clear how much he wanted the club room Kaito¡¯s manga club used. Nakayama must have hired these thugs to stop him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this,¡± Kaito said firmly, gripping his manuscript tightly.


    One of the men reached for the pages, but Kaito dodged. Fuelled by determination, he fought back, using quick reflexes and sharp thinking to outmanoeuvre the gang.


    Though his knuckles bled from one solid punch and his breathing grew heavier, he managed to escape with his manuscript intact.


    However, the delay cost him precious time. By the time Kaito reached the main street, traffic was at a standstill¡ªa massive jam caused by a festival parade blocking the route to the competition venue.


    Kaito panicked for a moment but refused to give up. With his cycle, racing against time and weaving through narrow streets and crowded sidewalks, Kaito pushed forward, heart pounding in his chest.


    [At the venue]


    He reached the venue just minutes before the deadline, dishevelled and breathless. Ignoring the curious stares, he handed over his submission.


    Then he went to his family. They were waiting for him. They were worried about Kaito. Kaguya and Haruto was totally worried.


    Shirayuki asked, ¡°What did you took so long to reach here? What happened?¡±


    Kaito told them about the incident. He told them how he managed to escape from there.


    ¡°So, you have understood. That all was happened,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Yeah. You are lucky, brother. You have come before the deadline time finished. Great job, fighter!¡± Kaori said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, guys. We will win that,¡± Haruto said. After that they all visited the stall of manga¡¯s. Various genres of manga. From old to new. After having fun they went to home.


    After few days, they were free for some days. They were following the regular schedule. After finishing the manga, Kaguya and Haruto was also went to their own house.


    Before the day of confirmation of their fate. Kaito was quietly his playing violin. Nanami had phoned him. He was in the balcony of his room. He answered to Nanami¡¯s call.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°So, Kaito. How are you doing?¡± Nanami asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing well. Tomorrow is the result,¡± Kaito said leaning over the balcony¡¯s railing.


    ¡°So, what do you think what will happen?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know. But I want to gain one to guarantee of my club safety¡¯s, as a club president.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow is the meeting. You are luck is depended on you. You are going to notify at first officially. So, don''t worry. Best of luck.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, senpai. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye,¡± Nanami hung up the call.


    ¡°Fate, huh!¡± Kaito whispered.


    The next day they did not went to school. But they went to the competition. They were eagerly waiting for the result.


    10th prize. 9th prize. 8th prize. 7th prize to 6th prize. There was no mentioning of their name. Somehow, Kaito, Haruto and Kaguya felt happy.


    Then the 5th prize to 4th prize. There were also no mentioning of their name. The team manga competition was so competitive.


    They were happy till then. Because they didn¡¯t want these prizes. But this was also giving them little fear. Another side of audience Kaito noticed that Nakayama was that, too. That also gave him some pain on his head.


    Then the top 3 prize winners name had begun to declare. The announcer declared the third team, ¡°The third team is.....is.....is Yamaguchi¡¯s team.¡±


    The Yamaguchi¡¯s team went to take the prize. They were from another high school students, Yamaguchi, Shino and Takashi. Those three looked happy but there also a scar of disappointing on their happy face.


    And there, Kaito¡¯s heartbeat was also getting faster. Like Kaito, Kaguya and Haruto were also sweating too much out of their fear.


    After announcing the third prize. The announcer again said, ¡°Now the second prize winner is....... The one who is the winner is...... Aomine¡¯s team.¡±


    They were from another district¡¯s high School. Because their school is very known to everyone. The participants were Aomine, Tatsuya and Miyuki. They were the first prize winners of previous year. So, they were little disappointed.


    Then just one prize was remain. Kaito was waiting for this and praying to God. He just wanted this one. But then the announcer said something very interesting.


    The announcer said, ¡°This year we have two champion team for first prize. Their story was pretty interesting. They are drawing was also beautiful. Overall they were fantastic. So we can''t but give them the same mark. And now these two team has won the first prize by scoring the same mark.¡±


    Everyone in the audience was thinking who were those person. Then the announce announced the names.


    ¡°The dual team who won the first prize is.....the first one is.....Hiroshi¡¯s team.¡±


    Hiroshi from Yosugaha high School. His teammates were Alisa and Alex. They went to the stage.


    The announcer said, ¡°And now another one is who also won the first prize is......is......Kaito¡¯s team. Their story was very sad but great piece.¡±


    They jumped up. They were very happy. Somehow they saved their club and also got a chance to publish a manga with their name.


    Those three stood up from their seat and went to the stage. The announcer said that their manga had captured the hearts of the judges. As those dual team accepted the award, Kaito¡¯s rival, Nakayama glad from the audience but Kaito only smiled.


    They were given first prize for each team. ¡°Hard work and perseverance always win,¡± Kaito thought, holding the prize high.


    The other day their advisor reported about their prize and their club to the principal and student council president. By the help of it, they somehow managed to avoid the disband notice.


    So then they were free from this problem. But they were also notified to continue their work as a club.


    The Golden Manga Trio competition had ended. I relax time had given to them. After few days, they were wisely spending their time on their club. But also doing their manga writing.


    Kaito had continued to write story and started publishing as a light novel. He was using a nickname. Haruto and Kaguya had started drawing manga. They were also using their nickname. Their manga and light novel was brought by many people. One day, Kaito was called by Nanami.


    [At Manga club]


    Haruto said, ¡°Kaito, president had asked to meet you in the student council office room.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I know she want something from me. You guys, come with me,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°What did you say, Kaito?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Kaito said.


    [At Student council office]


    Kaito pushed the door open to the student council office, his usual calm demeanour intact. The room was quiet, with the faint rustling of papers from Riku, the council¡¯s treasurer, and Satsuki, the vice president, who were both seated at the long table, discussing the upcoming school event. Neither of them looked up as Kaito entered, engrossed in their tasks.


    Kaito casually strolled in, dropping his bag onto a nearby chair. He had come to submit the report from his manga club, hoping for approval and getting answer of why he was called earlier. Just as he was about to speak, the door behind him burst open. He tried to look behind.


    ¡°Kaito!¡± Nanami¡¯s cheerful voice echoed as she rushed into the room. Before he could completely turn to respond, she threw her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug, catching him completely off guard.


    Kaito froze, his mind racing. ¡°Uh, Nanami...senpai....¡± he began, his voice laced with confusion.


    It was then that Nanami noticed the stunned silence in the room. Slowly, she turned her head and met the wide-eyed gazes of Satsuki and Riku, who were sitting motionless, their pens hovering mid-air and from the behind Kaguya and Haruto was also shocked.


    Nanami¡¯s face turned scarlet as the realization struck her. She quickly released Kaito, stepping back in a flustered manner.


    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t see you four there!¡± she stammered, her voice unusually high-pitched.


    She raised her hand to her mouth, trying to regain her composure, but her embarrassment was evident.


    Satsuki adjusted her glasses, clearly holding back a smirk. ¡°That was.......unexpected.¡±


    Riku, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, a playful grin spreading across his face. ¡°Wow, President. I didn¡¯t know you greeted people that enthusiastically.¡±


    ¡°Enough, both of you!¡± Nanami snapped, though her flushed cheeks betrayed her attempt at sternness. She smoothed her uniform and swiftly made her way to her seat, avoiding Kaito¡¯s gaze entirely.


    Kaito, still processing what had just happened, scratched the back of his head awkwardly. ¡°Well, that was........surprising,¡± he muttered under his breath, unsure whether to laugh or let it slide.


    Nanami sat at her desk, busying herself with paperwork to avoid further eye contact. But as her hands moved mechanically over the documents, she risked a quick glance at Kaito. To her relief, he didn¡¯t seem upset¡ªjust mildly amused.


    Satsuki and Riku exchanged knowing looks, to them, Kaito, Kaguya and Haruto, and Statsuki whispered something to Riku, causing him to chuckle. Nanami shot them a glare that effectively silenced them.


    After a few moments, Kaito broke the awkward silence, holding up the report.


    ¡°Um, President.......about this document. Should I leave it here, and what do you want to discuss with me?¡±


    Nanami, grateful for the change in topic, cleared her throat. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s talk about that,¡± she said, her tone regaining its usual authority.


    Though the moment passed, the memory of her impulsive hug lingered in the air, leaving Kaito amused, Nanami mortified, and Kaguya, Haruto, Satsuki and Riku thoroughly entertained.


    ¡°So, Kaito, I want you to do something important,¡± Nanami said.


    ¡°Are you telling him to that job? We have already given it to detective club,¡± Riku stood with his paws on the desk.


    ¡°Just quite for a minute, Riku, I am talking. So, Kaito, are you willing to do a detective job again, Mr. Detective?¡± Nanami asked. Her voice raised.


    ¡°Huh!¡± Kaito shocked.


    ?????

 Chapter 4: Who’s the culprit?

    ¡°Huh! What did you say, senpai?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°I want you to solve a case, I know you can do this,¡± Nanami said.


    ¡°Yeah. I can help you with it. But why don¡¯t you give it to the detective club. They have solved many cases as far as I know. I have known them. They are good,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°I have already given this task to them. But they could not solve this. Now they had told me they don''t want to solve this. So that''s why I am requesting you,¡± Nanami said.


    ¡°I don''t want to do either,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°I am giving this job to you. You can solve this,¡± by saying that Nanami gave a file to Kaito.


    By bade them goodbye, Kaito, Kaguya and Haruto to the club. He did not reply to Nanami. Kaito quietly left the student council room with the file.


    [At Manga club room]


    On the club president seat, Kaito was sitting and reading the file. He was quietly reading the file. There was a awkward silence in the club room.


    Kaisei Academy prided itself on its history. But one piece of that history had become a problem; classroom 3-B. For weeks rumours spread that the room was haunted. Every Wednesday at noon cryptic massages like, ¡°I AM STILL HERE¡± or ¡°REMEMBER ME¡± appeared on the dusty chalk board. The school tried locking the room. But the eerie massages continued.


    ¡°Have you heard about 3-B?¡± Haruto whispered during lunch, leaning over the table to break the awkward silence.


    ¡°The ghost leaves messages every Wednesday. I bet it, trying to curse someone,¡± Haruto again asked.


    Kaguya rolled her eyes, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Haruto. It¡¯s probably just someone pulling up as prank.¡±


    Kaito said, ¡°Yes, it is true. It was not a prank.¡±


    Kaguya said, ¡°You, too.¡±


    ¡°This little investigation said, it happens every Wednesday. But there maybe no ghost. There maybe some mystery,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Kaguya said, smirking. ¡°You¡¯re volunteering to investigate?¡±


    Kaito shrugged, ¡°Someone has to.¡±


    He added, ¡°Prank or not, it¡¯s disrupting the school. Nanami wants it resolved and quickly.¡±


    ¡°Next Wednesday, we will go to investigate, okay?¡± Haruto asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kaito replied.


    That Wednesday Kaito and Kaguya decided to investigate. On the other hand, Haruto forgot everything within a few days.


    Kaito said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Haruto asked, ¡°Where?¡±


    Kaguya was hit Haruto by a book. Kaguya said ¡°Have you already forgot it? We have got a case to solve.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, sorry. I have forgotten it,¡± Haruto replied.


    ¡°Okay, okay, don''t fight. Are you two going out?¡±. Kaito asked.


    ¡°No,¡± those two instantly replied. They were being disagreed with Kaito.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Who is a damn fool can go out with this dumbass?¡± Kaguya said.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I am not a fool. I will never go out with you, too dumbass!¡± Haruto said.


    ¡°But you two always stay together, you two always come together, too,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± they again replied to Kaito. Now, they don''t look at each other''s faces. Kaito sighed.


    The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly as Kaito¡¯s innocent question hung in the air. Kaito again asked, ¡°I am again asking, you two. Are you sure?¡±


    Kaguya¡¯s cheeks flushed a deep red, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses as she adjusted them with an indignant huff. ¡°Again? What? Me and him? Absolutely not!¡± she snapped, her voice sharp and defensive. She quickly turned back to her paperwork, the scratching of her pen louder than necessary.


    Haruto, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, letting out a soft laugh. ¡°Again....like I would ever date her,¡± he said casually.


    He was folding his arms behind his head. ¡°She¡¯d probably down me in her endless rules and lectures about budgeting.¡±


    Kaguya shot him a glare, her eyes practically daggers. ¡°As if you would survive a day being serious about anything!¡±


    Kaito blinked, watching the exchange unfold. Though they had denied it, their rapid-fire responses and the palpable tension between them made the air feel thicker somehow. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.


    ¡°You know,¡± he said lightly, trying to diffuse the situation, ¡°You two argue like an old married couple.¡±


    Both Kaguya and Haruto turned to him simultaneously, their voices overlapping in unison. ¡°We do not!¡±


    The room fell silent for a moment, and then Kaito laughed. The way they mirrored each other¡¯s intensity only made them seem closer, despite their constant bickering.


    Kaguya sighed dramatically and returned to her work, while Haruto smirked and lazily picked up a pen, clearly enjoying her irritation.


    Though they didn¡¯t like each other, the spark of their rivalry seemed to brighten the otherwise quiet office. Kaito shook his head, amused, as he wondered if even they realized how much energy they put into disagreeing.


    ¡°Okay, okay. No more fun. I will not ask it you again, okay?¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to do this again,¡± Kaguya said.


    ¡°Then we will go to investigate this noon, okay?¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kaguya replied.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I stay here? Is it too important to go with you Kaito?¡± Haruto asked.


    ¡°Are you afraid, little boy?¡± Kaguya teased him.


    ¡°No....no....I-I am not.......afraid of something....trust me.¡± Haruto was sweating.


    ¡°Oh, oh, who¡¯s sweating now? See, see!¡± Kaguya stared teasing him more.


    ¡°Enough of teasing, Kaguya. You will come with us, Haruto. Understood!¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Haruto replied.


    [At Class 3-B]


    They waited until the clock struck noon and quietly entered the locked classroom. Dust motes floated in the sunlight streaming through the windows and the air smelled faintly of chalk and old wood.


    The chalk board was pristine when they arrived, but just as the bell rang, the eraser moved on its own leaving behind the words, ¡°REMEMBER ME¡±.


    Haruto, who had tagged along despite his fear, yelled. ¡°It''s real! The ghost is real!¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Then why have you come if you fear so much?¡± Kaguya asked.


    ¡°Even watching this sight, you have not frightened. How strong you are!¡± Haruto said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Calm down. I¡¯m going to examine that,¡± Kaito said.


    Kaito walking up to the chalkboard. He examined the eraser and the surrounding area but found no strings or other obvious tricks. ¡°There¡¯s no evidence of tampering. Whoever¡ªor whatever¡ªis doing this is clever.¡±


    Kaguya frowned. ¡°We need more information. Let¡¯s ask around.¡±


    Over the next few days, Kaito and Kaguya as some students and staff. Most had nothing useful to add, though Haruto continued to fuel the ghost rumours.


    Nanami, the student council president, pulled them aside. ¡°If you¡¯re going to keep chasing this, I suggest you speak to Mr. Suzuki, the janitor. He¡¯s been working here for decades and knows everything about this school.¡±


    [At the balcony of 3-B]


    When they found Mr. Suzuki, he was humming a soft, nostalgic tune as he mopped the hallway outside 3-B.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Mr. Suzuki,¡± Kaito began, ¡°do you know anything about the messages appearing in Classroom 3-B?¡±


    The janitor paused, a wistful look in his eyes. ¡°3-B, huh? That room brings back memories.¡±


    ¡°What kind of memories?¡± Kaguya asked, intrigued.


    Mr. Suzuki sighed. ¡°A long time ago, a student named Akihiko used to spend his afternoons there. He loved that classroom. Always writing on the board, humming a little tune¡­ but he passed away years ago. Tragic accident.¡±


    The following Wednesday, Kaito and Kaguya set up a hidden camera in 3-B before noon. They waited outside the room, watching as Mr. Suzuki mopped the hall nearby.


    As the clock struck noon, they noticed something peculiar: Mr. Suzuki began whistling the same tune he had hummed earlier.


    Inside the classroom, the eraser moved, spelling out ¡°I AM STILL HERE.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Kaito said, his eyes narrowing. ¡°He¡¯s recreating Akihiko¡¯s habit without realizing it.¡±


    ¡°But how?¡± Kaguya asked.


    Kaito explained, ¡°It¡¯s muscle memory. Mr. Suzuki must have spent countless hours watching Akihiko write on the board while whistling that tune. Now, lost in nostalgia, he¡¯s unconsciously moving the eraser while reminiscing.¡±


    Kaito approached Mr. Suzuki later that day. Mr. Suzuki was going straight towards the entrance gate. His work was finished a little earlier than other days.


    [At the entrance gate]


    ¡°Mr. Suzuki, I think you¡¯ve been reliving old memories of Akihiko. The messages in 3-B¡­ you¡¯ve been writing them without realizing it.¡±


    The janitor froze, his bag trembling in his hands. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Kaito continued gently, ¡°You were close to Akihiko, weren¡¯t you? This is your way of keeping him alive in your heart. But it¡¯s scaring the students. Maybe it¡¯s time to honour his memory in a different way.¡±


    Tears welled in Mr. Suzuki¡¯s eyes as he nodded. ¡°Akihiko was like a son to me. I didn¡¯t realize¡­ I never meant to cause trouble.¡±


    The next day, Mr. Suzuki retired the old eraser, placing it in a small memorial he created in the janitor¡¯s closet¡ªa framed photo of Akihiko, the eraser, and a piece of chalk. The hauntings in 3-B stopped, and the classroom became just another room in the school.


    Haruto was disappointed that the mystery didn¡¯t involve a ghost, but Kaguya teased him for being so scared. Nanami, satisfied with the resolution, praised Kaito for his tact.


    As they walked past 3-B one last time, Kaguya glanced at Kaito. ¡°You could have exposed Mr. Suzuki, but you didn¡¯t. Why?¡±


    Kaito smiled faintly. ¡°Some mysteries aren¡¯t about finding the truth¡ªthey¡¯re about understanding the people behind them. Mr. Suzuki needed closure, not judgment.¡±


    With that, they walked away, the echoes of the past finally at rest.


    After that case, there was no one to talk about this topic. After a week there was a festival That was the ¡°Kaisei Academy Cultural Festival¡±.


    This festival was in full swing, bustling with laughter, chatter, and the aroma of food stalls. There was no special club activities except two or three clubs. Specially, the highlight of the event, however, was the Magic Club¡¯s grand performance, featuring their star magician, Hayato, and his assistant, Akari.


    The finale of their show promised a mind-bending locked room escape trick¡ªa feat no one wanted to miss.


    As the performance was just a few minutes late to begin, Kaito, Kaguya and Haruto took seat among the audience in the front row. As the performance reached its climax, the curtains were drawn, and Hayato entered a room on stage, which was locked from the outside. The audience held their breath, waiting for him to reappear.


    But when the curtains opened again, Hayato was lying unconscious inside the locked room, and the key was nowhere to be found. Gasps rippled through the audience. Nanami, the student council president, quickly intervened, ordering the area cleared.


    Kaito, Kaguya, and Haruto, who had been enjoying the show from the front row, exchanged glances.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel like part of the act,¡± Kaguya said, her tone sharp.


    ¡°An accident? I guess,¡± Haruto guessed.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Kaito muttered, standing up. ¡°But something¡¯s off.¡±


    While Nanami kept the crowd calm, Kaito and his friends slipped backstage to investigate. The locked room itself was simple: a small box-like structure with one door and no windows. The lock was intact, and the only key had disappeared.


    [At the backstage]


    Kaito examined the door carefully. ¡°The lock hasn¡¯t been tampered with. Whoever did this either had the key or never needed it.¡±


    Haruto scratched his head. ¡°But that means they were inside or¡­ a ghost?¡±


    ¡°Enough with ghosts,¡± Kaguya sighed, noticing Akari pacing nervously nearby. ¡°She looks¡­ relieved, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Kaito followed her gaze. Akari¡¯s posture was stiff, but her expression betrayed something more than worry. He approached her.


    ¡°Akari, can you tell us what happened?¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± she stammered. ¡°It was supposed to be just a trick. I was waiting backstage, like always, when¡ª¡±


    Her voice cracked, and she glanced away. Kaito noticed a wastebasket nearby, filled with shredded paper. Curious, he retrieved a piece.


    The paper was part of a handwritten note. Kaito frowned and pieced together a few fragments, enough to read: ¡°I can¡¯t continue this anymore¡­¡±


    Kaguya joined him, examining the paper. ¡°This looks like a breakup letter. Did Hayato write this?¡±


    Akari¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°N-no idea!¡± she stammered, stepping back.


    Kaito narrowed his eyes. ¡°Akari, we need the truth.¡±


    Under pressure, Akari broke down. ¡°Fine! He¡­ he was going to break up with me today. I saw the letter in his bag before the show. I just¡­ I couldn¡¯t let him humiliate me in front of everyone. He planned to humiliate me in front of everyone. So what can.... I do else?¡±


    Haruto gawked. ¡°Wait, are you saying you did this to him?¡±


    Akari¡¯s voice shook. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to hurt him! I only wanted to ruin the trick, so he¡¯d be embarrassed. I slipped a piece of paper into the lock to jam it, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d pass out from the stress. I panicked and took the key before anyone noticed.¡±


    Kaito¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Where¡¯s the key now?¡±


    She hesitated, then pulled it from her pocket.


    Nanami arrived just in time to hear the confession. She looked furious but quickly regained composure.


    ¡°Akari,¡± Nanami said firmly, ¡°this could have gone much worse. Hayato could have been seriously hurt.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Akari whispered, tears streaming down her face.


    Kaito stepped in. ¡°Don¡¯t just apologise yet. It is too soon to apologise. Someone have to apologise to you too, Akari.¡±


    Akari whispered, ¡°Who?¡± But Kaito did not replied her.


    Kaito then added, ¡°Nanami, let¡¯s not escalate things during the festival. Hayato needs medical attention, and Akari needs to reflect on her actions. A public scandal won¡¯t help anyone.¡±


    Nanami considered his words and sighed. ¡°Fine. Akari, you¡¯ll need to step down from the Magic Club and write an apology to Hayato. I¡¯ll handle the rest.¡±


    With the matter settled for then, Hayato was taken to the nurse¡¯s office and regained consciousness a short while later. The finale was quietly cancelled, but the rest of the festival continued smoothly.


    As the group left the scene, Haruto shook his head. ¡°Man, that was intense. I can¡¯t believe she went that far.¡±


    ¡°People do strange things when emotions take over,¡± Kaguya said.


    Kaito adjusted his glasses. ¡°At least no one was permanently hurt. That¡¯s the best outcome we could hope for.¡±


    Nanami nodded, her voice thoughtful. ¡°But it¡¯s a reminder: even illusions can have real consequences.¡±


    Kaito said, ¡°But the case has not revealed it¡¯s truth.¡±


    ¡°What? What do you mean?¡± Nanami asked.


    ¡°Someone hasn¡¯t confessed his sin yet,¡± Kaito said.


    ¡°Who?¡± Kaguya and Haruto asked.


    ¡°Someone who is the main culprit,¡± Kaito took off his glasses.


    [At the school nursing room]


    When Hayato woke up, Kaito was sat by his side. Nanami was also sat beside Kaito. Kaguya and Haruto was standing.


    Kaito asked, ¡°You woke up, Mr. Magician.¡±


    Hayato tried to lean over the wall and replied, ¡°Yeah. But the head is little hurting.¡±


    Hayato added, ¡°Is Akari did that?¡±


    Kaito said, ¡°So, you have known this.¡±


    Kaguya whispered, ¡°Wow, what a surprise!¡±


    They all seem disappointed in him. Then looked at him with anger. But they did not telling him anything.


    ¡°So, why did she do that for?¡± Hayato asked.


    ¡°You know that very well. Because of you. Don¡¯t play with people¡¯s emotions. You wanted to humiliate her in front of the other, didn¡¯t you? Now just confess it.¡± Kaito lost his coolness.


    ¡°What..... What should I confess?¡± Hayato asked Kaito. He tried to act innocent.


    ¡°Yesterday, in the cafe, you are confessing your love to Mana, weren¡¯t you?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Yeah. But how did you know this?¡± Hayato asked.


    ¡°I was sat right behind you. But that¡¯s not the matter. Just tell us what did she tell you to do? Why don''t you tell us about her little lovely idea that you wanted to do?¡± Kaito asked. He became a bit rough towards him.


    ¡°So you were there. Yes, she told me that if I broke up with Akari in front of the audience, she will accept me. So, she gave me that little script. And so I was wanted to do that. But Akari ruined everything,¡± Hayato confessed at last his sin.


    ¡°So, have you heard, Akari?¡± Kaito asked Akari after removing the veil of the Hayato¡¯s bed.


    ¡°That was the case where it was started. I understand that Mana has a fight with Akari. But why did you accept that? Aren¡¯t you a human? How can you do that?¡± Kaito asked him.


    Hayato replied, ¡°I love Mana, not Akari. I can do everything for her.¡±


    ¡°Even you had not bond as a blind, but you are living as the blind. The person who wants to hurt other, how can she love you? Can''t you realize the true love? You are going to hot others. There is a saying ¡®If you dig a hole for others, you will fall into that hole yourself. Today your life was at risk. You are a big idiot,¡± Kaito scolded him non-stop.


    Akari was crying. Hayato¡¯s words were hurting her. I can''t help but crying.


    Kaito said, ¡°Now apologies to her, Hayato. And you too, Akari.¡±


    They apologize to each other. But they did not see each other faces.


    Kaito said to Nanami, ¡°Akari will not write the apology letter. She will be transferred to The Manga Club for few months. If she wants to go back then she can join the magic club again. What do you say, Nanami senpai?¡±


    ¡°Yes, why not? She will be staying there for four months, from tomorrow. After that it will be her choice. I agree with you,¡± Nanami replied. The case is solved.


    With the another case closed, the group returned to the festival, ready to enjoy the remaining events¡ªthough they couldn¡¯t help keeping a wary eye out for the next mystery.


    They left the place. Just Hayato was there alone. They are thinking about the incident you. They could not forget this one.


    Kaguya said, ¡°You have known from the start that this was Akira¡¯s doing, haven''t you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am not sure at first. After reading the note I was confirmed about it. So I have just tested her a little,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t in the cafe, Akari will be at the guilt. I am feeling bad for her.¡± Haruto said.


    ¡°Yeah, me too. That idiot left the true love and running for the fake love,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°In just two weeks, we solved two cases in a row. It was very interesting, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Kaguya said.


    ¡°Yeah, it was. Because we have a talented rough gem at our side,¡± Haruto said.


    ¡°Hey, who are you calling a talented rough gem?¡± Kaito asked. They all laughed.


    Enjoying, enjoying and enjoying. Time has come. Two will come. Two fate will come to meet each other again soon. Because red string of the fate never cut off.


    [After a few days]


    ¡°In the festival we have a lot fun, haven¡¯t we?¡± Haruto asked.


    ¡°Yeah. It was fun. And Akari is joining the club as temporarily and she will come again today,¡± Kaguya replied.


    ¡°Now that you mention it. I have already forgot it. Writing is totally thinking matter but also help me to relax. Akari was fantastic in these days even as a newcomer. But this is not the matter....¡± Kaito said.


    Kaito started searching a file here and there. But Kaguya and Haruto had not understood what he was finding. He just tried to find something.


    Kaguya asked, ¡°What are you searching Kaito?¡±


    ¡°I am finding the application for transfer from another club. Have you seen it?¡± Kaito asked.


    Kaguya replied, ¡°Yes. Are you searching this?¡± Then she showed a envelope.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. That¡¯s it,¡± Kaito replied.


    Then Akari entered the room. The whole room fell silent. There was no one talking. She entered quietly in the room. She had adjusted her glass. Kaguya had also adjusted her glass.


    Kaito said, ¡°Welcome, welcome, Akari. Have a seat. Sorry for troubling.¡±


    Akari took a seat. Kaguya and Haruto also took their seat. And Kaito was arranging the unarranged files and books.


    After arranging things, Kaito said, ¡°Kaguya, give her the form.¡± Kaguya gave Akari the envelope. ¡°Please fill the form, Akari.¡±


    Akari filled the form. Finally, Kaito put a signature on the form as the club president.


    Then Kaito said, ¡°Come Akari with me at student council office. And you two stay here.¡±


    Then they left the club and went to the student council office. On the way Kaito noticed that Akari was acting little weird. He thought she want to ask something.


    He asked, ¡°What do you want to ask, Akari?¡±


    She hesitated, ¡°Um-um,..... the thing I want to ask is....¡± Finally she asked, ¡°Why did you help me then?¡±


    ?????

 Chapter 5 : It’s time to meet the fate!

    ¡°Why did you help me?¡± Akari asked.


    Kaito didn¡¯t replied. He kept quiet. But Akari wanted to hear that question¡¯s answer. So she again asked him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me the answer? I don¡¯t see any reason to help me. So, why did you help me?¡± Akari again asked.


    ¡°I see. There is no way to avoid it. Isn¡¯t it good not to give your question¡¯s answer? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. And I am not good at answering for this type of questions,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°No means no. I don¡¯t know anything. You¡¯ve to give me answer of this question,¡± Akari replied.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I will give you answer. I don¡¯t know what to do. But there is also no other way. Then I have to try to give you a suitable answer.


    Let¡¯s go to the rooftop. Let¡¯s have some fresh air. There I will give your question¡¯s answer,¡± Kaito replied. They went to the rooftop.


    Akari Ishikawa. Akari was a girl who carried an air of quiet mystery wherever she went. Her deep violet hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, shimmering faintly in the sunlight as though reflecting her inner turmoil.


    The colour was striking and unforgettable, complementing her cerulean blue eyes¡ªeyes that once sparkled with enthusiasm but now seemed to hold a tinge of sadness, as if burdened by untold stories and lingering pain.


    Standing at an average height, Akari had a slender, graceful frame that seemed to move with a deliberate calmness, reflecting her withdrawn demeanour.


    Her features were delicate, with high cheekbones and a small, slightly upturned nose, giving her a natural elegance.


    But it was her expression that drew people in a blend of vulnerability and strength that hinted at someone trying to rebuild herself after a painful fall.


    Her choice of clothing mirrored her subdued mood. She often wore neutral-toned outfits, like soft gray sweaters or pale lavender dresses, which matched her personality a mix of subtle beauty and quiet resilience.


    Despite her understated style, there was something undeniably captivating about her, like a book you couldn¡¯t put down, filled with secrets waiting to be unraveled.


    Akari had once been an active member of the school¡¯s magic club, her talent and passion shining brightly among her peers.


    However, a recent betrayal by someone she trusted¡ªa former lover¡ªleft her heartbroken and disillusioned.


    The incident had not only hurt her emotionally but also left her questioning her own decisions and trust in others.


    This emotional scar manifested in her quieter nature; she rarely spoke unless necessary and often chose to observe rather than participate in conversations.


    Now since Kaito requested, temporarily a member of the manga club, Akari tried to bring with her an understated yet undeniable talent for storytelling. It might be helpful for Kaito in future.


    Though she rarely shared her own ideas, when she did, they carried a depth and emotional weight that often left others in awe.


    Her quiet presence was both comforting and intriguing to her new club mates, who couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the world of emotions and experiences hidden behind her serene facade.


    Despite her reserved nature, Akari wasn¡¯t entirely closed off. Her resilience was evident in the small acts of kindness she extended toward others a subtle smile when someone cracked a joke, or the way she offered help with a project without being asked. Slowly but surely, she was trying to rediscover herself, to mend the pieces of her shattered heart while finding new purpose among people who appreciated her for who she was.


    In the manga club, Akari¡¯s journey to healing intertwined with her rediscovered passion for creativity.


    It was here, surrounded by new faces and fresh opportunities, that she began to find her voice again, weaving her pain into something beautiful and meaningful.


    [On the rooftop]


    Akari took sit on a brench near the rooftop¡¯s rallying. Kaito leaned over the rallying. Kaito was thinking something.


    Then Kaito asked, ¡°What is love, Akari?¡±


    Akari looked up, startled, then frowned, ¡°Why are you asking me that? You¡¯re the one who helped me out of nowhere. Shouldn¡¯t you already know?¡±


    Kaito sat beside her, looking at the sky, he said, ¡°Love isn¡¯t just about feelings or words. It¡¯s about care, respect, and understanding. Real love means valuing someone¡¯s happiness as much as your own.¡±


    Akari bitterly said, ¡°Then why does it hurt so much? If love is supposed to be so good, why did Hayato betray me?¡±


    Kaito glanced at her with a faint smile, then he said, ¡°Because some people don¡¯t understand what love truly is. They see it as something to take, not something to give.¡±


    Akari looked at him curiously. She asked, ¡°Do you know what love is, then? You seem so sure.¡±


    Kaito leaned back, his voice steady and calm, he said, ¡°Love is divine. It nourishes the soul like nothing else. It cannot be artificial. It must be pure and natural.


    History might suggest that first love rarely succeeds, but love is not about it¡¯s order ¨C first, second or otherwise. Love transcends such numbering, it breaths endlessly.¡±


    He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. Then he continued, ¡°True love is never one sided. It''s a connection between two hearts, inseparable and genuine.


    Even if you gain the world, if you don''t find the one your heart truly desires, you will never know happiness.¡±


    Kaito added, ¡°Let me tell you a story. A story that help me to understand the value of love.


    There was a person. He was a good businessman. He once loved his wife deeply. On the other hand, his brother and his brother''s wife died in a accident. They left a child.


    So that person¡¯s wife wanted to adopt that child who had nowhere to go. But that person..... he didn¡¯t want that responsibility. He walked away, leaving her heart broken.


    She still chose the child over him because she believed love meant doing what''s right, even if it hurts.¡±


    Akari looked confused. She asked, ¡°And what happened to the child?¡±


    Kaito paused briefly, looking at the horizon


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Looks like, you have not understood it. Let me add this one story, too.¡±


    He took a deep breath, then continued another story, ¡°Alright, Akari, let me tell you another simple story, it might help you to understand love.


    There was once a young couple, Ane and Rex. They were deeply in love, but life wasn¡¯t easy for them. Rex was an artist, struggling to make ends meet.


    And Ane worked long hours as a nurse to support them. Despite their hardships, they always found happiness in the small things¡ªsharing meals, watching the stars, or just being together.


    One day, Rex got an opportunity to showcase his work in another city, but it meant leaving Ane for a long time.


    Ane encouraged him to go, saying it was his dream and she would wait for him, no matter how hard it got. Rex hesitated because he didn¡¯t want to leave her behind. But Ane said something he never forgot:


    ¡®Love doesn¡¯t mean holding each other back. It means helping each other grow, even if it¡¯s painful for a while.¡¯


    Rex left, and while it was hard, he poured his heart into his work, knowing Ane believed in him. Months later, his art gained recognition, and he returned, not just as a successful artist but as someone who had learned the depth of Ane¡¯s love.


    Their love wasn¡¯t about grand gestures or words. It was about understanding, trust, and the willingness to sacrifice for each other¡¯s happiness. That¡¯s true love, Akari.¡±


    Akari listened intently, her expression softening as she reflects on the story.


    Akari quietly said, ¡°So, love isn¡¯t just about being together all the time. It¡¯s about doing what¡¯s right for each other, even when it¡¯s hard?¡±


    Kaito nodded, ¡°Exactly. True love lifts you up, even when it hurts for a while. That¡¯s why you deserve someone who cares for you that way¡ªsomeone who would never take your happiness lightly.¡±


    Akari softly asked, ¡°So why did you help me, Kaito? I was a mess, and you didn¡¯t owe me anything.¡±


    Kaito looked directly at her, his gazed steady, he replied, ¡°Because someone was hurting you. Hayato didn¡¯t care about your feelings, Akari. He was selfish. He used you for passing his time.¡±


    He added, ¡°He loves someone else, even then he plays with your feelings. Even you had done wrong a little. But Hayato... he shouldn¡¯t do it. It¡¯s really unforgivable. So, I couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch you be broken by someone who doesn¡¯t value you, your feelings.¡±


    Akari tore well up in her eyes again, but this time they were mixed with gratitude. She said, ¡°You barely know me, yet you cared more than he did.¡±


    Kaito smiled gently, he replied to her, ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s not about how well you know someone. It¡¯s about seeing a person in pain and choosing to help. I think You deserved better, Akari. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±


    Silence fell between them, but it was a peaceful silence. Akari gazed at the sky, her heart a little lighter, while Kaito leaned over the railing beside her, content that she understands.


    Kaito said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to student council office first with the form? I¡¯ll come later to meet you, okay?¡±


    Akari replied, ¡°Okay. I am going first. See you later.¡± Akari then left the place and went to the student council office.


    Kaito was sat on the brench. He felt so sleepy. After then he fell asleep. After sometime in his dream, he saw someone was standing in front of him. But that person had a fox face-shaped mask on his face. With a deep black hair, he was wearing a black coat. The coat was flown in the air.


    Kaito asked, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡± Kaito stood up.


    ¡°Who knows? Just seat down,¡± That masked man replied. Kaito sat down.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make fun. Who are you?¡± Kaito again asked. His voice was calm and cold.


    ¡°You had given Akari the lecture on love. Then now tell me, what do you think about someone who has one sided love for you?¡± The masked man asked.


    Kaito didn¡¯t reply his question answer. Rather he asked, ¡°Who? Whom are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? You will come to know soon. Let me give you some knowledge on this topic.¡± The masked man replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re confusing me. Tell me who is that person. And I don¡¯t need your knowledge,¡± Kaito replied.


    ¡°Even then you have to hear. Reality is too harsh. In this world there is a dormant concept. Everyone may avoid it. Some even don¡¯t understand it. This is one-sided love.


    One sided love is like shouting into an endless void, hoping for an echo that never comes. It¡¯s the ache of giving your heart fully. Only to watch it remains unseen, unvalued. The pain is enough without even rejection.


    Because in some situation you¡¯ll get confirmed that without confession, you know you are rejected. Without the concept of rejection it¡¯s in the silent longing, the quite battles fought alone and the dreams of ¡®What could be¡¯ that haunt every moment....¡±


    ¡°Why do you tell me this?¡± Kaito asked.


    ¡°Let me finish my words. Don¡¯t stop me. You may think that it is unnecessary. But you will see someone who will suffer from this one sided love. Some pain is untold. One sided love is the living hell.


    You will see someone who will be suffering from this one sided love. I don''t know you have understood or not. But this is a message for you.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Or you can think it''s a advice for you. See you soon then. Bye-bye, little boy.¡± The mask men finished his word. Then he got mixed with a mysterious mist.


    Kaito woke up from his sleep. Like those other nightmares that dream was also a mysterious dream. It was already evening.


    He looked at his watch. It had already 4:00 p.m. He was sleeping nearly an hour.


    He went to downstairs to pick Akari. That moment Akari also came out of the room. Those two went to club.


    [At the club room]


    Kaguya and Haruto was cleaning the room. Kaito and Akari also tried to help them. Akari was very devoted to her works.


    Kaito was happy to look her. But he was also worried about his nightmares. He could not forget it.


    Kaguya asking Kaito for a date was nothing short of a surprise. It was after a long and busy day at the club room duties, after all.


    As the members were packing up, Kaguya cleared her throat, her face unusually flushed.


    ¡°Kaito,¡± she began, her voice uncharacteristically soft, ¡°Are you free this weekend?¡±


    Kaito, who was busy organizing some papers, looked up, puzzled. ¡°Uh, I think so. Why?¡±


    She hesitated for a moment before blurting out, ¡°Would you... like to go out with me?¡±


    The room fell silent. Haruto and Akari exchanged curious glances. And Kaito stood frozen for a moment, his mind racing.


    Kaguya¡¯s face turned crimson as she quickly added, ¡°I-I mean, just as friends! To relax after all the work we¡¯ve been doing.¡±


    Kaito, scratching the back of his head, chuckled nervously. ¡°Sure, that sounds nice.¡±


    [On the Saturday. Outside a newly opened caf¨¦]


    They met at a quaint caf¨¦ downtown. Kaguya turned heads in a figure-flattering red off-shoulder dress that reached just above her knees, emphasizing her elegant yet bold style.


    The dress featured a subtle lace trim and a slit along the side, adding a hint of allure. She paired it with nude heels, a delicate silver necklace, and matching earrings.


    Her hair was styled in soft waves, framing her glowing face, with light makeup accentuating her natural beauty.


    On the other hand, Kaito wore a sleek, casual suit¡ªa fitted navy blazer over a crisp white shirt, paired with slim black trousers. The simple dress had looking very fashionable.


    The blazer¡¯s subtle texture added a touch of sophistication, while his unbuttoned collar and clean black loafers kept the look relaxed and modern. His neatly styled hair and a silver wristwatch completed his effortlessly charming appearance.


    Their outfits not only reflected their personalities¡ªKaito¡¯s composed and Kaguya¡¯s confident¡ªbut also made them look like the perfect pair, catching the attention of passers-by, wherever they went.


    Kaguya asked, ¡°Am I late?¡±


    ¡°N-no. I had just reached here,¡± Kaito replied. Kaito was looking at her.


    She asked, ¡°Am I looking weird? Tell me truth!¡±


    He looked at the other side and replied, ¡°No, your looking very beautiful. That dress has suited you very well.¡± They were blushing.


    Then the conversation got more lightly, with Kaito teasing her about how formal she looked for ¡°just a friendly outing.¡± Kaguya, flustered but composed, retorted, ¡°You could¡¯ve tried a bit harder. First impressions matter, you know.¡±


    At first they went to see a movie. That movie was in trending. So they went to check it out. After then they went to a restaurant to have launch.


    [At the restaurant]


    Kaguya and Kaito sat across from each other at a cozy restaurant known for its homemade meals. Kaito ordered a hearty plate of grilled teriyaki chicken with steamed rice and miso soup, while Kaguya opted for a fresh salmon salad with a side of tempura vegetables.


    As they ate, Kaito noticed Kaguya carefully picking out her favourite pieces of tempura and teasingly remarked, ¡°You always save the best for last, huh?¡±


    She gave a small smile, countering, ¡°And you eat as if you¡¯re preparing for a marathon. Do you ever slow down?¡±


    Their casual banter continued as they shared a slice of matcha cheesecake for dessert, with Kaguya taking small, delicate bites.


    And Kaito occasionally stealing a forkful when she wasn¡¯t looking. It was a simple, warm moment that felt unexpectedly natural for them both.


    As the date progressed, they visited a nearby park, stopping by an art exhibition that caught Kaguya¡¯s eye. She was deeply engrossed in the paintings, explaining their meanings with an unexpected passion.


    Kaito listened intently, occasionally throwing in a witty remark that made her laugh¡ªa sound he hadn¡¯t heard often.


    Later, they shared ice cream from a street vendor. Kaguya accidentally smeared some on her cheek, and Kaito, without thinking, reached out with a napkin to wipe it off.


    She froze, her heart racing as she muttered, ¡°T-thank you...¡±


    [In front of the train station]


    As the sun set and they walked back toward the train station, an unexpected silence hung between them.


    Finally, Kaguya spoke, ¡°Thank you for today, Kaito. It was¡­ nice.¡±


    Kaito smiled warmly. ¡°Yeah, it was fun. Maybe we should do this more often.¡±


    Kaguya¡¯s eyes widened, and she turned her head quickly to hide her smile. ¡°W-we¡¯ll see.¡±


    Unbeknownst to them, Nanami had spotted them at the park earlier and was grinning mischievously back at her house.


    ¡°I knew something was up,¡± she mused to herself, plotting her next move to tease them about their ¡°not-a-date.¡±


    [At the bedroom of Kaguya. Kaguya was at her bed]


    That night, Kaguya sat by her bedroom window, the cool breeze wafting through the open pane. She hugged her knees to her chest, her head resting lightly against the window frame.


    The city lights twinkled in the distance, but her mind was elsewhere, replaying moments from the day.


    She thought about Kaito¡¯s warm smile, the way he listened to her ramble about art, and how effortlessly he made her laugh.


    The image of him wiping the ice cream from her cheek made her cheeks heat up all over again.


    She placed her hand over her chest, feeling a faint tightness that refused to go away.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± she murmured, frowning slightly. ¡°It was just a friendly outing. Nothing more.¡±


    But the more she tried to convince herself, the harder it was to ignore the fluttering sensation in her heart.


    She leaned back against the wall, closing her eyes. His voice, his laugh¡ªit all lingered too vividly in her mind.


    Her phone buzzed on the desk, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from Kaito.


    ¡°Thanks again for today. I had a great time. Let¡¯s do it again sometime!¡±


    Kaguya stared at the screen, her heart skipping a beat. A faint smile crept onto her lips before she quickly shook her head, trying to snap herself out of it.


    ¡°Get a grip, Kaguya,¡± she whispered, lightly slapping her cheeks. ¡°It was just a normal day. Nothing special.¡±


    But as she crawled into bed and tried to sleep, the tightness in her chest persisted, and her thoughts kept drifting back to Kaito.


    For the first time in a long while, Kaguya felt something unfamiliar¡ªan ache she couldn¡¯t quite name.


    [At Kaito¡¯s bedroom. Near the window]


    Kaito lay sprawled across his bed, the faint glow of his phone illuminating his face as he scrolled aimlessly through a playlist.


    He slipped on his headphones and let the soft rhythm of the music drown out the quiet of the night.


    Closing his eyes, he allowed his thoughts to wander back to the day¡¯s events¡ªthe date with Kaguya.


    He chuckled to himself, recalling the way she had stubbornly argued over the smallest details, like whether the sundae should have chocolate or strawberry syrup.


    Her flustered expression when she accidentally tripped over her words was etched in his memory, and it made him smile despite himself.


    ¡°She¡¯s different when she¡¯s relaxed,¡± he muttered under his breath. ¡°It was¡­ nice.¡±


    But as his mind drifted deeper into the memory, a faint unease crept in. A voice¡ªsoft, almost a whisper¡ªbegan to echo in his mind, breaking through the music.


    ¡°Rio¡­ come find me¡­¡±


    His eyes snapped open, the voice fading just as quickly as it had come. He pulled off his headphones and sat up, scanning the room. Nothing. Just the faint hum of the city outside.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡± he muttered, shaking his head. ¡°Must be my imagination.¡±


    But it didn¡¯t feel like imagination. It felt¡­ real. Almost too real.


    A strange heaviness settled in his chest, like an invisible thread pulling him toward something¡ªor someone¡ªhe couldn¡¯t quite place.


    His fingers absentmindedly tapped against his desk, his thoughts now tangled between the warmth of the day¡¯s memories and the unsettling feeling that lingered.


    As he glanced at his calendar, his eyes fell on the circled date for next week¡ªthe school trip.


    ¡°Is it¡­ connected?¡± he wondered aloud, the unease growing stronger.


    It felt as if two paths were about to converge, two fates that had been unknowingly intertwined. The voice, the trip, and his own restlessness¡ªit was all leading to something. He could feel it in his gut.


    Shaking off the feeling, Kaito lay back down, slipping his headphones back on in an attempt to drown out the strange whispers in his mind.


    But even as the music played, the unease remained, like a shadow lurking just out of sight.


    ¡°Next week, huh?¡± he muttered, staring at the ceiling. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll find out then¡­¡±


    On the day of trip, everyone came on the time expecting Kaguya, Kaito and Haruto. They had reached there before a minute to leave.


    The school trip had taken students to a beautiful mountain area with lush forests and a mysterious spot called the ¡°Whispered Cave¡±. The cave is known for legends that say you can hear whispers of your inner thoughts or future when inside.


    The trip included activities like hiking to scenic viewpoints and experiencing local culture through workshops in nearby villages.


    At night, students planned to gather around a bonfire for music and storytelling. They would stay in a large mountain resort with dorm-style rooms that fit 4¨C6 students, a big dining hall with buffet meals, and spaces for games and relaxation. The resort also offered a breath-taking views of the mountains, making the trip exciting and comfortable for everyone. They were about 600 students and for them 12 buses were prepared.


    [At the bus]


    After that they all got in. The bus also started its journey. The trip was about 3 days. Kaito leaned over the seat and he put his headphones on. Kaguya was sitting next to him. She was chatting in her phone. In the main time he fell asleep.


    After an hour, Kaito woke up. He saw that the bus was stopped. He could not understood why the bus was stopped. He could not stand up.


    Because Kaguya was sleeping with his arms wrapped around his head on his shoulder. She looked very elegant to him. ¡°She look very cute the way she is sleeping,¡± Kaito thought.


    He tried to wake her up by calling her name. At first she did not reply his calling. But aftermath, her eyebrows furrowed. Her eyes were slowly opened. She was still half sleep.


    Kaito asked, ¡°Have you woken up, sleeping beauty?¡±


    At first she did not realize what Kaito was asking to her. Then she realized. She blushed. Her cheeks turned crimson red.


    She turned around. She asked, ¡°Have I muttered when I was sleeping?¡±


    ¡°No. But you are looking very cute. You are looking so cute that I thought for a second that I should take a photo of you,¡± Kaito teased her.


    Her face turned crimson red. She quickly shook her head. ¡°Get a grip, Kaguya,¡± she whispered to herself. She lightly snapped her cheeks.


    She asked with a blushing face and out of her embarrassment. ¡°Are you really think that I am cute? Am I cute?¡±


    Kaito replied honestly, ¡°Yes, you are cute!¡±


    Suddenly Haruto appeared from their back. He said, ¡°You two were too cute that I had took a photo of you two.¡± He showed them the photo.


    On the photo, Kaito and Kaguya was sleeping. They were sleeping like a couple. In the photo, Kaguya rested peacefully against Kaito¡¯s shoulder, her delicate features softened in slumber, with his arm cradling her head protectively.


    Kaito, in turn, had his head gently leaning against hers, their relaxed expressions and close proximity giving the image an intimate, couple-like charm. The serene glow of the setting sunlight bathed them, making the moment feel both tender and timeless.


    Kaguya blushed again. Then her face turned fully crimson red. She slapped Haruto out of her embarrassment. She took the phone of Haruto and started deleting the images he took. That moment Kaito phone rang. He saw that that call was his mother¡¯s call.


    He hung up and called back. His mother answered the phone call.


    His mother said, ¡°Have you reached?¡±


    Kaito replied, ¡°No, we haven¡¯t. For some reason the bus has stopped. I¡¯ll call you later, mom.¡±


    His mother replied, ¡°Okay, stay safe, son.¡±


    Then she hung up the call. Then he saw a message from Haruto. He opened the chat. There was a image.


    He downloaded the image. He saw that that image was the photo Haruto took earlier. Kaito smiled. Kaguya and Haruto noticed that Kaito smiled.


    But those two were fighting. Kaito said, ¡°Now stop fighting. Let¡¯s go to outside. Even in the spring, in this bus, I¡¯m feeling hot. Let¡¯s go outside and check out what happened to the bus.¡±


    Kaguya replied, ¡°Ok. By the way, you know Kaito, you are smiling often recently. And you have changed somehow.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Kaito replied. Then Kaguya and Haruto stopped fighting. A few of the students were in the bus. Many of them were outside. Those three also went outside.


    Kaito asked Yukina, ¡°What happened Sensei?¡±


    Yukina adjusted her glass and replied, ¡°Those buses back tires had suddenly punctured. So they have to fix it.¡±


    Kaito wondered, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the matter.¡± He suddenly notices that Nanami had been coming towards him.


    She asked him, ¡°Mr. Deep Shadow, where did you have gone the other?¡± She showed him a photo.


    On the photo, Kaito and Kaguya was sat on a brench. Kaito swallowed hard.


    He replied, ¡°No, nothing. It was a fancy meeting. We were just killing time.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a date?¡± Nanami asked. A furious aura was coming from her. She was very furious. She puffed out her cheeks in a pout. ¡°What is your excuse now?¡± she asked.


    Kaito gasped and said, ¡°Okay, okay. It was a date proposed by Kaguya. I have no other excuses.¡±


    She then asked him, ¡°Then you¡¯ll go on a date with me, too¡±


    Kaito muttered, ¡°B-but, yo-you know senpai.....¡±


    ¡°I don''t know anything. You will go with me, won¡¯t you?¡± Again the same furious aura Kaito felt.


    He had no choice but to agree with her. He said, ¡°Okay. Next Sunday we''ll go. Now happy senpai?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good boy.¡± She was happy. Kaito was also smiles faintly by watching her happy. Then she had gone happily with her friends.


    Then he saw Akari and Hayato was talking near the road¡¯s guardrails. Hayato was apologising to her. But she didn¡¯t paying attention to him. She was just keep crying.


    Kaito tried to get closer to them to overhear their conversation. He took Kaguya and Haruto as a excuse of watching the mountain side.


    Hayato was saying, ¡°Sorry, Akari. I was blind. Please forgive me. I didn¡¯t understand your feelings.¡± But Akari didn¡¯t say a word.


    None but Kaito was noticed them. Then Akari replied to Hayato, ¡°I can¡¯t forgive you. Because you did not respect other people''s feelings. You are selfish. You just care about yours. So just leave me alone. And I will never join the club again.¡±


    She wiped her tears. Hayato could not say anything after then. Akari left the place. She came near to this trio. Kaito gave her a piece of tissue.


    He said, ¡°Don''t cry. Take this. Tears does not suit you.¡± He had not looked at her straight. Akari took the tissue. She thanked him.


    Haruto said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a photo guys.¡± Then he took a photo. But someone had suddenly pushed Kaito and Akari from behind. They were near the mountain side road guardrails.


    Because of pushing them, they lost their balance they fell from there. But somehow Kaito caught Akari¡¯s hand with his right hand and with his left hand he was hanging on.


    Everyone started gathering there. But the culprit got mixing within the crowd. Everyone gave them a hand to help. But it was too late. Some teachers had gone to find ropes. Kaito had understood one of them had to sacrifice and one would be saved.


    Because ¡®everything needs a sacrifice¡¯.


    He said to Akari, ¡°Don''t fear. You are going up. Don''t cry. Didn''t I tell you that tears does not suit you?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you say? If we should die then I will die. Not you......¡± Akari replied. Kaito smiled but did not look straight.


    Akari was crying. Kaito tried to lift her up by holding her hand well. She got up fine. In exchange Kaito had lost his balance and fell from there.


    Everyone was shouting. Akari was saved. The teachers had come with the ropes but it was totally late. Kaito felt like he was felling slowly.


    He watched everyone¡¯s face. He saw that Kaguya and Haruto was crying. They were tried to come to help him but the other students stopped them. Akari was tried to catch his hand. But she couldn¡¯t move out of her fear.


    Kaito smiled. He had remembered his childhood. The golden days he had spent with his friends, with his family and specially those two precious idiot friends.


    He remembered how they enjoyed the moment of joy. How they consulate each other in times of sadness.


    Time is short. There is nothing which is unlimited. Still the times he spent felt precious to him. He remembered the days of their hard work for the manga. How they work hard! How joyful the day was!


    He was crying. Tears were coming out of his eyes. There was a lot of trees under the mountain road. Kaito fell at those big trees. He was got hurts by the branches of the trees and fell down.


    Fortunately he managed to live. But he lost lot of blood. A girl was there standing a bit far away. She was searching what fell between the trees. She was picking fruits from the tree.


    Kaito lost a lot of blood. He had also gotten hurt in his left eye and his right hand. He was in a state where he may lose his sense anytime. His eyes was started closing. He was seeing everything blurry.


    Then he noticed that a girl was coming towards him. He tried to look the girl¡¯s face. But he couldn''t see anything clearly.


    But he saw a green light was coming from her hands, like she was healing him by chanting magic spells. Then he lost his sense. He became unconscious.


    The girl asked, ¡°Um-um... Are you okay?¡± She tried something. A green light was coming from her hands. She tried to heal his wounds somehow. Some vital wounds had already healed. But he lost his sense. That was the time two fate had meet each other. Let''s meet you more and more.