After that, Arashi and Ayane returned home.
The entire walk back, neither of them said a single word.
There was no awkward small talk.
No attempt to lighten the mood.
Just silence—heavy and full of thoughts neither of them knew how to put into words.
As soon as they reached the house, they went separate ways.
Ayane quietly entered her room.
Arashi went straight to his own.
The doors closed.
And with that, the silence grew even louder.
Arashi sat down in his room, staring blankly ahead.
His mind refused to calm down.
Why were they acting like that?
he thought.
Why did they treat me as if they already knew me? As if I had been there before…
His thoughts shifted to the child.
That boy…
He was probably eight or maybe ten years old.
How did he know me?
Why did he hug me like that? Like I was someone important to him?
Arashi ran a hand through his hair, frustration slowly building inside his chest.
Nothing made sense.
And yet… it didn't feel completely unfamiliar either.
That was the strangest part.
In another room, Ayane lay quietly on her bed.
Her eyes were open, staring at the ceiling.
She couldn't stop thinking about what she had seen.
Why were they behaving that way with Arashi?
Why did it feel like he belonged there?
She hugged her pillow slightly, her expression troubled.
Something about that house…
Something about those people…
It all felt off.
And yet, no one had said anything directly.
Which made it even more unsettling.
Back in his room, Arashi's thoughts suddenly shifted.
…It's been a long time since I talked to my parents.
The realization hit him quietly.
He hadn't called them in a while.
But even now, he didn't pick up his phone.
Because deep down, he already knew why.
Even if I call them… I don't really have anything to talk about,
he admitted to himself.
Whenever they spoke, it was always the same.
They talked.
He listened.
And in between, there were long, uncomfortable pauses.
It always felt awkward.
Maybe that's why I don't call them, he thought.
And maybe… that's why they don't call me either.
They probably knew it too.
That he never had much to say.
He glanced at the clock.
It was almost 9 p.m.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Ayane is probably asleep by now…
A sense of urgency crept into his chest.
I need to do something. Quickly.
He clenched his fist lightly.
I don't want to give her false hope.
The thought was firm. Clear.
I need to tell her my real feelings.
I need to end this properly.
Because if he didn't—
What would happen next…
No one could say.
And that uncertainty frightened him more than anything else.
After that, Arashi spoke quietly to himself.
"Today was a really strange day…" he murmured.
"So much happened at school. And then… I went to Mizuki's house."
He leaned back slightly.
"And on top of that," he added with a small exhale, "there wasn't even any schoolwork today."
For the first time since returning home, he felt his shoulders relaxed.
He took a slow, peaceful breath.
Then, gently, he closed his eyes.
And once again—
He found himself slipping into the dream world.
When he opened his eyes, he was standing in a vast open field.
As far as he could see, there was nothing but green grass stretching endlessly in every direction.
The land was completely flat, perfectly straight, with no hills or obstacles—just openness.
Small flowers were scattered here and there among the grass, adding soft colors to the scene.
The sky above was breathtaking.
At its center, it was perfectly clear—pure and open.
Only at the very edges were faint clouds resting quietly, as if carefully placed there.
The weather was flawless.
Neither cold nor hot.
Just… perfect.
Exactly the kind of weather that felt comfortable without even being noticed.
Arashi stood there, quietly taking it all in.
Just then—
He heard a familiar voice.
"Arashi!"
He turned slightly toward the sound as Mizuki's voice continued, half-annoyed, half-playful.
"Seriously, Arashi… whenever you meet me in dreams, you always spend the first few moments just staring around at the scenery," she said.
"That's not fair, you know."
Arashi turned around fully.
And then he noticed something immediately.
The soft glow that usually surrounded Mizuki's face—
That light was gone.
For the first time, he could see her entire face clearly.
Every detail.
Her expression.
Her eyes.
Completely unobstructed.
Arashi stared at her for a moment, surprised.
Then he spoke.
"Were you missing me?" he asked casually.
Mizuki's eyes widened slightly.
"Huh?! N-No—!" she replied quickly.
Her cheeks flushed as she looked away.
"It's not like that at all!"
Arashi smiled faintly at her reaction.
Then his expression softened.
"Honestly," he said, his tone sincere, "I really liked meeting your family today."
Mizuki blinked.
"There was something really strange, though," he continued.
"They were acting like they already knew me… like I wasn't a stranger at all."
Mizuki waved her hand dismissively.
"Just ignore them," she said lightly.
"They're always like that."
"They probably just wanted to see your reaction."
Arashi blinked once.
"Oh… is that so?" he said.
Then he nodded slowly.
"Well, either way," he added, "I really enjoyed it."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"And honestly," he continued, "it's been a long time since I've eaten food that good."
He looked at her again.
"I had no idea you were so talented."
After that, Mizuki lightly punched him on the arm.
"Hey, stop it already," she said, blushing deeply. "You're praising me way too much."
Arashi chuckled softly.
"Alright, sorry," he replied.
Then, as if remembering something, he added casually,
"By the way… we'll go to school together tomorrow."
Mizuki nodded without hesitation.
"Okay."
But the moment she said that Arashi's expression changed slightly.
Ayane came to his mind.
He hesitated for a second, then spoke.
"There's something I need to tell you, "He said seriously.
"Ayane… she confessed her love to me."
Mizuki's eyes widened just a little, but she stayed quiet, listening.
"She won't let me give her my answer," Arashi continued.
"She keeps telling me to take my time."
He clenched his fist lightly.
"But I haven't told her anything yet. And she's not even willing to listen."
His voice lowered.
"I don't want her to misunderstand anything," he said.
"I don't want her to create false thoughts in her heart… or start having new expectations."
He looked at Mizuki.
"What should I do?"
Mizuki smiled calmly.
"Alright," she said gently. "Listen."
And then she explained a plan to him.
As Arashi listened carefully, his expression slowly changed.
When she finished, he nodded.
"Yeah," he said. "That would work."
Mizuki then tilted her head slightly and asked,
"Arashi… you're leaving her because of me, right?"
There was no accusation in her voice—just quiet curiosity.
Arashi answered without hesitation.
"I've gone so crazy in love with you," he said honestly,
"that even if the entire sky were filled with a full moon and countless stars…"
"I'd still choose to see them through your eyes."
The moment those words left his mouth—
The dream shattered.
Mizuki suddenly opened her eyes.
She was lying in her bed.
And without even realizing it, a smile formed on her face.
"Told you," she muttered to herself with a small laugh,
"These things stay in my memory even after the dream, dummy."
She got out of bed, still smiling, and went to get ready.
After that, Arashi also woke up.
There was a faint smile on his face.
Not a wide one—just the kind that appears without permission, before the mind has fully caught up with reality.
He got out of bed, went to the bathroom, and washed his face. The cold water helped clear his head a little, but the feeling from the dream still lingered somewhere deep inside.
Once done, he headed toward the kitchen.
And that's when he saw her.
Ayane was already there.
She was fully dressed in her school uniform, neat and prepared, moving quietly around the kitchen.
Arashi paused for a moment, surprised.
"Ayane—" he said instinctively.
She turned toward him and smiled gently.
"Good morning," she said warmly.
"I thought I'd make breakfast today. You make it every day, so… today it's my turn."
She gestured toward the counter.
"It's almost ready. You should go get changed."
For a moment, Arashi didn't have a single word to say.
His mind went blank.
"…Alright," he finally said quietly.
And with that, he turned around and went back to his room.
As he changed his clothes, his thoughts wandered.
I get it, he thought.
Yesterday, she saw Mizuki cooking… and now she's doing the same.
The realization sat heavy in his chest.
But then another thought followed immediately.
I'll do exactly what Mizuki told me.
Sunday.
Today is Tuesday.
Just a few more days.
Repeating that to himself, he steadied his breathing and left his room.
He returned to the kitchen and sat down at the table.
A moment later, Ayane walked over, placing breakfast in front of him.
"Eat," she said softly.
"And tell me how it is."
Arashi hesitated.
"Aren't you going to eat?" he asked.
She shook her head lightly.
"I made it specially for you," she replied.
"Don't worry about me."
Arashi froze.
"…Huh?"
Shock flickered across his face.
"You didn't have to do all this," he said quickly. "Really."
Ayane frowned slightly.
"Just eat," she said firmly. "Quietly."
Arashi didn't argue further.
He took his first bite.
And immediately—
He liked it.
A lot.
The taste caught him off guard.
But despite that—
He didn't say anything.
No compliment.
No reaction.
Because he didn't want her to start thinking about anything more.
He kept eating silently.
And the space between them felt heavier than words.
She looked at him again.
"So?" Ayane asked softly.
"How is it?"
At that moment, Arashi froze.
He was completely stuck.
He didn't know what he was supposed to do.
Didn't know what the right response was.
So, he chose the safest one.
"It's good," he said simply.
Ayane's face immediately brightened.
"I made it on my first try," she said with a small, proud smile.
Arashi stopped chewing.
"…First try?" he repeated, genuinely surprised.
"Yup."
He looked down at his plate again.
"It's really good," he said quietly.
And then, without saying anything else, he went back to eating.
After finishing breakfast, the two of them stepped outside the house.
The morning air was calm.
As they walked a little further, they saw someone already waiting there.
Mizuki.
She was standing ahead, completely ready.
Arashi blinked when he saw her.
"You're here already?" he asked.
Mizuki raised an eyebrow.
"Did you forget?" she replied casually.
"You're the one who said it."
Arashi paused.
"Oh—right. Sorry."
He scratched the back of his head lightly.
"Well then… let's go."
And with that, the three of them started walking toward school together.