The staff room smelled faintly of coffee and old paper — that dry, heavy scent that never quite left no matter how often the windows were opened.A low hum of voices filled the space: teachers, parents, the principal.
Haruto sat at the end of the table, hands folded tightly in his lap. The bruises had faded into pale yellow, but he still kept his sleeves pulled low. Across from him, Aoi sat upright, face calm, expression unreadable — but her hand rested just slightly against his on the table, hidden from view.
The principal cleared his throat."First, I want to make clear that violence of any kind is unacceptable on school grounds. That said…" His eyes flicked to Haruto, softening. "Given the circumstances, we also understand provocation played a role."
Haruto lowered his gaze. "It wasn't her fault."
Aoi spoke before anyone else could. "I made my own choice. I knew what I was doing."
Her voice was firm, steady — not defensive, not ashamed, just honest.The teachers exchanged uneasy glances.
One of them — the homeroom teacher — sighed. "We'll note that in the report. But you both need to understand that the situation could have been far worse."
Haruto's mother sat beside him, silent through most of the discussion.When she finally spoke, her voice was calm but brittle around the edges."I just want to know if my son is safe here."
The principal hesitated. "The students responsible have been suspended indefinitely. Counseling will be arranged for everyone involved."
Haruto's mother nodded, looking at her son. "You should have told me, Haruto."
He looked down. "I didn't want to worry you."
Her sigh was quiet — not angry, but tired. "That's not how families work."
Across the table, Aoi watched him closely. Every small twitch of guilt in his face, every glance downward — she noticed it all.
After the Meeting
The group gathered under the shade of the cherry trees near the back gate.It was quieter there, away from the classrooms and the murmurs that still floated through the hallways.
Suki was the first to speak. "Well, that was officially the most awkward hour of my life."
Kenji laughed. "You? I thought you were going to pass out when the principal started quoting the rulebook."
"I was," Suki said. "I think my soul left my body somewhere near page five."
Ryuzí leaned against the tree trunk, arms crossed. "At least it's done. They can't touch him anymore."
Miyako was quieter than usual, her hands clasped in her lap. Her eyes looked distant, lost somewhere past the group.
Aoi crouched near Haruto, who sat on the bench, staring at the ground."You okay?" she asked softly.
He nodded once. "I think so."
Suki glanced between them, sensing the heaviness still hanging in the air. "Hey, on the bright side, we're not expelled. That's, like, a win, right?"
Kenji smirked. "Yeah, we're just emotionally scarred. Small price."
Aoi shot him a glare. "Not funny."
He held up his hands. "Sorry. Tension makes me hilarious."
For a moment, the silence returned — until Aoi stood up, brushing dust off her skirt. She looked around at the group, then down at Haruto.
"I'm just going to say this once," she said. "So no one has to wonder anymore."
The others blinked at her, confused.
Aoi took a deep breath. "I love Haruto."
The words fell like glass shattering in still air — clean, final, impossible to ignore.
Kenji's mouth opened first. "Oh. Okay. Casual confession. Right after a disciplinary hearing. Nice timing."
Suki nearly choked on his drink. "You what—wait—now?!"
Ryuzí blinked once. "Well," he said dryly, "that explains a lot."
Miyako looked between them, her shock melting into a small, quiet smile — the first one since the incident. "You two… suit each other," she whispered.
Aoi ignored the teasing entirely. She turned toward Haruto and, without hesitation, reached down and pulled him gently by the wrist until he stood beside her.
"Say something," she said, her voice soft but firm.
Haruto blinked rapidly, face flushing pink almost instantly. "I—uh—Aoi, you can't just—"
"I just did," she interrupted, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
Suki threw up his hands. "You guys are going to make me spontaneously combust."
Kenji elbowed him. "Shut up, this is better than TV."
Aoi rolled her eyes, but her attention never left Haruto. "Well?"
He stared at her for a long moment, every word caught in his throat. "I… I don't know what to say."
"Then don't," she said simply. "You don't have to."
Her hand found his again, this time in plain sight.
Haruto swallowed hard, the blush creeping up his neck. "You really don't care who's watching, do you?"
"Not even a little," she said.
He exhaled, a small, shy smile breaking through the nerves. "You're impossible."
"I've been told," she replied.
Kenji grinned. "If I say I love Haruto too, do I get free protection?"
Suki smacked the back of his head. "Shut up before she hits you next."
Aoi shot Kenji a mock glare. "Try me."
Ryuzí chuckled lowly. "Alright, children, enough. Let them breathe."
The laughter that followed was soft — hesitant, but healing. For the first time in days, it sounded like them again.
Miyako's Home — That Evening
The apartment was quiet except for the sound of rain against the balcony railing.Miyako sat on the floor beside her bed, her knees drawn to her chest. The faint light from the street outside fell across her face, catching the tears she didn't bother to wipe away.
On the table beside her sat a half-written letter — words scratched out again and again."I should've done something sooner," she whispered to herself. "I should've seen it. I knew that look."
She closed her eyes, a flash of memory rising unbidden — the sound of yelling, the sharp crack of something breaking, a voice telling her don't tell anyone.
Her breath hitched. She pressed a hand to her mouth, forcing the past back down.
On her phone screen, a new message lit up from Suki:"Movie night tomorrow. No excuses."
She smiled weakly through the tears, typing back:"Fine. But I'm choosing the movie."
Then she set the phone down, whispering into the quiet,"Maybe I'm not broken anymore."
Haruto's House — Same Night
His mother was sitting by the kitchen table again, but this time she didn't look tired — just thoughtful."Your teacher called," she said softly. "She told me about Aoi."
Haruto froze halfway to the fridge. "Oh."
"She sounds like a good girl."
He smiled faintly. "She is."
"Does she make you smile?"
He thought about the rooftop, about the warmth in Aoi's voice when she said his name. "Yeah," he said quietly. "She does."
His mother's expression softened. "Then I'm glad she's there."
From the living room, Hana's voice piped up, half-teasing: "So is she your girlfriend or what?"
Haruto groaned. "Go to bed, Hana."
"Didn't answer my question," she sing-songed.
He turned bright red, muttering something incoherent before escaping to his room. His mother laughed softly behind him.
Haruto's Room — Later
The room was dim except for the glow of his desk lamp. His sketchbook lay open again — this time, he wasn't drawing alone.A new page showed six figures standing in a circle, holding hands under a single umbrella.In the center, he'd drawn a pair of intertwined hands — his and Aoi's — with faint pink shading that made his face heat up just looking at it.
He closed the book gently, the small smile refusing to fade.
Outside, the rain slowed to a whisper. Inside, for the first time in a long time, Haruto felt steady — like maybe love didn't always arrive with fireworks. Sometimes it came quietly, after the storm.