Saki sat at her desk, writing everything that came to her mind onto the paper in front of her.
Her pen never stopped moving, lines blending into one another.
There was still a small spark of hope inside her.
Maybe… maybe I can make it in time.
She was so deeply focused that time slipped away unnoticed.
Not minutes, but hours flowed by like water.
Without realizing it, Saki began writing faster, holding her breath as she did.
After making the final additions, she set the pen down.
The project was finished.
She looked at the paper one more time.
"Hmmm…"
After a brief silence, her expression slowly fell.
There was only one thing her eyes could see: failure.
She pushed the paper aside.
Rested her head on her arm and sank into deep thought.
Her eyes filled with tears.
Tomorrow… how am I supposed to tell Hiroki?
The thought of asking Yusuke for help crossed her mind.
But she dismissed it immediately.
She couldn't do that. She couldn't risk driving a wedge between Hiroki and herself again.
As a last resort, she decided to ask for help.
And there was only one person she could turn to: Miyuki.
Her gaze drifted to the clock.
It was 11 p.m.
But she was determined.
She picked up the phone from her desk.
> Saki: "Hey Miyuki, are you awake? I really need your help right now…"
The reply came almost instantly.
> Miyuki: "Whoa, Saki. What happened at this hour? Did you and Hiroki fight again or something?"
> Saki: "No… but it's worse. We might."
> Miyuki: "What happened this time, Saki? Do I need to play peacemaker again?"
> Saki: "No… I need your help before it comes to that."
> Miyuki: "Alright. Tell me what's going on first."
Saki clenched her fingers.
> Saki: "I forgot to do the project for the travel club… I can't tell Hiroki tomorrow that I forgot."
> Miyuki: "Seriously, Saki? I never thought you'd leave your project until the last day."
> Miyuki: "I'll help as much as I can, but I only have an hour."
Saki exhaled in relief.
> Saki: "That's fine, Miyuki… thank you so much. Should I call you?"
The phone rang.
> Miyuki: "Hello?"
> Saki: "Hi, Miyuki."
> Miyuki: "We don't have much time. Let's get started. Do you have everything ready?"
Saki placed a blank sheet of paper in front of her.
She picked up her pen.
> Saki: "I'm ready… let's begin."
They worked nonstop for an hour.
Saki wrote, erased, and wrote again.
But the uneasiness inside her refused to fade.
"Oh…"
"At least we're done," Miyuki said.
But when Saki looked at the finished project, she wasn't satisfied at all.
Still, she had no other choice.
> Miyuki: "Saki, can you hear me?"
Saki struggled to keep herself from crying.
She tried to steady her voice but failed.
She spoke in a trembling tone.
> Saki: "I think… it's done, Miyuki."
> Miyuki: "Oh, Saki… it's good enough. Don't beat yourself up so much."
> Miyuki: "Can you hear me, Saki?"
> Miyuki: "I need to sleep now, but don't worry. I'll find a solution tomorrow."
> Miyuki: "Okay?"
> Saki: "Okay… good night, Miyuki. Thank you…"
The call ended.
Saki placed her phone on the desk.
She wiped her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Hiroki…" she whispered.
Reluctantly, she put the project she had prepared with Miyuki into her folder.
She wiped away the few tears that slipped from her eyes.
While wondering what she would say to Hiroki tomorrow, she packed her bag and set out her clothes.
With a broken heart, she lay down on her bed.
She hugged her teddy bear tightly.
And quietly began telling it everything on her mind.
As she spoke… she fell asleep without realizing it.
Morning came.
But she didn't want to get out of bed.
Going to school felt unbearably heavy.
But she couldn't run away.
She got ready.
Slung her bag over her shoulder.
Left the house and headed to school.
Even the noise of the school couldn't drown out her emotions.
Miyuki's words echoed in her mind.
Maybe… maybe there really is a solution.
Even so, she felt hopeless.
She was just comforting herself.
She grasped the classroom door handle.
Took a deep breath and opened the door.
Her eyes immediately found Hiroki.
He was writing something in his notebook.
As she passed by him, she said,
"Good morning, Hiroki."
Hiroki looked up.
When he saw Saki, he placed his notebook on the desk.
"Good morning, Saki."
Saki smiled.
She put her bag on her desk.
Hiroki stood up.
He pulled an umbrella from his bag and handed it to Saki.
"Thanks for the umbrella."
"No problem, Hiroki."
Just then, Miyuki approached them.
When Hiroki noticed her, he slipped his hands into his pockets.
"I hope Miyuki didn't forget to bring my umbrella."
The moment she heard that, Miyuki turned around and walked back to her seat.
Saki covered her mouth and giggled.
Hiroki smiled.
"I hope she's going to get my umbrella."
Miyuki sat down and pretended she hadn't heard anything.
Just as Hiroki was about to turn back to Saki, the teacher entered the classroom.
Hiroki glanced at Saki and said,
"Talk about timing."
Saki smiled.
The lesson began.
Saki rested her chin in her hand, lost in thought.
She still couldn't find a solution for the project.
And there was no word yet from Miyuki, her last hope.
She reached into her bag.
Pulled out her book.
She looked for her pencil case, but it wasn't there.
Maybe it's underneath…
She reached under the desk.
And…
There, she found a folder she was certain she hadn't put there.
When she pulled it out, she realized it was the project assignment.
Inside, she screamed with joy.
Miyuki… she must have done it!
But she knew Miyuki couldn't have done it alone.
At that moment, another name crossed her mind.
Hiroki…
Throughout the lesson, she silently thanked them both over and over again.
She was so excited she barely noticed how the class ended.
When the bell rang, she stood up.
But just as she was about to thank them, the teacher's voice echoed.
"All travel club members, please come to the club room immediately."
Saki took a deep breath.
She picked up the folder and stood.
Hiroki was still writing something in his notebook.
As Miyuki passed by, she whispered,
"Good luck, Saki. I believe in you."
Saki smiled.
"Don't worry, Miyuki… I'll win, thanks to you."
When she arrived at the club room, Principal Takeshi was there.
And she noticed two people she hadn't seen in a long time: Hana and Yusuke.
Without Hiroki and Miyuki around, they stood out even more.
Saki sat in an empty seat.
As she reviewed her project, Takeshi began to speak.
"If everyone's ready, I'll collect the projects now. If you have anything extra to say, speak up."
He opened his notebook.
"Club president candidates…
Saki, if you really managed to finish your project in one day, let's see it."
A few light chuckles echoed through the room.
But Hana and Yusuke weren't laughing for some reason.
Saki proudly handed over her project.
"Yusuke?"
"I'm sorry, sir. I couldn't finish it. I'm withdrawing my candidacy."
Takeshi didn't seem to mind much.
"Hana?"
Hana stood up and handed in her project.
He collected the last candidate's project as well.
"Alright. You may return to your classes. I'll let you know the results."
Saki noticed something.
Yusuke really hadn't submitted a project.
But she didn't dwell on it.
All she wanted was to return to class and thank Hiroki and Miyuki.
Yet one question lingered in her mind:
With a project whose origin she couldn't explain, could Saki truly succeed?