Morning came quietly.
Too quietly.
Hijuku woke up to the rhythmic beep of a heart monitor and the faint scent of antiseptic mixed with cherry blossoms drifting through an open window. His body felt heavy, like roots were still wrapped around his bones.
"…Sakura?"
She was there—sitting beside the bed, arms folded, eyes half-lidded but alert. The moment he moved, she leaned forward.
"You're awake," she said flatly.
Relief flickered across her face before she masked it.
"You collapsed for two days," she continued. "If you had pushed even a little more… you wouldn't be here."
Hijuku swallowed. "I'm sorry."
She looked away. "Don't say that unless you mean you'll survive next time."
Outside, petals fell gently.
The sakura tree still stood—unchanged, as if mocking everything that had happened.
Three Days Later — Sakura High School
Whispers followed Hijuku the moment he stepped through the gates.
Not because of the fight.
Because of him.
He looked different.
Not visibly—but people felt it. Like standing too close to static electricity.
Sakura walked beside him, eyes sharp, scanning every face.
"You're popular suddenly," she muttered.
Hijuku blinked. "Huh?"
"Girls keep looking at you."
He laughed nervously. "You're imagining things."
She wasn't.
At lunch, it happened.
A girl sat down across from Hijuku without asking.
She had long black hair tied loosely with a red ribbon, pale skin, and eyes that didn't blink nearly enough. Her smile was soft—too soft.
"Hi, Hijuku Fujita," she said sweetly. "I'm Miyu Kanzaki."
Sakura stiffened.
Hijuku tilted his head. "Uh… hi?"
"I've been watching you," Miyu continued cheerfully. "Ever since the entrance ceremony."
Sakura's chopsticks cracked in half.
"…Watching?" Sakura echoed.
Miyu finally turned her gaze toward Sakura, smile still in place. "Yes. You're always with him."
The air grew cold.
"I like interesting people," Miyu added, eyes drifting back to Hijuku. "And you're very interesting."
Hijuku laughed awkwardly. "Haha… that sounds kind of scary."
Miyu leaned closer. Too close.
"Don't worry," she whispered. "I'd never hurt you."
Sakura stood up abruptly. "We're leaving."
Hijuku nearly tripped as Sakura grabbed his sleeve and dragged him away.
Behind them, Miyu watched.
Smiling.
Later — Rooftop
Sakura slammed the door shut.
"That girl is dangerous."
Hijuku blinked. "She just seems… intense?"
"She's obsessed," Sakura snapped. Then, quieter, "I don't like how she looks at you."
Hijuku paused.
"…Why?"
Sakura froze.
The wind carried petals between them.
"I—" She turned away. "Because she doesn't understand what's tied to you."
Hijuku stared at her back, heart pounding.
Down below, unseen—
M
Miyu stood in the shadow of the school building, fingers brushing a fallen sakura petal.
"So she's the guardian," she murmured softly.
"…How unfair."
Her smile widened.The next day, Hijuku stood at the school gate longer than usual.
Students passed by him in clusters—laughing, chatting, living normal lives. For some reason, that felt distant to him now, like he was standing on the other side of invisible glass.
I just want to be alone for a bit…
The thought lingered.
Since the fight, people watched him too much. Sakura stayed close. Too close. Always a step behind or ahead, eyes sharp like she was guarding something fragile.
Hijuku exhaled slowly and turned his head.
"Sakura," he said.
She stopped walking.
"What?"
"I… I'm going to walk alone today."
The words were gentle, but they landed heavy.
Sakura stared at him, expression unreadable. Then her brows furrowed slightly.
"…Why?"
Hijuku scratched the back of his head. "I just need to think. About everything."
Silence stretched between them.
The cherry blossoms above rustled as a breeze passed through, petals drifting down between them like fragile secrets.
"I'll be fine," he added quickly. "I promise."
Sakura's fingers tightened around the strap of her bag.
"You promised before," she said quietly.
Hijuku froze.
She didn't say more, but he remembered—collapsing, blood, the way his body had moved without listening to him.
"…I won't do anything reckless," he said.
Sakura looked away. Her jaw clenched.
"Fine," she said at last. "But don't wander too far."
He smiled faintly. "Thanks."
As he took a step forward—
"Hijuku~!"
His body stiffened.
A familiar voice, sweet and sing-song.
Miyu Kanzaki approached from the other side of the path, hands clasped behind her back, eyes bright with delight as if she had been waiting all along.
"What a coincidence," she said. "I was just about to walk alone too."
Sakura's gaze snapped toward her instantly.
Miyu tilted her head. "Oh. You're here again."
"That's my line," Sakura replied coldly.
Hijuku felt sweat form at his temple.
"Miyu, I was just-"
"You wanted to walk alone," Miyu finished for him, smiling.
"That's healthy. People need space."
Sakura shot her a sharp look. "Then give him some."
Miyu's smile didn't fade, but her eyes darkened just a little.
"I don't think that's safe," she said softly. "After what happened."
Hijuku blinked. "You… know about that?"
"Everyone does," Miyu replied lightly. "Rumours spread."
She stepped closer—close enough that Hijuku could smell her faint perfume, sweet with something metallic underneath.
"I'll walk with you," she said. "Just until you feel better."
"No," Sakura said immediately.
Miyu turned to her, eyes calm. "Why not?"
"Because he asked to be alone."
"And yet," Miyu countered gently, "you didn't let him go either."
The air went still.
Hijuku stood between them, heart pounding. He hadn't meant for this. He just wanted quiet—space to breathe, to understand the strange warmth that sometimes stirred inside his chest when the sakura trees were near.
"I don't need a guard," he said, voice firmer than he expected.
"Both of you."
Sakura's eyes widened slightly.
Miyu blinked once.
Hijuku took a step back, then another.
"I'll walk ahead," he said. "If something happens… I'll shout."
For a moment, neither girl moved.
Then Sakura spoke, low and sharp. "Five minutes."
Hijuku nodded. "Okay."
He turned and walked away, footsteps echoing softly against the stone path.
Behind him-
Sakura watched his back, unease twisting in her chest.
Miyu watched too.
Her fingers curled slowly around the ribbon in her hair.
"So he wants to escape," Miyu murmured. "How cute."
Sakura glared at her. "Don't follow him."
Miyu smiled sweetly. "I wasn't planning to."
A pause.
"…Yet."
Far ahead, Hijuku slowed his pace.
He didn't know why, but he felt it again—that sensation.
Like roots shifting beneath the ground.
Like eyes watching from the falling petals.
And for the first time, he wondered—
Am I really walking alone… or is this just another illusion?