Chapter 17

The morning train was chaotic as ever, and among the boarding passengers was a sleepy Haku, who pulled an all-nighter grinding a new gacha game. He was running on coffee and the Placebo effect. As Tomori's station drew closer, he felt relieved that someone would be there to wake him up when they arrive at their stop, he even saved her seat with his backpack. As Haku's consciousness began to fade out, he caught sight of Tomori. She was wearing her blazer, which was unlike her, but at that moment he couldn't care less, Haku let out a sigh of relief and went back to sleep.

"Oh my god! Isn't that Haku-kun? Asleep no less!"

"Who should sooo take a picture. This would sell for at least a few hundred!"

"You think he'd mind if we posed with him? No right?"

"I'm sure he doesn't care. Though isn't it almost our school's station already?"

"Should we wake him up? We shouldn't let him sit here right?"

"Hey! Haku-kun! Wakey wakey!"

Haku slowly opened his eyes. He heard an unfamiliar voice, but it was loud enough to interrupt his sweet dreams.

"We're arrived at the school station! Get off before you're late!"

He hurried outside, but he couldn't find any traces of Tomori. The seat he saved earlier was untouched, and now he can't find her anywhere. 'Did I mistake her for someone else?', he thought, before making his way to school. He felt a bit lonely, since this is the first time he's gone to school without Tomori.

During class, she was obviously avoiding him, from not saying hi back, to skipping lunch with him. She didn't talk to Kuroki either, or anyone else. She looked drained and lifeless, as if her entire world had already collapsed. And just like that, an entire school day went by. Haku, feeling that something was obviously wrong, called out to Tomori when she was packing her bags.

"Tomori-san."

"Don't talk to me."

"W-What?"

"For my sake and yours, stop talking to me, please."

"We need to talk."

"Why?"

"Just meet me on the balcony later."

"What if I don't."

"I know you will."

Haku walked away, leaving only a Tomori that's on the verge of crying. It took her a lot just to barely talk to him after everything. The guilt, embarrassment and shame came crashing down on her, drowning her. A part of her just wanted to go home, to get everything over with, but the other part want to talk to Haku after ignoring him all day. A day without him to Tomori was like an eternity, more than that even especially with him sitting right behind her.

Once again, she was in front of that metal door. She reached her hand out to the handle, hesitant to face Haku.

"See? I knew you'd come."