𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓.

── .✦ 12

Monday

The days slipped by faster than Y/n could have imagined. She would have gladly extended her rest for another week, cocooned in the warmth of her room, away from the undercurrents of drama that the school halls inevitably brought. But life moved forward, school resumed, and the haunting case of Osano Najimi was now firmly in the past. His family had left town quietly, a whisper of grief and closed curtains, packing their lives into suitcases and closing the door on a painful chapter. Rumor had it that they’d left for good, and Y/n found herself relieved. She imagined Ayato felt the same—a layer of tension peeled away from him, even if his thoughts on the matter remained shrouded in his usual mystique.

It was strange to consider the quiet efficiency of Ayato’s actions, the smooth way he had navigated such dangerous waters without so much as a slip. Not a single mistake, not a single trace left behind—at least, none that anyone else would ever find. She shuddered as she thought of the dark depths Ayato seemed capable of reaching without hesitation.

For someone so young, he possessed a talent for wicked brilliance that sent a chill through her spine.

'Perhaps,' she mused, 'this talent had been handed down like some twisted heirloom from his equally enigmatic family.'

But it was done. Osano was a closed chapter. The memory of his face in the halls would soon fade, and the world would move on, leaving only whispered rumors in its wake. Y/n took a deep breath of the cool morning air, adjusting her bag on her shoulder as she walked toward the school, feeling the pull of routine ground her.

Today was one of those days that felt like it held a delicate balance between the present and a version of the future she wanted to believe in. Taeko had finally texted her that morning, a simple offer to walk together. And while it was an olive branch of sorts, Y/n found herself declining. There was something unspoken between them, a question she wasn’t ready to address. Taeko still hadn’t mentioned anything about her recent hangouts with Ayato, and a pang of discomfort gnawed at Y/n whenever she thought of it. There had been no casual “Hey, I was with Ayato” or “I spent the day with him yesterday.” Nothing.

But today, she had other priorities. Since her mom was still nowhere to be found this morning, she had made a quick detour to the new pet shop she’d stumbled upon. She had felt a tiny thrill as she purchased food and a few treats for Pochi, her newfound companion who had quickly become the small, gentle joy she hadn’t known she needed. She fed Pochi, watched her with soft affection as she nibbled at her bowl, and finally pulled herself away, leaving her curled up, dozing peacefully by the window.

As for Ayato? Y/n wasn’t sure where he stood in her life right now. Not that it mattered, she told herself firmly. Things were changing for her. Progress was being made in her own way. She had gained a new friend, Amao, with his calm energy and friendly demeanor. She’d had an unexpectedly sweet date with Akira that lingered in her memory, like the faint scent of his cologne on her sleeve. Her mother had started showing small glimpses of warmth she’d thought were lost forever. Life was shifting, and even if it was in small ways, Y/n felt herself moving forward.

The entrance to the school loomed ahead, and Y/n could already see early birds lingering by the gates, faces familiar but distant in that way only classmates could be. She exhaled, nodding to herself as she walked inside.

'Baby steps,' she reminded herself.

One small step after another, she would make something of these pieces of happiness, these fragile shoots of change in her life. She would nurture them, protect them, and above all, she would keep moving forward.

Inside, she swapped her shoes at her locker and hesitated for a moment, her gaze drifting down the hall.

She knew Taeko would be around here somewhere, probably at the usual meeting spots. But Y/n wasn’t in the mood to untangle those threads of friendship today. Her heart felt too full of unresolved questions, too tangled with feelings she didn’t want to analyze right now. She wanted somewhere quieter, somewhere where her thoughts could drift, and her hands could be busy with something simple and comforting.