[Charlotte] Seventy-Five Years (Discontinued)

Chapter 1: The End

"Congratulations, Otosaka-san! Congratulations to us!" With full of energy, Takajou stated.

With a high-pitched "Yes!", Yusa agreed.

Even if the surroundings were covered with happiness and amazement from the graduates of the Hoshi no Umi Academy, the circle of Yuu Otosaka quiet down. Hues firing at the slimmer male, Takajou began. "Now that we have graduated, I'm pretty sure the powers you've plundered a year ago aren't with you anymore."

Yuu lifted his palm and maroon eyes landed on it. "Yeah..," he answered. "It is nothing but fun that awaits for us. Let's make the most of our teenage days, then!"

"Right! When you hit puberty, you get the fun," joked Takajou.

"Yuu!" Nao, Yuu's girlfriend, called from not aloof to where the three were standing. She was waving her right hand high, together with Ayumi. "Congratulations to us! I still can't believe we already graduated," she said, smile on her lips.

"Yeah, congratulations to us. We can now live and love normally. That's good, right?"

Facial expression was the same, Nao responded with, "Yeah."

"Yuu-oniichan, congratulations!" Then after, Ayumi handed him his lunch box. "Here; your favourite! Ayu made it extra special because today is a special day for Yuu-oniichan!"

Upon remembering the taste of pizza sauce, Yuu stepped back, gulping. However, memories of him time-leaping and saving his little sister made his frown of fear turn into a smile of acceptance. Acceptance that Ayumi once tried to replicate what his mother used to do just to prepare his favourite dish since they were little.

"Thanks, Ayumi," he said, accepting the small plate of food.

"Isn't it surprising to see a star in the middle of the afternoon?" Takajou adjusted his glasses using his pointer finger, eyes pinned at the sky. Others, who were out of the circle that were busy chit-chatting and saying their farewells to their friends, didn't mind. They thought it was 'normal'.

"A star?" Repeated Nao. She shifted her gazes to the sky, surprised, indeed, that something was glittering up there.

"A star?! Woooow! Yusarin is happy to see a star in this kind of time!"

Amazed, Ayumi began screaming in excitement. "Wow! There's actually a star! And it's moving!"

"Moving?" Yuu said this time. "That could be an airplane that's far away. There's no way a star would-" his words were cut off; now seeing with his own eyes that the star was really moving. Fast. Is it going over h-

"Run! Run!" Shunsuke, who was just standing beside Yuu and his friends and listening to them having fun, had ordered. Even though he couldn't see anything anymore--completely blind, that is--he had grown to develop a strong instinct of what was happening around. Could this be the one Tsutsumiuchi-san..? Maedomari, in exchange of Kumagami's presence, aided Shunsuke.

"Keep running, Shunsuke-san. I'll tell you when to stop."

Medoki looked at both of the guys worriedly, but nodded to what Maedomari said.

"Keep an eye on Yuu and the others," he ordered. Despite his state right now, he still worries for the people around him, the people he loves and cares.

Without hesitating, Maedomari accepted the order. Shortly, he glanced behind him only to find out that the small sparkles he saw falling around them wasn't snow in spring, but sparkling dusts; he's having a feeling that something bad will happen if this touches them. "?!"

"What's wrong, Maedomari?" Asked Shunsuke, panic was seen deep inside him.

"Shunsuke-san, there are...dust sparkles falling all over the place..."

"I have a bad feeling about this," the older one sighed and then continued. "Avoid the dusts at all costs!"

"What's with this light?!" Aggravated, Shichino said, eyes scanning his glowing body. It happened right after the dust touched him. It hadn't been long when the same thing happened to his friends.

"What's happening?!" Medoki asked, overlapping Shichino's.

"This is amazing, but it's kind of scary!" Commented Ayumi.

Everyone was in panic; the screams only subsided when the light did. There were few seconds of silence before they finally realised that the event was over.

"What just happened..?" Asked one of the students who graduated together with Nao's group.

"I don't know either...," another replied. "All I remember was there were sparkling dusts everywhere, it hit all of us and then lights were emitted. But nothing happened bad to you, right? I'm sure nothing bad happened to me either."

"Yeah, I feel pretty fine..."

They're right. I feel nothing weird or some sort of change in my body. I still look and feel normal. Yuu glanced at his friends. Takajou and the others were checking themselves. They seem pretty well. Yet... His maroon hues shifted towards Nao. I knew it. She had a question drawn all over her face; from what he could tell, Nao wasn't convinced that they were 'fine'.

Shunsuke had the same expression Nao was making.

They're supposedly happy; nothing bad happened to all of us. Why are they making that face? Man, this is making me nervous. Out of curiosity, he approached his girlfriend. "Nao, what's wrong?"

Nao's vivid orbs glanced at Yuu's maroon ones, facial expression was the same. "Let's go to the student council and discuss this matter. I feel something is not right," taking one breather, the lass continued. "Everyone, to the council. I just have something I wish to confirm."

Agreeing since he was feeling the same, Shunsuke said, "Let's go, everyone. To the council."

All of them, with their graduation uniform on, marched their way back inside the school, and to the student council. Maps, books and papers had scattered around. Even if papers were everywhere, the room still was neat. It was in the same position when Yuu first arrived in the academy.

Nostalgia...

The only thing they use in the room is the large map of Japan attached on the wooden table resting in the middle of the amenity. They never used it again after losing Kumagami, and Yuu's return from plundering powers abroad.

Maedomari helped Shunsuke take a sit on the couch right next to him, Nao standing in the middle of the huge table whilst her hands were on it as if slammed, Takajou on Shunsuke's left side, Yusa next to him, Medoki next to Maedomari, Shichino next to Medoki, Yuu on the left side of the room where the board was resting, and Ayumi standing on the other side of Nao.

Nao was about to discuss the matter until Medoki spoke.

"Hey, Shichino! Your feet are lower than the ground now!"

"What are you saying? We've been together all this time, Medoki. How could you possibly forgot  that my phasing ability only extends to wa-" his words were cut off in the mid-air when he saw with his own eyes what Medoki was saying. "Gah!" Immediately, he pulled his feet back up on the surface.

"I see. So I was right," stated Nao, eyes locked on Shichino's feet.