Spring arrived quietly, as if trying not to disturb the lingering cold in Aki Rensuke's heart. The cherry blossoms bloomed with soft arrogance, scattering pink petals across the school courtyard and the streets he walked every day. But to him, they were just reminders of what used to be.
"One more year," he thought, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his blazer. "Then maybe I can disappear."
Aki was seventeen, a third-year student, and a boy whose world had already collapsed. Last spring, he confessed to the girl he liked. She smiled apologetically and told him no. A week later, his grandfather—his only family—passed away.
The loss was more than just emotional. His grandfather had raised him alone since he was a child. No parents, no siblings, no extended family who cared enough to step in.He was the only family to him .Now, Aki lived alone in a small apartment above an old bookstore and worked part-time at a nearby café to pay for rent ,meals and his school fee . His life was a quiet cycle of school, work, and silence.
"Morning, Aki-kun!" someone called as he entered the classroom.
He nodded but didn't respond. Aki wasn't rude—he just didn't have energy to pretend. Most of his classmates knew him as the quiet guy who never caused trouble.That didn't bother him.
He slid into his seat near the window, dropped his bag on the floor, and stared out at the courtyard. The blossoms were still falling. His seat had always been by the window, and sometimes he wondered if that was fate's way of mocking him—always showing him beauty he couldn't touch.
The homeroom teacher entered and clapped her hands to quiet the room. "Alright, everyone. We have a new transfer student joining us today. Please be kind and make her feel welcome."
All eyes turned to the front of the room as a girl stepped in.
She had long, flowing black hair that shimmered slightly when the light hit it. Her skin was fair, her eyes bright , big and round , like she saw more than she let on. She wore the same uniform as the others, but somehow, it looked like it was made for her.
"I'm Yukimura Hana," she said with a polite bow. "Nice to meet you all."
The teacher pointed toward the empty desk in front of Aki. "You can take the seat there."
Hana's gaze flicked across the room, locking onto Aki for a split second before she walked to her desk. She sat down, adjusted her skirt, and without turning, spoke softly.
"You're Aki Rensuke, right?"
He blinked. "Yeah."
"I've heard about you."
He frowned. "From who?"
She smiled faintly but didn't answer. The teacher began her lesson, and the class settled into its usual rhythm. But Aki kept glancing at the back of Hana's head, wondering what her deal was.
After school, Aki headed to his job at Moonlight Café, a cozy spot tucked between two buildings on a quiet street. He changed into his apron and got to work cleaning tables, serving coffee, and avoiding unnecessary conversation.
The café owner, a kind woman in her thirties, gave him a concerned look. "You always look like you're carrying the weight of the world, Rensuke."
"I'm just tired," he replied, wiping down a table.
"You're always tired."
He didn't answer.
Later that night, as he walked home under the streetlights, Aki stopped by a convenience store to buy instant noodles. His apartment was dark when he entered. He set down his bag, took off his shoes, and lit a stick of incense in front of the small memorial he kept for his grandfather.
A faded photo, a candle, and a cup of tea.
"I'm still trying," he said quietly. "But it's getting harder."
He sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, and let the silence wrap around him like a blanket. He didn't cry. He hadn't cried since the funeral.
The next morning was almost identical to the last—same walk, same classroom, same wind rustling through the trees. But when he took his seat, Hana turned around and smiled at him.
"You don't talk much, do you?"
"I don't see a reason to."
"You don't need a reason to talk. You just… talk."
Aki gave her a blank look. "Why are you talking to me?"
"Because you seem like someone who needs someone to talk to."
That answer annoyed him, though he didn't know why.
"Look, I don't need saving, okay?"
"I never said you did."
With that, she turned back around. And for the first time in a long time, Aki felt... confused. Not angry. Not numb. Just… curious.
Days passed, and Hana kept speaking to him, little by little. Casual things—comments about class, jokes he didn't expect, stories about how she used to live in the countryside. And gradually, against his own will, he started responding.
One afternoon, he found her outside during lunch, sketching something in a notebook.
"What's that?" he asked, standing over her shoulder.
She blushed and with a nervous look on her face "ummm nothing " she said.
She ran away towards the classroom blushing
Before he could say anything she was gone ...
"You're strange," he muttered
At the end of the school Hana stopped him and said "we can study together on your place Tommorow ".
" Yes" he said without thinking and they said "bye" to each other
That night, Aki couldn't stop thinking about her. He was also blushing and feeling nervous about Tommorow's arrival of her to his place as no girl came to his room to say he has no interaction with a girl .What did she mean by that? Why did she keep trying to get closer to him? He was thinking about that all night.
For the first time in months, he felt his world shift—even if just a little. Like a door creaking open in the back of a dark room. It's like she bought light to his darkness.
Door bell rang...
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Narration (closing panel):
"They say spring is the season of new beginnings. I didn't believe it—until she arrived."
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