Chapter 16: Chase after
The walk to school was supposed to be a chance for Haruto to clear his head and get back to normal. The morning air was crisp and cool, and he took deep breaths, trying to wash away the lingering scent of Akiko’s shampoo and the memory of her soft skin.
But about halfway there, he started getting the distinct feeling that someone was watching him. It was that prickly sensation between his shoulder blades, the kind of awareness that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He tried to ignore it at first, telling himself he was just paranoid after his sleepless night, but the feeling persisted.
Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and spun around quickly, scanning the street behind him. For just a split second, he thought he saw a flash of white fabric ducking behind a corner, but when he looked more carefully, there was nothing there. Just empty sidewalk and the usual morning rush of people heading to work and school.
"Weird," he muttered, shaking his head. Maybe he really was more tired than he thought.
When they finally reached the school gates, Haruto felt like he was stepping back into the real world. The familiar sight of students in their uniforms, the sound of chatter and laughter, the smell of the cafeteria already preparing lunch—it all helped ground him and push away the surreal memories of the night before.
The morning classes passed in their usual blur of lectures and note-taking. Haruto found himself struggling to concentrate, his mind kept drifting back to the feeling of Akiko’s body against his, the sound of her breathing in his ear. More than once, his teacher had to call his name twice to get his attention.
"Late night?" his friend whispered during math class, noticing Haruto’s glazed expression.
"Something like that," Haruto muttered back, trying to focus on the equations on the board.
But it was during lunch break that things got really interesting.
Haruto was sitting with his usual group of friends in their regular spot in the classroom, picking at his homemade bento and trying to wake up properly. The familiar routine of unwrapping his lunch and chatting with his buddies was helping him feel more like himself again.