Chapter 15
The school grounds of Sakura High, once buzzing with the vibrant energy of club recruitment day, had begun to mellow into a peaceful hush. Booths were being slowly dismantled, colorful banners drooping in the soft evening breeze. The smell of ink, cardboard, and late-afternoon sweat lingered faintly in the air. Laughter from distant seniors bidding their underclassmen farewell echoed gently between the open hallways.
The campus bathed in the amber tones of a setting sun, its golden rays pouring through the glass windows of the first floor and casting long, softened shadows across the polished wooden floors. The quiet rhythm of departing footsteps echoed, mixing with the light rustling of trees swaying just outside the open windows.
The once-lively hallway was now painted with warmth—sunlight kissed the white walls with glowing streaks of orange and gold, and silhouettes of fluttering sakura leaves danced through the open doorways, creating a dreamlike frame around the lingering students heading for the gate.
Kokoro walked beside Sayori, their footsteps slow, unhurried, the air between them tinged with a satisfying tiredness—the kind that follows a long day of excitement and subtle surprises.
His bag slung over one shoulder, Kokoro glanced at Sayori from the corner of his eye. She strolled with a quiet kind of confidence, her twin ponytails swaying slightly with each step, her orange eyes shining with mischief as she grinned to herself.
They passed through the courtyard where shadows of trees stretched long and sleepy, their leaves catching the last golden rays. A few underclassmen waved goodbye to their club seniors while others lounged on benches, sipping drinks or snacking on vending machine snacks. The smell of warm pavement, faint blossoms, and a trace of aftershave from upperclassmen lingered in the air like a snapshot of high school youth.
And of course... the whispers.
"Is that Kojima Sayori... with Katsuragi-kun?"
"They’ve been together the whole day..."
"She’s walking home with him?! You lucky bastard!"
Sayori, of course, heard it all.