Chapter 50: A New Start
The long yet fleeting spring break came to an end, and the opening ceremony finally arrived. On this day, we left the classroom we had grown familiar with over the past year and moved to a new one as second-year students.
At first glance, the chairs and desks should have been the same, yet there was an undeniable sense of discomfort—probably not just my imagination.
The first thing waiting for us upon arriving at school was a message displayed on the blackboard:
"Take the same seats as last year and wait."
Apparently, there would be no seat changes, and we'd be spending another year in the same spots. Following the instructions, I settled into my usual seat from last year—the very back by the window.
"Morning."
As soon as I sat down, Ibuki, my neighbor since last year, greeted me. Back then, she wouldn't even make eye contact, but our relationship had clearly progressed.
"Morning, Ibuki."
"You still look half-asleep. What were you even doing over spring break? I bet Hiyori and Ishizaki kept bugging you to hang out, right?"
It was true—I'd gotten plenty of invitations during the break, but between various circumstances and just needing some downtime, I'd mostly kept to myself.
"I invited you too, y'know. And all you said was 'Sorry' before turning me down."