"The day everything ended… was the day everything began."
---
The auditorium was silent.
The kind of silence that wrapped around the room like a funeral shroud, respectful and heavy. Shafts of sunlight filtered in through the tall windows, painting the floor with warm gold. On stage stood Mio Katagiri, third-year student representative, dressed immaculately in her uniform — blazer perfectly pressed, hair tied with a white ribbon, face poised like porcelain.
She was breathtaking.
Everyone thought so.
But none of them knew she was dying inside.
> "Today, we close a chapter of our lives," Mio's voice rang through the hall. Calm. Steady. Laced with the practiced grace everyone expected of her.
"These years have shaped us. The friendships we've made, the memories we carry — they'll live on, even when we step into tomorrow."
Every word was true.
And yet, every word felt false.
Because as she looked out into the sea of students, smiling teachers, and proud parents, her eyes were searching for only one person.
And when she found her, sitting in the second row, legs crossed, medal hanging from her neck — Mio's breath caught.
Hana Watanabe.
The only person who had ever truly mattered.
And the one who had stayed silent for three whole years.
---
The Sound of Silence
Mio had loved her once. Still did, if she was honest. A kind of love that bloomed slowly, like hydrangeas in the rain. Soft. Quiet. Painful.
They'd met as children, become best friends before they even knew what friendship meant. They spent summers building pillow forts and winters huddled together beneath blankets watching old anime. Hana was always full of life — clumsy, expressive, and warm. Where Mio was adored and admired from a distance, Hana was the one who held her hand, pulled her into the light.
And then, one day, she just stopped.
No fight. No betrayal.
Just silence.
Archery, Hana said. She needed to focus. Practice. Tournaments. Nationals.
It sounded noble. Reasonable.
But Mio had never needed Hana to win medals. She just needed her to stay.
---
The applause thundered through the auditorium as Mio finished her speech.
She bowed gracefully.
Smiled.
And inside, something quietly shattered.
---
After the Ceremony
The courtyard buzzed with students laughing, crying, taking photos. Mio stood at the edge of it all, separated by more than just distance. People approached her with compliments. Teachers praised her speech. Girls hugged her with sparkling eyes.
She smiled.
Thanked them.
And waited.
Because she knew Hana would come.
She had to.
And then — she did.
"Mio," a voice called softly behind her.
She turned.
Hana Watanabe stood a few feet away. Tall, composed, still wearing her archery medal, a tremor in her eyes.
Mio stared.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"…You finally decided to speak to me," Mio said, voice quiet.
Hana's mouth opened, then closed.
"I didn't know how to… for a long time."
Mio laughed. Soft, bitter. "Three years, Hana. That's how long it's been since you looked me in the eye."
"I know."
"You ignored me every day. Walked past me in the halls like I was a stranger. And now… now you speak to me like nothing happened?"
"I wanted to talk. So many times. But I kept thinking—" Hana stepped forward. "If I worked harder, if I became someone stronger… if I won, maybe then you'd be proud of me."
"I was always proud of you," Mio whispered. Her voice shook. "I didn't want you to become anything. I just wanted you."
Silence.
The wind stirred. Cherry blossoms fluttered from the trees and danced between them.
"I love you, Mio."
Mio blinked.
Tears pricked the corners of her eyes.
"Don't say that now."
"It's true."
"No." She shook her head. "If it was true, why did you abandon me? Why did you watch me break without saying anything?"
"I thought—" Hana swallowed, fists clenched. "I thought I had to earn you. That someone like you… someone so perfect, wouldn't want someone weak like me."
Mio stared at her for a long time.
Then said, very quietly: "You were the only person who didn't treat me like I was perfect."
Hana's face crumpled.
Mio's hands trembled. "You were the only person who ever saw me cry. Who ever listened. And then you left. And I told myself every day that it was okay. That maybe you'd come back. That maybe I could hold on just a little longer."
"Mio—"
"I waited for you, Hana."
Mio's voice broke. "For three years."
Hana stepped forward again. "I'm here now. I'm sorry. I was wrong. I didn't understand back then. But I do now. I love you. I want to fix this. I want—"
"You can't," Mio said, shaking her head. "You can't just come back and erase all that silence. You can't say you love me after all this time and expect me to just… just hold your hand again."
"I don't expect anything. I just—"
"I love you too," Mio whispered. "But I don't trust it anymore."
The confession hit the air like a thunderclap.
"I love you so much it hurts. But I don't know what to do with it now. It feels like it's rotted inside me."
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
"I'm tired, Hana."
And then she turned.
And walked away.
---
That Night
Rain slicked the streets.
Mio walked alone beneath the orange glow of streetlights. Her uniform clung to her skin. Her shoes soaked through.
She passed the old bookstore where they used to sneak manga. The train station where Hana had once waited to walk her home. The alley they hid in when they ditched class that one time and swore never to do it again.
Her phone buzzed.
A message.
From Hana
> I meant every word. I love you. I'm sorry I waited so long.
Mio stared at the screen.
Then slowly began to type.
> I wanted to believe you. I really did.
She deleted it.
> I don't hate you. I just wish you'd loved me earlier.
Deleted again.
> Goodbye.
She never pressed send.
---
The Next Morning
The school was quiet.
News spread like wildfire.
Mio Katagiri — third-year student, graduation speaker — was found dead. Apparent suicide.
No note.
Just silence.
---
One Year Later
Cherry blossoms bloomed again.
Hana Watanabe stood alone on the school rooftop, hair tied back, medal long forgotten in her drawer.
She clutched a photo in her hand — Mio smiling, eyes full of life, arms around her in a picture from when they were twelve.
"I'm sorry," Hana whispered.
The wind stirred.
A petal brushed her cheek.
And then everything stopped.
The wind.
The sound.
The color.
Time froze.
Hana gasped — and in the next breath, the world shattered into light.
---
A New Spring
When she opened her eyes, she was sitting at a school desk.
Her hands — smaller.
Her blazer — new.
She looked up. The windows were the same. The desks. The chalkboard.
The date: April 7th. First year of high school.
And then the door slid open.
A girl stepped in, her long black hair catching the light, her lips curled in a gentle smile.
"Mio…"
Hana stood, heart pounding.
She was alive.
And this time — Hana wouldn't waste a single second.
---
End of Chapter 1
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