The Angel's Question

In the classroom bathed in sunset light, Sora and Ume were absorbed in selecting photos for their graduation album. As Sora picked up a photo from the pile, Ten tilted his head curiously from his perch by the window.

"Oh, this is an interesting photo! Look, look, Ume-chan!" Sora held up the photo with an innocent smile. It captured the moment when Ume had slipped and fallen dramatically during the sports festival.

"Hey, reject that one!" Ume rushed over in panic. "Seriously, Sora, you're too good at finding embarrassing photos of people!"

"Ehh? But Ume-chan's desperate expression is super cute!"

"C-cute isn't the point..." As Ume's face reddened, Ren entered the classroom.

"Oh? So there's a cute photo of Ume? Let me see."

"As if I'd show you!" Ume lunged for the photo, but Sora gracefully dodged.

"Ah, Ren-kun is in it too. Looking surprised in the background..."

"Wha-! Give me that photo, right now!" Ren's composed facade crumbled instantly as he reached for it.

The classroom erupted into chaos as a chase began around Sora. Takashi walked in and before he could grasp the situation—

"Eek!" Sora dodged right into him. The photo flew into the air.

"A collision with Sora-chan... it's fate—oof!" As Takashi was on the verge of a nosebleed from excitement, Ume delivered a merciless retort.

"Never mind that! The photo! The photo!"

Ten gracefully jumped and caught the airborne photo. Everyone let out an impressed "Ooh!"

"As expected of Ten!" Sora clapped innocently.

Ten landed proudly on a desk with the photo in his mouth. As everyone gathered to look at it...

"Huh...?"

Sora's voice took on a strange tone. It was a group photo from the sports festival. Though taken just a year ago, everyone looked slightly different from now.

Ume's hairstyle had changed, Takashi had new glasses, and Ren's expression was somewhat softer. Yuta seemed to have grown taller.

But...

"I'm the only one who hasn't changed."

Silence fell over the classroom at Sora's whisper. Ten let out a soft meow.

"And not just that..." Sora began pulling out other photos. "In all of them—sports festival, cultural festival, school trip—I look exactly the same."

Takashi peered at the photos and murmured, "No way..." As head of Sora's fan club, he had all her photos, yet he'd never noticed this fact.

Just then, Yuta entered the classroom. "What's going on? Everyone's gathered..."

His words trailed off as he saw Sora staring at herself with puzzlement.

"Hey, Yuta... it's strange, isn't it? Everyone's changed so much, but..."

Yuta thought for a moment before speaking. "I think it's fine for Sora to stay the same."

"Is it really...?" Sora tilted her head.

"Not changing doesn't matter. Change isn't everything," Ren shrugged as he spoke.

"That's right!" Ume said cheerfully. "I've changed too much—last year's uniform is too tight in the chest now!"

"That's just because you eat too much."

"What's that supposed to mean, Ren! You can be so rude..."

At Ume's words, Sora glanced down at her own uniform. Come to think of it, she hadn't bought a new uniform since transferring here. Yet it still fit perfectly.

Just then, the end-of-day chime rang. The sunset was fading, painting the classroom in crimson.

"Sora," Yuta said. "Let's go home together."

Sora gazed out the window thoughtfully before regaining her usual smile.

"Okay! ...Oh, but that photo was interesting, wasn't it?"

Ten was already by the window, grooming himself as if nothing had happened. Seeing this, Yuta let out a small sigh.

Everyone watched Sora's retreating figure as she left the classroom. For a fleeting moment, the fading sunlight seemed to make her silhouette glow, almost transparent.

No one mentioned this fact. Only Ten's eyes held a subtle glimmer of understanding.