Chapter 2: A Glimpse Through the Window

The days that followed were quiet—at least, from the outside.

Yasu still sat in the same spot by the window, head down most of the time, eyes half-lidded or lost in the drifting clouds above the schoolyard. But something inside him had shifted, like the faint sound of wind chimes in an empty room.

He could still hear her voice.

"wake up… it’s class time, sleepyhead."

It played over and over again, like a soft refrain tucked behind the everyday noise of school life.

Hoshiko-sensei.

She had introduced herself, smiled, and walked away, but that moment lingered in Yasu’s mind like the afterglow of a dream he didn’t want to wake up from.

That day, the science class was just before lunch. The room buzzed with the same half-interested energy that usually filled third-year lectures. Some students leaned on their elbows, others chatted in whispers. But Yasu... watched.

From the corner of his eye, he observed her.

She moved with unusual ease for a teacher — not strict, not uptight. She joked with students. She leaned casually on the edge of the desk as she explained something about molecules. At one point, she even poked fun at a student for answering “hydrogen” to a question about photosynthesis.

“Yamada-kun, are you trying to grow fuel cells in a tree?” she teased, laughing lightly. The class erupted in chuckles.

Yasu blinked.

She wasn’t just beautiful. She was... different.

Then, unexpectedly, her gaze swept across the class — and landed on him.

For the briefest of seconds, their eyes met.

Hoshiko-sensei tilted her head slightly. And then—

She smiled.

Not the polite, teacherly kind of smile. But a subtle one. Almost like a secret.

Yasu quickly looked away, pretending to write something on his blank notebook. His ears burned.

What was that...?

After the bell rang and the students poured out of the classroom like a tide, Yasu remained seated for a few seconds longer than usual.

Outside, the wind danced gently through the sakura trees. A few petals brushed the windowpane beside him.

He turned his head slowly, resting his chin on his palm, and stared out.

From behind him, a voice called:

“Yasu-kun.”

He froze.

He didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

“Try to stay awake next time,” she said. Her voice was light, teasing. “You might miss something fun.”

He turned halfway, catching a glimpse of her as she gathered her notes. She didn’t even look back at him—just left that one line in the air like a feather floating down.

Yasu watched her leave.

For the first time in a long while, the world didn’t feel so dull.