The Day She Wasn't There

Not because the students were behaving for once, and definitely not because the teacher had suddenly become interesting.

It was because Kaori wasn’t there.

Haruto rested his chin on his hand and stared at the empty seat by the window for what had to be the tenth time since homeroom started.

Fujisawa Kaori.

Absent.

That alone was strange enough to leave a restless feeling in his chest.

Kaori wasn’t the type to skip school unless she had a really good reason. Even on rainy mornings, even on days when the train was delayed, even when she had sprained her ankle back in middle school, she still showed up with that calm little smile of hers and said she was “perfectly fine.”

So yeah.

This was suspicious.

“Oi, Haruto,” his friend muttered from the next seat, nudging his elbow. “If you keep staring at Kaori’s desk like that, people are gonna think you miss her.”

Haruto didn’t even bother denying it.

“I do.”

His friend blinked. “...You say stuff like that way too easily.”

Haruto shrugged and looked back toward the window.

“Well, I do miss her.”

That was just the truth.

He and Kaori had been together for as long as he could remember.

Same neighborhood. Same elementary school. Same middle school. Same high school.

Same morning walks. Same convenience store stops. Same quiet afternoons on the way home.

Kaori had always been there, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

So when she wasn’t—

It felt wrong.

By the time the final bell rang, Haruto had already made up his mind.

He stuffed his books into his bag, ignored his friend asking if he wanted to hang out, and headed straight for the station road that led toward Kaori’s apartment.

The late afternoon sun stretched long shadows across the pavement as he walked, hands shoved into his pockets.

He told himself he was just checking on her.

That was all.

Not because he was overthinking.

Not because he’d spent half the day wondering if she had eaten lunch.

And definitely not because seeing her even once somehow made every ordinary day feel better.

...Okay, maybe it was a little because of that.

It wasn’t unusual for Haruto to visit her place.

Kaori lived alone in a small second-floor apartment not too far from his house. After her parents passed away when she was young, she had been living by herself with the support of relatives and family savings.

Haruto had been coming and going from her apartment for years.

Still, for some reason, today felt different.

He stopped in front of the familiar building, climbed the stairs, and pressed the doorbell.

A minute passed.

Then the door slowly opened.

Kaori stood there in soft blue pajamas, looking a little pale and tired.

Her long, midnight-black hair fell loosely over her shoulders, slightly messy in a way that only made her look more delicate. Her bangs framed her face unevenly, half-shadowing her pale blue eyes.

Those eyes were the kind people remembered.

Clear and distant, like winter sky reflected on still water.

At first glance, they made her seem cold—untouchable, even.

But when she smiled, even just a little, that fragile beauty melted into something heartbreakingly gentle.

Her fair skin and quiet expression often made people think she was hard to approach.

But Haruto knew better.

Kaori wasn’t distant.

She just felt too much, and said too little.

Everything about her felt quiet. Clean. Graceful.

Haruto smiled the moment he saw her.

“Oh darling! You look beautiful as always”

Kaori stared at him for exactly one second and give a weird reaction .

Then quietly shut the door in his face.

Haruto blinked.

“...Well, that’s rude.”

Honestly, he couldn’t even say he was surprised.

This kind of reaction wasn’t unusual for her.

With a resigned sigh, he pressed the doorbell again.

And again.

And again.

After a while, the door finally opened once more.

Kaori looked at him with clear annoyance.

“Why the hell are you here?” she asked.

“Is that even a real question?” Haruto said immediately. “Of course I came to see you.”

She stared at him awkwardly, but he kept going anyway.

“You didn’t come to school today. You didn’t even reply to my texts. Of course I was worried.”

Kaori frowned and looked away.

“Who told you to worry about me? I’m not a child. I can take care of myself.”

Her voice softened just a little.

“I’m just a little sick. You can go home now.”

Haruto placed a hand dramatically over his chest.

“You’ve gotten so mean lately.”

“I wonder why.”

“At least let me come in,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “I promise I’ll only stay for a little while.”

Kaori let out a long, tired sigh.

The kind of sigh that already sounded like defeat.

“...Fine,” she muttered. “Come in. But don’t expect anything. I’m not in the mood to entertain you.”

Haruto grinned.

“Understood.”

He stepped inside, slipping off his shoes near the entrance.

“But seriously,” he said, his voice softening. “What happened?”

Kaori closed the door behind him and walked ahead without looking back.

“Just a little fever,” she replied. “And I’m tired.”

The tightness in Haruto’s chest eased a little.

Still, he followed after her like he had done countless times before.

As they walked down the short hallway, Kaori muttered quietly,

“It’s been a while since I cleaned my room, so don’t complain.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Haruto said cheerfully.

Her apartment really was a mess.

Not in a terrible way—just the kind of mess that came from someone who had no energy left to care.

A few books were stacked unevenly near the wall. A sweater had been carelessly draped over a chair. There was an untouched cup on the table and a blanket half-fallen from the couch.

When they reached her bedroom, Kaori wasted no time and quietly lay down on the bed.

Haruto pulled a chair closer and sat beside her.

There wasn’t much to describe about the room.

A half-open window near the bed let in a cool breeze, carrying the faint scent of rain.

The room felt calm.

A little lonely.

And very much like her.

“You should’ve told me,” Haruto said quietly.

Kaori blinked at him. “It’s just a fever. I didn’t want to make it a big deal.”

“You disappearing for a whole day is a big deal.”

The words came out so naturally that Kaori’s fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her blanket.

Haruto didn’t seem to notice.

Or maybe he did.

He leaned forward and placed the back of his hand gently against her forehead.

Kaori froze.

Haruto moved a little closer, completely unaware of the chaos he caused just by being near her.

“You’re still warm,” he murmured. “You really are sick.”

Kaori stared at him in silence.

For Haruto, this was normal.

This was just how he was.

He said what he felt.

He did what he wanted.

Kaori slowly turned her face away and pulled the blanket up a little higher.

“I’ll be fine by tomorrow,” she said softly.

Outside, the sky had darkened.

A soft rain had begun to fall, and cold wind drifted in through the open window.

Haruto glanced over, then stood up and closed it.

The room immediately felt warmer.

Then he looked back at her.

“Did you take any medicine?”

Kaori stayed silent.

“Did you at least eat something?”

A pause.

Then, in a small voice, she replied,

“That’s none of your business.”

Haruto folded his arms.

“I see. So that means you didn’t.”

Kaori looked away.

“Since it’s raining outside, I can’t go buy anything,” he continued. “So I guess I’ll have to use your kitchen.”

“Haruto—”

But he was already gone.

Without wasting a second, he headed toward the kitchen.

It was just as messy as the rest of the apartment.

A few dishes sat in the sink. There were instant noodles in one corner, some eggs in the fridge, and enough ingredients to make something simple.

So that was exactly what he did.

He prepared something warm and easy to eat, then searched around until he found fever medicine.

A little while later, he returned to her room carrying a tray.

There was a small low table near the bed, and he carefully set everything down on it.

Then he looked at her and smiled.

“Darling,Your meal is served. Do you want me to feed you? "

“Don’t call me that.”

“Absolutely not.”

“I was just offering.”

“I can eat by myself.”

Haruto sat back with a small grin.

Kaori glared at him weakly.

After a moment, she asked quietly,

“By the way... when are you planning to leave?”

‎" outside is raining. Might be I can't leave today. but I can leave in 1 condition"

“‎‎What?” She replied.

‎‎"If you give me a kiss I will leave. "