Who is this?

Walking and holding hands like that was a little embarrassing for Ayane, who was still trying to act a little tough. But while she was trying to calm herself down, she didn't realise that Kanako was taking her to a path that she dont usually take to her way home.

"Uh, Kanako-kun? I don't usually take this way home..."

Ba-dup.

Kanako's heart jolted as if some high voltage went down his body. It was the first time Ayane called him by his name. Her sweet voice calling his name gave him critical damage that he usually doesn't feel.

"Eh? But why? This is the shortest path to your home, right? Then why-"

He felt her hands grasping his getting tighter. Its definitely something that she didn't want to tell.

"Just how painful is her past?", he thought.

She was just an innocent girl, who at a time knew the value of her life, but it slowly degraded time after time due to her circumstances.

As their school was on the other side of the bridge, on the main land adjacent to their small island, they had to take a train to get there. There was a particular school in between their way, and Ayane's grip went harder and harder the closer they went to the school.

As they approached that school, there were only a few students coming out from there, although Kanako didn't see, but he could feel that Ayane was just looking down and hiding her face, trying not to be recognised by someone or some people he didn't know...

"It's going to be alright, I will protect you, no matter what."

"..."

There was no reply from Ayane. Her hands were still tightly holding his, hoping they would cross that place without meeting with anyone.

A few moments after crossing that school, she sighed. It was as if all of her worries went away in an instant. But it worried Kanako in the process.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"Did something happen to you at this school?"

Her heart stopped for a moment. She surely didn't want to bring back that past she has hidden in her mind deep inside.

"Sorry for the sudden question. I know you don't want to talk about that."

She gently nodded her head.

Not before long, they arrived at the train station. But unfortunately, they found no seats, which resulted in them to stand their way home. The doors closed before the, as the train started its journey to the small island. It went, sounding like a never ending metallic heartbeat, but it actually had a calming effect. She calmed herself down quite a bit, but again got flustered seeing Kanako looking at her, admiring her beauty.

"... stop staring at me like that..."

"Oh!? Sorry!", he didn't even realise what he was doing.

In an instant, the train shook a little, decentralising her balance. Although Kanako tried to reach out, he failed to do so. But Ayane didn't fall, she hit a fellow passenger.

"Oh, I am sorry for the trouble.", said her, apologetically.

As she looked up, her eyes widened, her heart froze, her mind went blank, her skin went cold.

"Ayane?", said him.