Ayaka woke up the next morning feeling better than she had in weeks. Rei's words lingered in her head, Take care of yourself. For once, she hadn't silenced her alarm or buried her face under the covers.
Instead, she pushed herself up, blinking at the faint sunlight streaming through her curtains. Her room still smelled faintly of dried lavender sachets her mother had placed in the drawers months ago. The bittersweet scent tightened her chest for a moment, but Ayaka inhaled deeply and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
She washed up, tied her hair back into a neat ponytail, and even spent a few extra minutes picking out her uniform instead of throwing it on in a rush. Her father was already downstairs, setting up the shop for the day.
"Up early?" Itsuki said, raising an eyebrow as she grabbed a quick breakfast.
Ayaka smiled faintly. "First day of second year. Figured I should at least try looking like a decent student," she said, sitting down on the chair and beginning to eat the breakfast her father had made for her.
He chuckled softly, a rarity these days. "That's good… Are you planning to go out with your friends today? Being the first day of school and all?"
"Maybe, I'm feeling well today," she replied in a pleased tone, slipping on her shoes by the door. "I'll see you later, Dad. Love you."
Going out today felt different. Usually, she'd drag her feet, earbuds drowning out the world, but today the city felt sharper, brighter. Cherry blossoms were beginning to bud along the streets, their petals hinting at the season's change. It wasn't much, but it felt like a promise of something new.
By the time Ayaka reached the school gates, students were already gathering in groups, chatting about vacations. She adjusted her bag strap, exhaled, and searched for the classroom chart so she could see which one was hers. After eyeballing it for some time, she found her name in class 2-6. Fortunately, her best friend Kyōka Jirō was in the same class.
They had met in their junior year, finding multiple things in common like their taste in music, books, and comics. Since then, they had been inseparable friends. Jirō had been supporting Ayaka ever since her mother passed, helping her get through her grief in a smoother way.
When Ayaka got to the classroom, almost all the seats were empty, giving her ample choices of where she wanted to sit. The desk closest to the window was always her preferred spot, since coincidentally Ayaka enjoyed the same things plants did: warm sunlight. Sitting there made her feel at peace. Arranging her materials at the desk, she opened the window to let some air in. The wind gently blew on her as she waited for the class to begin.
Then the door slid open again.
Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed Ayaka's shoulders, followed by a light shake. It was her best friend Jirō.
Ayaka looked up, startled. Kyōka Jirō stood there with her schoolbag slung carelessly over one shoulder. Seeing Ayaka like that made her chuckle softly. "Didn't you see me come in? I called out when I entered."
Ayaka laughed, tension slipping from her shoulders. "Sorry, I was spacing out while the class didn't start." She stood up and hugged her friend—they hadn't seen each other for over two weeks since Kyōka's family had been on vacation.
Jirō tapped Ayaka's back before they sat down close to each other. "You're looking better today. Did something happen?" she asked.
Ayaka smiled softly. "I started taking care of myself. There's not much I can do in a single day, but I realized that neglecting myself is something my mother would scold me for. So I won't use her passing as an excuse anymore." She put her hand on Jirō's shoulder. "You don't have to worry about me anymore."
"Fine. But if you need anything—really, anything—just talk to me," Jirō said before opening her bag and putting her materials on her desk.
Soon the teacher entered the classroom, a middle-aged woman with light blue hair and eyes. She had an appealing figure to most teenage boys, and Ayaka. Before she could take her eyes off the woman, an elbow poked her in the ribs.
"Argh! What did you do that for?!" she angrily whispered to her friend.
"Woman, I can practically hear your impure thoughts. Have some respect for the teacher," Jirō muttered.
"Impure tho— dude, I'm not a pervert! I was just admiring her beauty in a woman-to-woman way, you know? Not the way you think. If anyone is having impure thoughts here, it's you!"
After that funny altercation, class continued normally. They were introduced to some of the teachers, the subjects they would study, among other things. Luckily for Ayaka, she was not among the unlucky few who had to clean up after class, unlike her pervy (not really) friend Kyōka.
As she left the class, her gaze landed on 2-2 at the end of the hall near the stairs. There was only one person there, a charming young lady with her black hair tied in a spiky ponytail, cleaning the classroom by herself. Seeing this, Ayaka knocked on the door, startling the girl.
"H-hi, do you need something?" she asked in a shy voice.
Seeing the girl's response, Ayaka couldn't help but laugh, which made the girl even more embarrassed. "I just wanted to see if you needed any help, since you're cleaning the classroom by yourself."
"I appreciate the offer, but I really don't need help," she said in a proud manner.
"Please, it's the least I could do after scaring you like that," Ayaka said with a smile, making the black-haired girl blush in embarrassment, though not enough for Ayaka to notice.
"I didn't get scared, alright! It's just that I wasn't expecting anyone. Just help me, okay."
"Alright, alright. Can you tell me your name? Mine's Ayaka Hanabusa," she said while offering a handshake.
Her hands were soft and delicate. Ayaka felt as if she were holding a flower.
"I'm Momo Yaoyorozu. It's a pleasure to meet you again."
Ayaka stared at her, racking her brain, trying to remember where she had met this person. "Oh! You're that girl from the hospital. Are you okay now?"
"It was nothing too serious. I had my tonsils removed, and the recovery was quick since there are some doctors with healing quirks," Momo answered before getting back to cleaning. "Let's get back to work."
After that, they parted ways and went home, unaware that the simple act of helping clean a quiet classroom would be the thread that drew Ayaka back to the love of her life. A love she did not yet recognize, but one that would bloom as gently and inevitably as spring.