The next morning arrived quietly at Aokawa High School, as if the world itself was still thinking about the rain from the day before.
The sky was pale blue, and sunlight slipped gently between the branches of the tall oak trees in the school courtyard. Small drops of water clung to the leaves, falling occasionally onto the stone path below.
Hiyori Shirakawa walked through the school gate with slow steps, her bag resting lightly on her shoulder. Her fingers absentmindedly touched the silver crescent charm around her neck. It was a small habit she had whenever she felt nervous or thoughtful.
For some reason, her thoughts kept returning to yesterday.
The quiet bench.
The calm voice that had spoken beside her.
Ren Akiyama.
She didn't even realize she had started humming softly.
"Hiyori!"
A cheerful voice suddenly broke her thoughts. Aiko Tanaka rushed toward her, nearly bumping into her shoulder. A camera hung from Aiko's neck, bouncing lightly as she moved.
"You disappeared yesterday!" Aiko said dramatically. "I looked everywhere for you."
Hiyori blinked. "It started raining, so I went home."
Aiko crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes playfully. "That's not the real reason."
Hiyori sighed quietly. Aiko had always been good at noticing small things.
Aiko loved photography. She carried her camera everywhere, capturing random moments around school — people laughing, sunlight through windows, even stray cats sleeping near the gate.
"Also," Aiko added, leaning closer, "you're humming again."
Hiyori quickly stopped. "I wasn't."
"You were."
Hiyori looked away shyly. The truth was she often hummed when she thought about music. In her bag was a small notebook where she wrote lyrics and song ideas. She rarely showed it to anyone. Music was her quiet hobby — something she kept mostly to herself.
A calm voice joined them. "Aiko, you're interrogating her again."
Haruto Sakamoto walked toward them with his usual relaxed expression. He adjusted his glasses and held a small chess book under his arm.
Haruto was known around school for his sharp mind. He loved puzzles and strategy games, especially chess. Whenever he had free time, he could usually be found solving problems in the library.
"I'm not interrogating," Aiko said proudly. "I'm investigating."
Haruto looked at Hiyori. "You hum when you're thinking about melodies."
Hiyori looked surprised. "You noticed that?"
Haruto nodded calmly. "You only do it when you're writing songs."
Aiko gasped dramatically. "Wait — YOU WRITE SONGS?!"
Hiyori immediately shook her head. "They're not real songs. Just ideas."
"Still counts," Aiko said.
The three friends walked into the school building together. The hallway buzzed with morning noise — lockers opening, students talking, teachers calling for quiet.
When they entered the classroom, Hiyori took her usual seat by the window. Sunlight warmed the desk, making her notebook glow softly. Aiko sat beside her while Haruto took the seat behind them.
A few minutes later, the classroom door opened quietly. Ren Akiyama walked in.
He moved calmly, almost silently, like someone who didn't want attention but somehow attracted it anyway. His dark hair fell slightly over his eyes, and his expression remained unreadable. He walked to the back of the classroom and sat down without speaking to anyone.
Hiyori tried not to stare. But she noticed something new — a sketchbook. Ren pulled out a pencil and slowly opened the small book. He began drawing.
Aiko immediately leaned closer to Hiyori. "That's the mysterious guy," she whispered.
"I know," Hiyori whispered back.
Haruto glanced behind him briefly. "He sketches a lot," he said quietly. "I've seen him drawing in the library."
"An artist?" Aiko whispered excitedly. "That's perfect."
"For what?" Hiyori asked.
"For interesting photos," Aiko replied.
Classes passed slowly. Teachers spoke, students wrote notes, and time moved forward like any normal school day.
But Hiyori felt distracted. Every so often, she glanced toward the back of the classroom. Ren was always drawing.
When lunch break finally arrived, students poured into the hallways. Hiyori, Aiko, and Haruto walked toward the courtyard together and sat near the oak tree where Hiyori liked to spend quiet afternoons.
Aiko immediately began taking pictures. "Hold your bento like this," she said. Hiyori laughed nervously.
"You take photos of everything."
"That's the point."
Across the courtyard, someone stood beneath the oak tree. Ren. He was sketching again. This time, Hiyori noticed how carefully he observed everything around him — the branches, the students walking past, even the shadows moving on the ground.
For a moment, their eyes met. Neither of them looked away immediately.
Ren quietly closed his sketchbook and slipped it back into his bag.
Aiko followed Hiyori's gaze. "Oh," she said softly. "That guy again."
Haruto looked over too. "Interesting," he murmured.
Hiyori felt something strange in her chest — not fear, not excitement, but something in between. A quiet curiosity.
As they stood to go back to class, Aiko suddenly said something unexpected. "You should perform at the school cultural festival."
Hiyori almost dropped her bag. "What?!"
"You write songs," Aiko continued confidently. "You could sing."
Haruto nodded thoughtfully. "That would be memorable."
Hiyori shook her head quickly. "No way."
But as she glanced across the courtyard again, she saw Ren standing under the oak tree, watching them for a brief moment before turning away.
For some reason, Hiyori imagined a stage. A piano. A quiet room filled with music. And someone sketching in the audience. She touched her silver charm again. A soft melody formed in her mind.
Maybe the story of these hidden days was only just beginning.