-HOKKAIDO CENTRAL HOSPITAL, ICU CORRIDOR-
-9:18 AM, JANUARY 24, 2017-
Morning light washed softly through the hospital's long windows.
Snow outside had slowed to a gentle drift.
Rikuu stood near the ICU entrance again.
His jacket was still dusted with faint flakes from the walk.
Masayoshi leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed.
"You're starting to look like you live here," he muttered.
"…Temporary," Rikuu replied.
A nurse stepped out from the ICU doors.
Both boys straightened immediately.
"Tanaka Hiroshi regained consciousness about twenty minutes ago," she said.
Masayoshi exhaled loudly.
"Finally."
Rikuu's shoulders loosened slightly.
"But he's still weak," the nurse continued. "Only short conversations for now."
"…Is he going to recover?" Rikuu asked.
"Doctors believe so."
The tension that had been coiled in his chest for two days slowly eased.
Alive.
That was enough.
Masayoshi nudged him.
"See? I told you he wasn't dead."
"You didn't."
"Okay, I hoped."
The nurse gave them a curious glance.
"You two should probably leave the hospital soon," she said kindly.
"Police may want to follow up with you again."
Masayoshi sighed.
"Of course they do."
As if summoned by the words—
Two familiar figures appeared at the far end of the hallway.
The same officers from the other night.
"Perfect timing," Masayoshi muttered.
The older officer approached calmly.
"Arakawa Rikuu?"
Rikuu nodded.
"Yes, sir."
"Good news," the officer said. "Your friend woke up."
"He's not my friend."
The officer smiled faintly.
"Still good news."
Masayoshi raised a hand awkwardly.
"…So we're not going to jail?"
The younger officer laughed quietly.
"No."
Then the older one grew serious again.
"Tanaka confirmed the altercation started when he confronted you."
Rikuu remained still.
"He also admitted he accepted money to fight."
Masayoshi blinked.
"…He said that?"
The officer nodded.
"That simplifies things."
Rikuu spoke carefully.
"So it's finished?"
"For you," the officer replied.
"But we're still investigating the people organizing those fights."
The words hung heavily.
Masayoshi's shoulders stiffened.
Rikuu simply nodded once.
"I understand."
"Good."
The officer closed his notebook.
"Stay away from places like that."
"I will."
This time—
He meant it.
-AURORA ACADEMY, THEATRE CLUB ROOM-
-4:03 PM-
The theatre room buzzed with quiet activity.
Scripts scattered across desks.
Students rehearsing lines near the stage.
Ichika stood near the window, practicing quietly.
"…If the winter never ended…"
She paused.
Something in the hallway caught her attention.
Two voices.
One familiar.
Rikuu.
"…It's finished," he said.
Another voice answered.
Masayoshi.
"You sure? Those guys don't look like they forget things easily."
Ichika frowned slightly.
She hadn't meant to listen.
But the door was slightly open.
"I'm done with it," Rikuu continued calmly.
"With what?" Masayoshi asked.
"The fights."
Ichika's breath caught.
Fights?
She leaned slightly closer to the door.
"…You never told her?" Masayoshi asked.
"No."
"You think she wouldn't understand?"
Silence lingered for a moment.
Then Rikuu spoke quietly.
"She deserves a normal world."
Ichika froze.
"…And yours isn't?" Masayoshi asked.
"No."
The answer came without hesitation.
Ichika stepped back slowly.
Her heart felt strangely heavy.
Not angry.
Not betrayed.
Just… surprised.
He had been fighting.
More than once.
Maybe for a long time.
And he had never told her.
Not because he didn't trust her.
But because—
He thought she shouldn't see that side of him.
Inside the theatre room, someone called her name.
"Komori-san! We're starting rehearsal!"
"I'll be there," she replied softly.
But her thoughts stayed in the hallway.
-THEATRE CLUB HALLWAY-
-4:05 PM-
Rikuu and Masayoshi stepped into the corridor.
"Anyway," Masayoshi continued, "if Komori finds out—"
"She won't."
"…You sound confident."
Rikuu shrugged slightly.
"She trusts me."
Masayoshi gave him a long look.
"…Yeah."
But as they turned the corner—
Neither of them noticed the theatre room door slowly closing.
Inside—
Ichika stood quietly near the stage.
Thinking.
Processing.
Understanding more than Rikuu realized.
Outside, snow began falling again over Aurora Academy.
And sometimes—
Secrets aren't discovered through confrontation.
Sometimes—
They are simply heard.