The morning crawled.
Ms. Kobayashi stood at the front of the class, delivering her lesson with practiced ease. But her eyes missed nothing. The way students stared into space. The way notebooks remained blank. The way thirty minds were clearly elsewhere.
She said nothing. Some battles weren't worth fighting.
Kaito sat at his desk, perfectly still. On the surface, he was the model student—posture correct, eyes forward, pen idle but ready.
Inside, he was drowning.
Elementary school. First grade. Second. Third.
He rewound through memories like film reels, searching for a face that matched Hoshino Shizuka. Class photos. Playground interactions. Group projects.
Nothing.
Fourth grade. Fifth. Sixth.
The bullies appeared in these memories. The betrayal. The pain. He skipped past them quickly, focusing on other faces.
Still nothing.
Middle school. All three years.
Empty. A void where Hoshino should have been.
Was she there? Did I erase her?
The thought was terrifying. His memory was his greatest asset. Perfect recall. Total control.
Until now.
---
Across the room, Riko's pen moved in automatic patterns—doodles, not notes. Her mind replayed the morning's scene on loop.
Hoshino Shizuka knows Yuki. Yuki knows Hoshino. Hoshino said Kaito should remember her. He doesn't.
The implications multiplied exponentially.
Were they childhood friends too? Is that why Yuki came here? Is Hoshino connected to Kaito's past? The past he never talks about?
She glanced at Hikari.
Hikari wasn't sleeping. Her eyes were open, fixed on nothing, her expression unreadable. But her jaw was tight—a tell she didn't know she had.
She's thinking the same thing.
The rest of Class 2-B was no better. Whispers had died, but curiosity hadn't. Everyone wanted to know: what was the relationship between the untouchable princess, the chaotic transfer student, and the ice prince?
The clock ticked. No one learned anything.
---
Lunch finally arrived.
The bell rang like a release. Students stirred, but no one moved toward the door. No one tried to follow.
Because this involved Hoshino Shizuka. And some mysteries were too dangerous to chase.
Four people rose simultaneously.
Kaito. Yuki. Riko. Hikari.
They walked out together, leaving a classroom full of curious eyes behind them. No words were exchanged. None were needed.
The stairwell was quiet. The rooftop door creaked open.
And there she was.
Hoshino Shizuka stood against the fence, the wind gently moving her hair. She looked at them as they entered—calm, composed, waiting.
Yuki stepped forward first, her usual bounce subdued. "Shizuka."
Hoshino nodded. "Yuki."
Then Yuki turned to Kaito, her expression caught between frustration and disbelief. "I still can't believe you forgot her. How? How is that possible?"
Kaito met her gaze. "I don't know. I've tried. There's nothing."
Yuki opened her mouth, ready to argue—
But Riko stepped forward, her voice cutting through. "Wait."
Everyone looked at her.
Riko's eyes moved between Yuki and Hoshino. "Before we go further... what exactly is your connection? Both of you?" She glanced at Kaito. "And to him?"
Hikari nodded silently, backing her up.
The questions hung in the air.
Yuki looked at Hoshino. Hoshino looked at Yuki. Something passed between them—an old understanding, a shared history.
Then Yuki turned to Kaito. "Kaito... Shizuka and I grew up together. We've been friends since we were kids."
Kaito processed this. "So you knew each other. Before."
"Long before." Yuki's voice was softer now. "And Shizuka knew you too. Briefly. A long time ago."
Kaito stared at Hoshino. "I don't remember."
Hoshino's expression didn't change, but something flickered in her eyes. "I know. And that's... part of why I'm here."
The wind swept across the rooftop, carrying the weight of revelation.
Riko and Hikari stood frozen, watching the scene unfold. This wasn't just a reunion of old friends. This was something deeper. Something connected to Kaito's forgotten past.
Something that was about to surface.
(End of Chapter 77)