The rooftop was silent as Hinata's voice drifted through the air, carrying the weight of a decade-old misunderstanding.
"We were in the first grade back then," Hinata began, her gaze fixed on a distant point beyond the school railings. "Hakuo attended the same elementary school as I did. Every afternoon, when my father came to pick me up, I would see them together—talking, laughing, playing. To a six-year-old girl, it felt like he was stealing my father's attention. I was consumed by a childish, burning jealousy."
She paused, a faint, sad smile touching her lips. "I remember going to the mall with my father once. I saw these keychains—three of them—each engraved with the initials 'H & H'. It was perfect because it matched both our names and our surnames. I wanted to buy them for my father's birthday using my own pocket money, but I didn't have enough. Later, I went back to the mall alone, desperate to get them. But the staff told me two had already been sold the day before. There was only one left. I bought it immediately, though I felt a pang of regret that I couldn't get the set."
The atmosphere on the rooftop grew heavy as the boys listened intently.
"On my father's birthday, I gave him the keychain. I was running late for school, so I rushed out with my uncle. Before I left, Dad told me he had something to give me too, but I told him to save it for after school. When classes finally ended, I ran out and saw Hakuo and my father talking. Then, I saw it—Dad was handing him the exact same 'H & H' keychain I had just gifted him."
Hinata's hands tightened slightly. "I lost control. I thought Dad had given away my precious gift to someone else. I ran up to Hakuo and started hitting him blindly. My father tried to pull me away, but I was too angry to listen. It was only then that I noticed my father's car keys. Attached to them was the keychain I had given him. That's when it clicked—the man who had bought the other two keychains at the mall was my father. He had bought them for us."
She looked at Hakuo, her expression soft. "I wanted to apologize right then, but you had already walked away. When I went to your classroom the next day to find you, they told me you had transferred abroad. To be honest, Hakuo, I couldn't stand you when we were kids. You were the first person I ever hit... and for that, I am truly sorry."
Hakuo watched her, a gentle, amused smile playing on his face. "It's alright, Hinata. But really... you didn't need to get on your knees to apologize for something from that long ago."
"There's a reason for that too," Hinata whispered, her voice dropping, "but it's not something you need to know yet."
Kojo shook his head, looking completely overwhelmed. "My mind is spinning. There is so much I still don't understand."
Suddenly, the sharp ring of the school bell cut through the air, signaling the end of lunch break. The spell was broken.
"Whatever else you want to ask, it'll have to wait," Hinata said, standing up and gathering her large lunch box. "I have to get back to class."
She turned to leave, but before she could take a step, Hakuo's hand shot out, catching her wrist. She stopped, looking back at him in surprise.
"Hinata," Hakuo said, his voice low and steady as he looked into her eyes. "You said you didn't like me back then. Tell me... do you still hate me now?"