Chapter 20 – Cracks in the Calm
The classroom buzzed with its usual chaos—Kenta was arm-wrestling Ren while Sora kept screaming commentary like a sports announcer. Yuki had somehow started braiding random strands of Airi's hair while humming off-key.
But Riku wasn't smiling.
He was staring out the window, eyes unfocused. The memory of the vision, the messages, the twitching crane—it hadn't faded. It haunted him with every blink.
"Riku?" Airi poked his cheek. "Earth to Peach Boy."
He blinked and looked at her. "Huh?"
"You've been staring out the window like a lonely anime protagonist for ten minutes. You okay?"
"Yeah… just tired."
Airi narrowed her eyes. "That's your 'I'm lying but don't want to talk about it' face."
He sighed. "You remember that crane you gave me?"
She tilted her head. "The red one? Yeah. Why?"
"It moved."
She blinked. "Moved?"
"Like, moved. On its own."
She waited, then burst into laughter. "Okay, sure. Did it start doing the Macarena next?"
He frowned.
Her laughter slowed. "Wait… you're serious?"
Before he could answer, the school lights flickered.
It was subtle, just for a second—but enough that several students paused and looked up.
Yuki muttered, "Ugh. Not again. This place seriously needs new wiring."
But Riku's gaze shot to Airi.
Her hand had twitched the moment the flicker happened.
She noticed him staring and lowered her hand quickly. "What?"
He opened his mouth—but the bell rang.
Lunch break.
"Wanna eat on the rooftop again?" Airi asked, already slinging her bag over her shoulder.
Riku hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah… let's go."
They stepped out together, the sunlight hitting them as they climbed the stairs.
"What's wrong?" Airi asked, her tone softening. "Something's bothering you. You're not this quiet unless something's really messing with your head."
He stopped midway up the stairs.
"Airi… do you ever feel like… we've forgotten something?"
She blinked. "Huh?"
"Like… something important. Something real. Like there's a missing piece in our memories that's trying to push its way back in."
Her expression faltered for just a second. "Why do you ask that?"
Riku looked her dead in the eye. "Because I saw something. A girl. A field on fire. She said something about a promise."
Airi's eyes widened—but only briefly. She smiled nervously. "You're just tired. Probably a weird dream. I've had those too."
He stared at her a moment longer. She was lying. Her voice was calm, but her fingers had started fidgeting again.
Neither said anything as they stepped onto the rooftop.
But as they sat down, a single white petal drifted onto Airi's lap.
Not a cherry blossom.
Not from any tree nearby.
She picked it up slowly.
It shimmered in the sun—and vanished.
Riku saw it.
So did Airi.
But neither said a word.
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