The autumn wind carries a distinctive scent.
It's unlike spring, summer, or winter.
They say autumn is the season of harvest, when rice bears fruit and corn fields glow golden. It's said that under the sun, a breeze can carry the warm scent of popcorn.
Whether that's just a city dweller's fantasy or not, even in the steel and concrete jungle of Tokyo, the scent of autumn follows closely behind.
At Haneoka Private High School, this scent refers to the aroma of maple leaves.
In the school's courtyard, maple trees are everywhere, their leaves having turned golden in the summer, almost dazzling under the reflection of the sun.
But come autumn, one could see the golden of the maples start to tinge with vivid red.
That's a sign of the maples ripening, evolving into the legendary red maples, even more eye-catching than gold. If they were to blanket the hills and fields, the sight would be unexpectedly spectacular.
Kiryu Hina had only witnessed that scene last autumn.
