In the cloudy sky of May, summer quietly arrived with a light drizzle.
The warm, heavy air spread in the rain, forming lines that fell on the black umbrellas, splashing tiny droplets.
Inside the somber and quiet funeral home, a grayish-white photo of Ooka showed his bright smile.
Ooka's mother was kneeling beside the coffin, staring at her son's pale, peaceful face, carefully arranged by a makeup artist. She cried uncontrollably, her red, swollen eyes showing the depth of her grief.
Ooka's father stood beside his wife, his face filled with sorrow, showing signs of aging and hardship.
Outside the funeral home, there were many relatives and friends of Ooka, all dressed in black, their faces heavy with sadness.
Hayama Hayato, Tobe, and Yamato stood in a line. Miura Yumiko, also in a black dress, no longer had her usual proud expression. Instead, she clung to Hayama's arm like a fragile girl, her eyes glistening with tears.
Yuigahama Yui and Ebina Hina were also by her side.
Hiratsuka Shizuka, rarely seen without her beloved white coat, wore a sleek black outfit that made her appear very sharp. She leaned against a pillar in the hall, holding an unlit cigarette in her mouth.
Yukinoshita Yukino and Hikigaya Hachiman had also come to Ooka's funeral, each holding a black umbrella, standing outside the funeral home.
The rain continued to fall softly, and the sky seemed to darken even more.
[Will I have to attend more funerals like this in the future?] Yukinoshita Yukino thought to herself.
[Death is something no one can avoid.] Hayashizaki answered, unusually not addressing the girl's question directly.
She didn't speak again, only watching the coffin being lifted. It would soon be transported to the cemetery for burial.
Ooka's family had come from the countryside to Chiba, and there weren't many relatives at the funeral. Ooka's mother had become extremely weak from crying for days. The pallbearers were short-handed, so Hayama, Tobe, and Yamato volunteered to help carry the coffin.
"Thank you. Ooka was lucky to have friends like you," Ooka's father said, trying to lighten the mood in front of his son's friends, despite his sorrow.
Hayama remained silent. Tobe and Yamato couldn't hold back their emotions, tears shimmering in their eyes as they pressed their lips together, trying not to sob.
Who could have known that the last conversation with Yamato had been an argument?
That regret and frustration would become an unhealable scar in their hearts.
After the coffin was placed in the car, only a handful of people followed the procession to the Chiba cemetery. Ironically, most of them were students and teachers from Sobu High.
Ooka's father, along with Hayama and Yamato, carried the coffin to the grave, following the cemetery staff's instructions. They placed the coffin into the pre-dug grave and took shovels, burying it with soil.
Ooka's father rested his hand on the gravestone, staying silent for a long time, letting the rain soak his clothes.
This man, who seemed to have aged years in an instant, did not say any funeral words. With a voice full of exhaustion, he said to those who had followed him, "Thank you, thank you all. Please head back now, don't get sick in the rain."
"Hey, Hayato, where are you going?"
After the coffin was buried, Miura Yumiko quickly approached, holding an umbrella to shield Hayama from the rain. But he kept a dark expression on his face. After looking around, he walked directly toward Yukinoshita Yukino.
"You're no longer worthy to be my friends."
Ooka's last words still echoed in his ears.
The time of his death had coincidentally been that day, caused by sudden cardiac arrest, and despite efforts to resuscitate him, he passed away. This cause made sense, since many people had seen him that day, looking as if he hadn't slept in days, forcing himself to stay awake.
Why is he still coming to school in this condition? If he came back because he had made up his mind, then why didn't he wait until he had rested before returning? He's already taken so many days off—does he really care about missing one more day?
Unless there's some reason he absolutely had to come.
Other than that, Hayama Hayato couldn't think of a reason why Ooka would come to school in such a bad state.
After finishing his conversation, he headed towards the special building.
If he were leaving through the courtyard, there's no way he'd go the long way around by the special building, right?
Hayama Hayato arrived in front of Yukinoshita Yukino and Hikigaya Hachiman.
His blonde hair was damp from the rain, sticking to his forehead, and his gloomy expression made him look completely different from his usual bright and cheerful self.
"Yukinoshita, I have a question for you."
He choked up slightly, then forced his voice out and asked.
"What question?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's expression was calm.
"Did Ooka... did Ooka go to the servce club the day he died?"
Hayama Hayato stared at Yukinoshita Yukino with red eyes.
"Hey, you…"
Hikigaya Hachiman was about to say something, but Yukinoshita Yukino stopped him with a raised hand, forcing him to swallow his words.
"Yes."
Yukinoshita Yukino answered.
"What... what did he say before... before he died?"
Hayama asked again, his voice hesitating this time.
The image of Ooka urging her to escape flashed in Yukinoshita Yukino's mind. She took a deep breath before speaking, "No, he probably wanted to say something, but before he could, he started showing symptoms of sudden death."
"He died... right in front of me."
"What?"
Hayama Hayato's eyes glazed over for a moment. He hadn't expected it to be like this. "Sorry…"
"There's no need to apologize. Do you have any more questions?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's expression remained unchanged, making it hard to tell what she was thinking.
"…No."
Hayama Hayato left in a daze. Miura Yumeko, who had been watching from the side, quickly jogged up to him and offered him an umbrella. This time, he didn't refuse, giving her a weak smile in return.
The crowd at the cemetery gradually dispersed.
Finally, Hiratsuka Shizuka walked up and patted Yukinoshita Yukino's shoulder, gently asking, "Do you want me to take you home?"
"No, thank you."
Yukinoshita Yukino shook her head to decline.
"What about you?"
She turned to Hikigaya Hachiman.
After glancing at Yukinoshita Yukino, Hikigaya Hachiman nodded and said, "Please, Hiratsuka-sensei."
"No problem, follow me."
The reliable adult tossed her car keys and waved them to follow.
As she looked at Yukinoshita Yukino's expression, Hiratsuka Shizuka suddenly understood what Haruno had meant about Yukinoshita Yukino's growth.
Perhaps, without her knowing, Yukinoshita Yukino had already gone through a lot of things, which had caused her to bury her sadness deep inside.
She just hoped she wouldn't end up like the second Haruno.
With a soft sigh in her heart, Hiratsuka Shizuka put her arm around Hikigaya Hachiman's shoulder and asked if he wanted to go eat ramen.
After watching them disappear from view, Yukinoshita Yukino quietly said, "Let's go find him, Hayashizaki-kun."
"Find the real culprit."
"Okay."
Hayashizaki agreed readily.
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