The sound of chalk scraping against the blackboard filled the quiet classroom. Kaito sat at his desk, twirling his pen idly, his mind drifting to the day at the river. He glanced sideways at Hana, who was quietly jotting down notes with her usual focus.
He had been noticing it more lately—how she seemed to savor small moments, like a fleeting smile when the breeze brushed her hair or the way her fingers lingered over a page in her sketchbook as if capturing its texture in her memory.
It wasn't until after school, when they were packing up in the art room, that he decided to ask.
"You've been acting weird lately," Kaito said, leaning against the table as Hana carefully cleaned her brushes.
"Weird?" she echoed, not looking up.
"Yeah. Like... distant, or something," Kaito said, frowning. "If something's going on, just tell me."
Hana hesitated, her movements slowing. She placed the brushes down and turned to face him, her expression unreadable.
"Kaito," she began, her voice softer than usual, "I need to tell you something."
He straightened, sensing the seriousness in her tone. "Okay. What is it?"
Hana took a deep breath, her hands clutching the edge of the table. "I'm leaving. In nineteen days."
The words hit Kaito like a punch to the gut. He stared at her, uncomprehending. "What... what do you mean?"
"My dad's job," Hana said, her voice steady though her eyes betrayed her emotions. "His transfer was finalized. We're moving again—out of the city this time. I only have nineteen days left here."
For a moment, Kaito couldn't speak. The weight of her words pressed down on him, the reality of what she was saying sinking in like a stone.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I didn't know how," Hana admitted, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I didn't want to ruin... this."
"This?" Kaito echoed, his voice tinged with frustration. "What's this supposed to mean?"
"The mural, the project, everything," Hana said, her voice trembling. "For the first time in a long time, I felt like I belonged somewhere. Like I could actually... stay."
Kaito felt a lump form in his throat. He didn't know what to say, how to respond. He had known Hana was guarded, that she kept people at arm's length, but he hadn't realized how temporary everything was for her.
"So that's it?" he asked after a long silence. "You're just going to leave?"
Hana's expression tightened. "I don't have a choice, Kaito. This isn't about what I want."
Kaito clenched his fists, his frustration bubbling over. "You always say that. That you don't have a choice. But what about us? What about the mural? What about—"
He stopped himself, his words hanging in the air.
Hana looked at him, her eyes glistening. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
The room felt suffocating, the weight of unspoken emotions pressing down on both of them. Kaito turned away, running a hand through his hair as he tried to process what he was feeling.
"So what are you going to do with your last nineteen days?" he asked finally, his voice tight.
Hana hesitated. "I don't know. Finish the mural, I guess."
Kaito let out a bitter laugh. "Right. Because that'll solve everything."
"Kaito..."
"No," he said, cutting her off. "You don't get to act like this is no big deal. You don't get to drop this on me and expect me to just be fine with it."
Hana flinched at his tone, and Kaito instantly regretted his words. But before he could apologize, she grabbed her bag and headed for the door.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said quietly, her voice cracking.
And just like that, she was gone.
Late Night Reflections
Kaito sat alone in the art room long after Hana left, staring at the blank canvas they had planned to paint next. His thoughts were a chaotic mess of anger, sadness, and something he couldn't quite name.
Nineteen days.
It didn't seem fair. How could someone come into his life, turn it upside down, and then vanish just like that?
He thought about Hana's quiet strength, her small smiles, and the way she seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders. And for the first time, Kaito realized how much he didn't want her to go.
But what could he do?
The question lingered in his mind as the hours passed, the once vibrant art room now bathed in shadows. And as Kaito stared at the mural sketches spread across the table, he made a silent promise to himself.
If Hana only had nineteen days left, he would make every single one of them count.