Part 1 — Waking Up
Darkness slowly faded first.
Then came faint sounds.
A bowl being placed somewhere downstairs.
Soft footsteps.
Distant voices outside the house.
Haruto's eyes slowly opened afterward.
For several seconds—
he didn't move.
The ceiling above him looked unfamiliar at first through his blurred vision.
Then slowly—
recognition returned.
Home.
His room.
A dull ache lingered through his head.
Haruto blinked slowly before pushing himself upward slightly.
The blanket slipped down from his shoulders.
His body still felt strangely heavy.
"…Huh…?"
His voice came out weak and dry.
For a few moments—
his mind stayed empty.
Then slowly—
pieces returned.
The academy.
Misaki.
The restaurant.
The alarms.
"…Misaki's father…"
His chest tightened slightly again.
And then finally—
he remembered collapsing.
Haruto immediately lowered his gaze slightly afterward.
A strange feeling of embarrassment mixed with exhaustion settled inside him.
"…I fainted…"
He quietly rubbed one eye with his sleeve.
Outside his room—
the house sounded unusually quiet.
No arguments.
No talking.
Just small sounds downstairs occasionally.
Haruto slowly stood from the futon afterward.
His legs still felt slightly weak at first.
But manageable.
Carefully—
he opened the bedroom door.
The hallway lights were dimmer now.
Evening had already arrived.
Haruto quietly walked downstairs afterward.
The moment he reached the lower floor—
Kaito immediately looked up from the sofa.
The reaction was instant.
Like he had been unconsciously waiting the whole time.
"…Haruto."
Kaito stood up quickly.
Too quickly.
His expression immediately shifted with visible relief after seeing Haruto standing properly.
Ayame, who had been sitting near the table quietly, also looked toward him.
Her expression softened slightly too.
"…You're awake."
Haruto awkwardly scratched near his arm slightly.
"…Yeah…"
Only now did he fully notice the atmosphere inside the house.
Everything felt quieter than usual.
More careful.
Almost like nobody wanted to disturb anything.
Kaito kept staring at Haruto carefully.
Checking him.
Making sure he was actually okay.
Haruto noticed immediately.
"…I'm fine."
Kaito quickly responded:
"…You collapsed."
Haruto looked away slightly afterward.
"…I know…"
That answer only made the silence feel more awkward.
Ayame quietly stood afterward.
"…Yuji-san helped bring you home."
Haruto blinked once.
"…Oh."
A pause.
"…Sorry."
Kaito immediately shook his head.
"…It's not your fault."
But his voice still carried lingering fear underneath it.
Like he still hadn't fully calmed down since earlier.
Haruto slowly sat down on the sofa afterward.
Everything still felt mentally heavy.
The explosions.
The alarms.
Misaki.
Akari gone.
Renjiro gone.
The thoughts kept pressing inside his head again quietly.
But now—
instead of panic—
only exhaustion remained.
From the kitchen area, Ayame quietly spoke while preparing water.
"…You scared us."
Haruto lowered his gaze slightly after hearing that.
"…Sorry…"
And for the first time since waking— the reality of the day finally settled fully inside the room.