Still running through the falling snow, Souma held Aoi's hand tightly as the two crossed the street without even looking back properly.
The voices of the girls echoed from somewhere behind them.
— Where did they go?!
— I think they ran this way!
Aoi struggled to catch her breath while being pulled along by him.
Her heart was pounding far too fast.
And not just because of the running.
Finally, Souma quickly slipped into a narrow alley between two buildings and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.
— I think…
— we made it…
The two stayed silent.
Then they heard the girls running past the main street nearby.
— They're not here!
— Maybe they went the other way!
The footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Souma carefully peeked around the corner.
— They crossed the street…
— We're safe.
But the moment he turned back—
he froze.
Aoi was standing right in front of him.
Too close.
Their bodies nearly touching.
Her breathing trembling softly.
Their fingers still intertwined.
Aoi's face was completely red.
And then Souma realized—
he was still holding her hand.
His eyes widened immediately.
— S-sorry…!
— Sorry, Aoi!
He let go of her hand at once and stepped back slightly.
But Aoi didn't move.
One hand covered part of her mouth as she looked away quietly.
Still red.
Still trembling faintly.
Then she whispered softly:
— That's not fair…
Souma blinked.
— W-what…?
Aoi tightened her scarf closer to her face.
Snow continued falling silently around them.
— I thought…
— I thought I wouldn't feel like this anymore.
His heartbeat skipped.
— L-like this…?
She took a slow breath.
Trying to sort through her own emotions.
— Souma-kun…
— after everything you told me…
— I didn't know what to think anymore.
Cold wind passed through the alley.
Her hair swayed gently.
— I still don't really know what to think…
— about all of this…
— about you…
— about myself…
Souma could feel his palms sweating despite the freezing weather.
Then Aoi slowly raised her eyes.
There was sadness in them.
But warmth too.
— But…
— I don't think he would've wanted me to condemn someone forever.
Souma went still.
She was probably talking about her father.
The play.
Her conversation with her mother.
Regret.
Guilt.
The silence between them suddenly felt painfully heavy.
Until Souma lowered his gaze and quietly spoke.
— Even so…
— I still need to make things right with you before I leave.
Aoi blinked slowly.
— Leave…?
Souma nodded.
— I wanted to go to your house.
— I wanted to tell your family what I did.
Her eyes widened.
— Souma…
She took a small step toward him.
— Are you sure?
A weak laugh escaped him.
Painful.
Tired.
— I'm not sure about anything anymore lately.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Like someone exhausted from carrying too much alone.
Then he looked at her again.
And this time—
his expression was completely vulnerable.
— But…
— I feel at peace when I'm with you.
Aoi's chest tightened painfully.
Her face grew warm again.
She raised her hand to her scarf, hiding half her mouth.
— Souma…
— what am I supposed to do?
He stayed quiet for several seconds.
Then smiled sadly.
— I've been asking myself the same thing…
— what I'm supposed to do.
Snow continued falling between them.
And without realizing it—
they slowly moved closer again.
Eye to eye.
Neither able to look away.
Aoi lightly gripped the sleeve of her uniform.
— Do you think…
— feeling this way is wrong?
Souma inhaled deeply.
His voice almost failed him.
— You…
— feel the same way I do?
He stepped closer carefully.
Aoi didn't move.
She only closed her eyes slowly.
Red-faced.
Vulnerable.
Souma felt his heart slam violently against his chest.
— Aoi…
— I don't know if I even have the right to—
— Then just say it already.
He froze.
Aoi opened her eyes again.
And despite how embarrassed she was—
she kept looking straight at him.
— Didn't you say you didn't want any more regrets?
Souma nervously ran a hand through his hair.
His breathing shook.
— Aoi…
— I wanted to ask you out.
— I've wanted to for a long time.
He clenched his own fingers tightly.
— But I know I don't deserve that.
— I rejected your feelings before…
— and after everything I did—
— I want to.
— I thought about it for weeks…
Silence.
Souma blinked in confusion.
— …What?
Aoi immediately looked away again.
Her face completely red.
— I want…
— to go out with you.
For several seconds, Souma simply couldn't react.
— B-but…
— how…?
His voice cracked.
— After everything I did…?
Aoi took a slow breath.
Then remembered her mother's words.
Regret.
Guilt.
The weight of carrying those feelings for years.
She slowly lifted her gaze.
— Someone wise told me…
— that with time…
— guilt hurts the person who caused the pain even more than the person who received it.
Souma stayed silent.
But his eyes trembled.
Like he was about to fall apart completely.
— Even so…
Aoi interrupted him softly.
— If it had been anyone else…
— maybe I wouldn't feel this way.
Souma's eyes widened.
— Then…
— is this really okay for you?
Aoi immediately frowned.
— Of course it's not.
Souma froze.
But then she looked away, pouting slightly.
— You still have a LOT to make up for.
She pulled her scarf higher, trying to hide the shy smile escaping her lips.
— There are so many places I still want to go…
— with you.
His chest tightened so hard it almost hurt.
— …Aoi.
Then slowly—
Souma held her hand again.
This time not by impulse.
Not while running away.
But gently.
As if silently asking permission.
And Aoi squeezed his hand back.
The two remained there.
Standing quietly in the snow.
Red-faced.
Silent.
But now—
the silence felt warm.
Several weeks passed.
And February arrived alongside final exams.
Dry winter wind blew through the classroom windows.
The white sky outside felt unbearably heavy.
Too cold.
Even the classroom atmosphere had changed.
Nobody laughed loudly anymore.
Nobody whispered secretly.
Nobody touched their phones.
Even Yamada looked serious.
At the front of the room, Hanae carefully organized the exam papers.
— Alright…
— when I call your name, come get your test.
— No talking.
The sound of paper being aligned echoed strangely loudly through the classroom.
Aoi stared silently at her desk.
She didn't look nervous.
But she didn't look calm either.
Slowly, she turned her head.
Souma sat two rows to her left.
Head lowered.
Focused expression.
Distant.
He didn't look at her.
But simply seeing him there—
made her chest tighten slightly.
In front of her, Hina nervously stretched her fingers like a pianist preparing for a performance.
Mio discreetly rubbed her hands together because of the cold.
Then Sasaki-sensei entered.
— Begin.
The sound of papers turning happened all at once.
And then—
silence.
Heavy silence.
Aoi stared at the first question.
She knew the answer.
But her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
"I wanted to say goodbye properly."
She closed her eyes briefly.
Took a deep breath.
And began writing.
Pens sliding.
Pages turning.
Quiet breathing.
Several minutes later—
someone turned in their exam far too early.
Everyone immediately looked up.
It was Takumi.
Sweating.
Trying desperately to look confident.
Hanae stared at him like she was about to strangle him on the spot.
Aoi almost laughed.
Almost.
Then she quietly glanced sideways again.
Hina was still writing calmly.
Focused.
Determined.
And in that moment—
Aoi felt it.
Time was truly moving forward.
During that same period—
Takeo, Shinohara, and Kaito were moving toward their own futures.
— Toho Gakuen…
— here we come.
It was still dark outside when Takeo left home.
The cold air cut against his face.
The sky was still deep blue.
Almost black.
He adjusted his scarf while checking his phone.
Kaito:
"I'm already at the station. If you're late, I'm going in alone and pretending I've never met you."
Takeo let out a quiet laugh.
Another message appeared immediately afterward.
Shinohara Mai:
"Don't arrive sweating. First impressions matter."
Takeo inhaled deeply.
Today wasn't just an exam.
It was the first step toward leaving Hoshimi behind.
Inside the train—
the scenery rushed past the windows.
None of the three spoke much.
Until Kaito suddenly sighed.
— I hate when everyone looks talented.
Shinohara answered calmly.
— That just means we're in the right place.
Takeo stared outside quietly.
Thinking about the stage.
Thinking about Aoi.
Wondering if he was truly ready to leave all of this behind.
Then the city appeared.
More concrete.
More buildings.
Less sky.
And for the first time—
Hoshimi felt far away.
Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music
The campus was quiet.
Elegant.
Traditional.
Not flashy.
But full of presence.
Other applicants were already there.
Some quietly rehearsing lines.
Others repeating expressions.
Some looked like they had been born for this world.
Kaito muttered nervously:
— Am I the only one scared here?
Shinohara answered honestly:
— I feel out of place too.
— But we're already here.
Takeo inhaled slowly.
— Let's go.
The written exam felt endless.
Theater theory.
Interpretation.
Analysis.
But Takeo answered calmly.
Because this wasn't about memorization.
It was about emotion.
Then came the practical exam.
One by one.
Shinohara entered first.
Absolute silence.
Kaito whispered:
— She was born for this.
Then it was Takeo's turn.
He stepped onto the small stage.
The white lights burned his eyes.
The evaluators watched silently.
Takeo closed his eyes for one brief second.
And remembered the first time he imitated a character just to make someone smile.
Then he began.
No exaggeration.
No forced emotion.
Only honesty.
When he finished—
the silence felt endless.
One evaluator wrote something down.
And Takeo left without knowing what it meant.
On the train ride back to Hoshimi—
the exhaustion finally hit them.
Nobody spoke.
Until Kaito quietly muttered:
— If Toho rejects me…
— I'll end up separated from you guys.
Takeo immediately answered:
— Don't think like that.
— I'm nervous too, man.
Shinohara looked at both of them.
Then smiled softly.
— No matter what happens…
— the three of us did this together.
The train slowed down.
The doors opened.
And the cold returned.
But now it felt different.
Now it was the cold of waiting.
The following week—
Aoi ran into Takeo at the station early in the morning.
— Takeo?
He turned slightly.
— Aoi? Heh… morning.
She tilted her head.
— It's weird seeing you here this late. You're always early.
Takeo slipped his hands into his pockets.
— I wanna enjoy my last month here.
Those words made her chest tighten slightly.
— You already took the Toho entrance exam, right?
— Me, Mai, and Kaito did.
Aoi smiled softly.
— It'll be amazing if you guys get in.
She looked ahead quietly.
— Yumi-senpai is already there, right? Even though I barely knew her… I already respect her somehow.
Takeo laughed softly.
— She gives off that feeling.
Then stepped onto the train beside her.
— Yumi-nee-san really does feel like she's from another world.
After getting off and walking toward school—
Aoi spotted Hina holding Yamada's hand near the gate.
The two smiled shyly at each other.
Then Takeo suddenly commented:
— The Toho results come out tomorrow.
Aoi widened her eyes.
— S-seriously?
— Our second choice was Nihon University College of Art.
— Both of those schools are amazing!
Takeo smiled.
— If Yumi-senpai got into Toho…
— then that's where we're going too.
Aoi answered immediately:
— You guys will be fine.
— I know you'll make it.
Then Takeo glanced sideways at her.
— What about you?
She blinked.
— Hm?
— Are you gonna be okay here without me?
Aoi instantly looked away.
— Don't say things like that…
Then she forced a small smile.
— Besides, your sister still studies near Hoshimi.
Takeo laughed quietly.
— Haruka's going into engineering.
— The pride of the family.
Aoi noticed something in his voice.
— …You sound upset.
He stayed silent briefly.
Then answered softly:
— If I get into Toho…
His eyes softened.
— Maybe my parents will finally recognize me…
— and my art.
Aoi slowly widened her eyes.
— I didn't know that, Takeo…
He simply smiled.
Calmly.
— You already had enough problems to carry.
Then he pointed ahead.
— Look over there.
Souma was waiting near the school gate.
Aoi unconsciously turned slightly red.
Then she walked toward them.
— Good morning!
— Morning — everyone answered together.
Takeo raised one hand casually.
— Yo, morning.
— Good morning, senpai!
A little later, Shinohara arrived while talking with Kaito.
— …Even if we did badly, all we can do now is wait for the results, right?
Then she noticed the group.
— Ah, hello Takeo-kun. Hello everyone.
Everyone greeted her back together.
While changing shoes at the entrance—
Takeo casually said:
— Once all this is over…
— let's play something together again.
He smiled faintly.
— I miss hanging out with you guys in games.
Shinohara immediately stared at him in disbelief.
— We just took insanely difficult entrance exams…
— and gaming is still all you think about?
Takeo laughed.
— I just wanna enjoy things a little.
Then pointed at her dramatically.
— Did you forget we're going to Yumi-senpai's university? She's not gonna let any of us slack off.
Kaito laughed.
— True, hah.
Aoi smiled softly.
— Then let's play after graduation.
— Yesss! — Hina raised her hand excitedly. — The beginning of the year is perfect for that!
Then she suddenly paused dramatically.
— Ah, and by the way…
Everyone looked at her.
— Meet me in the library after school.
Silence.
— …Why? — everyone asked together.
Hina broke into a huge grin.
— Because I finished my manga!
Her eyes sparkled brightly.
— And I want all of you to read it!
Shinohara widened her eyes.
— Wow… you draw manga?
She smiled genuinely.
— That's amazing. I definitely want to see it.
Everyone agreed.
Then Hina continued excitedly:
— I wanna invite Hanae, Takumi, and Misaki too.
At that exact moment, Mio suddenly appeared behind them.
— What about me?
Hina jumped in surprise.
— AAH! You scared me!
Then crossed her arms dramatically.
— Well…
— you don't even need an invitation.
Mio smiled proudly.
Aoi quietly repeated:
— The library after school…
Kaito pointed at himself.
— Do I have to go too?
— Yes.
— …I see.
He laughed softly.
— Guess I don't have a choice then, heh.