The sound of the final bell echoed softly through the classroom while snow continued to fall outside the windows.
That week, winter somehow felt quieter.
Heavier.
Like something precious was slowly approaching its end.
The students of Class 2-B remained seated while Hanae and Takumi organized the final grade sheets near the front of the room.
Takumi held the papers carefully, trying his best to maintain a serious expression.
But he was obviously more nervous than he wanted to appear.
After taking a small breath, he finally spoke.
— Today… we'll see the results of all our effort.
The room became quiet.
Takumi adjusted his glasses.
— Both individually… and as a class…
— this Class 2-B…
— is a year I'll never forget.
For two whole seconds, nobody said anything.
Then several girls exploded at the same time.
— AAAAAWN~
— Ever since he started dating Hanae-san, he became emotional~
— He's actually adorable now~
Takumi froze instantly.
— I-I'm not emotional!
— I-I'm just more…
Hanae calmly finished the sentence for him.
— …communicative, Takumi-kun.
The girls screamed even louder.
— AAAAAAAWN~
Takumi turned completely red.
He immediately adjusted his glasses again while internally panicking.
"They seriously AREN'T going to stop teasing me about this?!"
At the back of the classroom, Aoi, Hina, and Mio were barely holding back their laughter.
Mio nearly hit the desk trying not to laugh too loudly.
Yamada turned his face away pretending to stay serious.
Failing miserably.
The classroom atmosphere felt light.
Warm.
Comfortable.
And yet—
there was something strange floating in the air too.
Something bittersweet.
Like everyone silently understood…
that this was all starting to come to an end.
Matsuda Ren sighed heavily while tapping his finger against the desk.
Yamada looked at him.
— What's wrong, Ren?
Ren stared toward Misaki from the corner of his eyes before answering quietly.
— Misaki hates me…
Yamada frowned immediately.
— I… don't think you should say it like that either…
Ren clenched his fists slightly.
— She only has eyes for Souma…
— and Souma is already with Aoi…
Yamada scratched his cheek awkwardly.
— I honestly don't know what to say…
— but maybe try to move on a little.
— In third year, more people will probably respect you.
— Maybe some kouhais too, who knows?
Ren lowered his gaze for a moment.
Then slowly tightened his fists again.
Determined.
— I'm still going to try with Misaki…
— one last time.
Yamada looked at Ren's expression for a few seconds.
And then a small smile escaped him.
After the grades were handed out…
After the final conversations…
After the last assignments…
the end of the second year finally started to feel real.
And when the final bell rang—
Hina stood up almost instantly.
She quickly grabbed her bag and hurried toward Hanae, Takumi, and Misaki.
Misaki had already started leaving when Hina gently grabbed the sleeve of her uniform.
— Wait!
Misaki turned around, surprised.
— Hm?
Hina took a deep breath.
Clearly nervous.
— Could you all…
— come to the library with me?
— Please?
Hanae tilted her head slightly.
— The library?
— Why, Hina?
Hina held tightly onto the strap of her bag.
Her cheeks became faintly red.
— I…
— finished my manga.
Silence instantly fell around them.
— A-and…
— I wanted everyone to read it…
She avoided eye contact.
— I based it on everyday things…
— so…
— I wanted to show all of you.
Takumi raised one eyebrow.
— These "everyday things"…
— are they related to us?
One of the girls nearby widened her eyes dramatically.
— HE SAID "US"!
— HE MEANS HIMSELF AND HANAE!
— AAAAAWN~
Takumi stood up so fast his chair almost fell backward.
— Let's just go already.
— I want to leave this room immediately.
He began walking toward the hallway at full speed.
Hanae sighed tiredly.
— He entered escape mode again…
Misaki looked away.
— I actually have something else to do.
Hina immediately held both of her hands.
— Misaki…
— please.
— Seriously.
Misaki looked at her silently for a few moments.
Hina genuinely looked terrified.
Like someone exposing a very fragile part of themselves for the first time.
Then Misaki sighed quietly.
— …Fine.
— Let's go.
Hina's entire expression instantly brightened.
The Library
The atmosphere inside the library was as quiet as always.
The sound of snow softly tapping against the windows mixed gently with the silence.
Everyone eventually gathered around one large table.
Matsuda.
Takeo.
Shinohara.
Aoi.
Souma.
Yamada.
Mio.
Hanae.
Takumi.
Misaki.
Hina.
Even Kaito showed up a few minutes later while complaining about the cold.
Hina sat down slowly.
Then carefully pulled out a bound volume from inside her bag.
Her hands trembled slightly.
— I…
— made this while thinking really hard about everything.
She looked down at the manga for a few seconds before continuing.
— I don't know if it's actually good…
— but…
— these are my feelings.
Aoi smiled softly.
— Then let's read it.
Hina gently placed the manga on the table.
Everyone looked at the cover.
「Between Goodbye and Forever」
Aoi's chest tightened slightly for reasons she couldn't fully explain.
— Wow…
— Hina…
Hina immediately panicked.
— W-what?!
— Is it bad?!
Takumi adjusted his glasses.
— No.
— The title is strong.
— It catches your attention immediately.
Hina blinked twice.
— T-thank you…?
Yamada smiled warmly.
— I think it sounds great.
Hina looked at him happily.
— Thanks, darling.
Yamada immediately looked away, embarrassed.
Takumi silently stared at both of them.
"…Darling?"
And then—
with curiosity mixed together with anticipation—
everyone opened the first page of Hina's manga.
The art style was delicate.
Simple.
But filled with emotion.
The first scene showed a girl named Amamiya Sora walking alone through the hallway of her elementary school while holding books tightly against her chest.
The hallway was crowded.
Loud.
Filled with students.
And yet—
Sora somehow looked completely alone.
Then suddenly—
several girls intentionally bumped into her shoulder.
Her books scattered violently across the floor.
— Oops, sorrryyy~ one of them mocked while laughing.
Sora immediately crouched down in panic.
— S-sorry…
But before she could gather everything—
someone poured soda directly over her head.
The liquid ran down her hair.
Her glasses.
Her notebooks.
The girls burst into laughter.
— HAHAHA look at her face!
— Freaking four-eyes!
— Weird nerd…
— Why do you even still come to school?!
Sora trembled while desperately trying to save her soaked notebooks.
Tears mixed together with the soda dripping from her face.
She hugged the books tightly as if they were the only thing she still had.
Then quietly whispered:
— …I wish everything would just end…
Inside the library—
nobody spoke.
Even knowing it was fiction…
it felt painfully real.
Then, inside the manga—
footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Another girl had stopped nearby.
She watched the entire scene silently with narrowed eyes.
Then, without hesitation, she walked toward Sora and crouched beside her, helping gather the wet books.
— This went too far.
Her voice was calm.
But firm.
The bullies exchanged glances awkwardly.
— You girls should be reported to the teachers.
Sora widened her eyes slightly.
As if she wasn't used to someone standing beside her.
— …It's pointless.
— They won't stop…
The girl turned toward her.
Then smiled softly.
Not exaggerated.
Not forced.
Just… kind.
— They will.
She handed one of the wet books back to Sora.
— My name is Kisaragi Yuna.
— What's yours?
Sora hesitated for a few seconds before answering.
— …Amamiya Sora.
Yuna smiled again.
A warm smile.
— Nice to meet you, Sora.
The next page showed Yuna pulling Sora by the hand toward the student council room.
The moment the door opened, Yuna immediately said:
— My friend was bullied.
Two teachers instantly stood up.
Even the student council president became serious.
But Sora barely heard any of it.
She stood frozen in place.
Eyes wide.
— …You called me your friend?
Yuna blinked.
— Hm?
— Was I not allowed to?
She tilted her head slightly.
— Sorry…
Sora quickly lowered her eyes.
— N-no…
— it's okay…
— it's just…
She held her skirt tightly.
— I've never had friends before…
The silence in that scene felt strangely heavy.
But then Yuna simply smiled.
Warmly.
— Then now you do.
Inside the library—
Aoi quietly looked toward Hina.
Hina was reading together with everyone else while trying hard not to look nervous.
And Aoi silently thought:
"…Hina.
This really feels like us back then…"
Beside her, Mio kept reading before quietly commenting:
— This Yuna girl seems really nice…
The pages continued.
Now Yuna and Sora were walking together through a shopping street after school.
Both carried small shopping bags while casually talking.
Then they noticed another girl standing in front of a cosmetics store.
She was staring at a small sparkling accessory behind the glass with shining eyes.
Completely enchanted.
Yuna and Sora approached her carefully.
— Um… hi?
The girl jumped in surprise.
— AAH! W-who are you?!
Sora immediately panicked.
— S-sorry!
— You just looked like you really liked that pendant…
She awkwardly tried to smile.
— I'm Amamiya Sora…
— and this is Kisaragi Yuna.
— Nice to meet you.
The girl blinked several times before relaxing.
Then she smiled brightly.
— Ah…
— nice to meet you too!
She pointed at herself excitedly.
— I'm Takamine Riko!
Then she suddenly noticed their uniforms.
— Wait…
— you two go to my school?!
Yuna nodded.
— Yeah.
— We're in fifth grade.
Riko's eyes widened instantly.
— ME TOO?!
Inside the library, Mio stared at the character for a few moments.
Then slowly turned toward Hina.
— Hina…
— this Riko girl…
She stopped midway.
Then sighed.
— …Never mind, hehe.
Hina, still holding the manga, let out a nervous laugh.
— A-ahaha…
Takeo crossed his arms while observing everything with interest.
Then pointed toward the manga.
— So?
— What happens next?
He smirked slightly.
— Turn the page already.
Hanae immediately protested.
— Wait!
— I was still reading properly!
Hina couldn't stop herself from laughing a little.
Hanae narrowed her eyes immediately.
— Don't laugh at me, Hina!
Takumi adjusted his glasses while sighing quietly.
— You can turn the page now.
Hanae crossed her arms dramatically.
— Hmph…
— okay fine, NOW I finished reading.
And then—
they turned the page.
Now the manga showed Sora, Riko, and Yuna sitting together on a park bench after school.
The sunset painted the sky orange.
The three girls held ice cream while talking about random everyday things.
Riko talked nonstop.
Yuna answered calmly.
And Sora simply watched them while quietly laughing.
It was such a simple scene.
And yet—
it carried that warm feeling…
of finally finding a place where you could breathe comfortably.
Then suddenly—
a boy's voice echoed from the distance.
— YUNAAA!
— YUNA, LET'S PLAY!
All three girls looked over at the same time.
A boy came running toward them while holding a basketball under his arm.
His uniform was slightly messy.
His smile was carefree.
He looked exactly like the type of person who brightened every place without even realizing it.
Riko and Sora stared at him silently for several seconds.
Then Riko slowly stood up.
Completely serious.
— H-he's handsome…
Yuna blinked in confusion.
— Hm?
Riko pointed discreetly at the boy.
— T-that guy…
She leaned dramatically close to Yuna.
— Is he your boyfriend?!
Yuna nearly choked on her ice cream.
— OF COURSE NOT!
The boy finally reached them.
Slightly out of breath.
Then noticed he had interrupted something.
— Ah…
He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.
— Sorry.
— I think I showed up at the worst possible timing.
Yuna sighed tiredly.
— You always show up like this, Daichi…
Then she looked toward the other two girls.
— This is Hayasaka Daichi.
— My friend.
Daichi immediately bowed politely.
— Nice to meet you.
Sora greeted him properly.
Riko, however, continued staring at him in absolute silence.
Yuna noticed immediately.
And narrowed her eyes.
— …Riko.
— Hm?
— Close your mouth.
Riko instantly covered her face.
— A-AH! Sorry!
Daichi laughed at her reaction.
Then looked back toward Yuna.
— So?
— Wanna play?
Yuna looked away for a few seconds.
Her smile weakened slightly.
— I…
— don't play anymore, Daichi.
The boy fell silent briefly.
As if that answer still hurt him a little.
But then he smiled again.
Softly.
Without forcing her.
— I told you I'm still gonna help you.
He tucked the basketball under his arm.
— Ever since your dad…
Daichi stopped himself midway.
His eyes softened after noticing Yuna was surrounded by friends.
— Well…
A small smile appeared on his face.
— Looks like you already found good people.
Yuna froze for a moment.
Surprised.
Then Daichi started walking backwards.
— See ya!
And ran off through the park again.
Riko stared at him leaving.
Completely mesmerized.
Then immediately grabbed Yuna's shoulders.
— TELL ME EVERYTHING.
— HUH?!
— Your friend!
— Does he have a girlfriend?!
— What food does he like?!
— Is he smart?!
— Is he REALLY single?!
— WHAT'S HIS TYPE?!
Yuna slowly backed away in fear.
— A-ask him yourself, Riko!
— I WILL.
— NO YOU WON'T.
Sora watched the two arguing.
And for the first time in a very long time—
she laughed out loud.
Not the timid laugh from before.
But a natural one.
A happy one.
— Hahaha…
The two girls immediately looked at her.
— What?!
Sora wiped the corners of her eyes while trying to stop laughing.
— N-nothing…
She smiled softly.
Her chest felt warm.
— It's just…
— this is fun.
Inside the library—
everyone continued reading quietly.
Until Shinohara Mai suddenly commented:
— Kanzaki-chan…
— this Takamine Riko girl reminds me a little of you.
Mio froze instantly.
Cold sweat ran down her neck.
— I-it's probably your imagination, senpai… hahaha…
She immediately looked desperately toward Hina.
— Right, Hina?!
Hina also started sweating immediately.
— A-ah…
— y-yeah, hehe…
The fact both of them reacted so suspiciously only made it worse.
Takeo quietly laughed.
Even Yamada had to hide a smile.
Aoi watched the two silently.
Thinking:
"So Hina already saw Mio that way back then…"
Hina quickly tried to change the subject before anyone could tease them further.
She held the manga tighter.
— L-let's keep going!
And so—
they turned more pages.
The story continued.
Sixth grade.
Same classroom.
Same group.
But this time—
Yuna looked quieter than usual.
Riko asked:
— Wanna go to the convenience store later?
Sora added:
— Or karaoke!
Yuna looked away.
— Not today…
Both girls immediately noticed something was wrong.
— What happened?
Yuna quietly answered:
— Today is my dad's birthday.
Riko smiled softly.
— Ahh, then enjoy—
— …his death anniversary.
Silence.
The entire library froze.
Yuna lowered her eyes.
Riko and Sora exchanged glances.
Then Riko quietly said:
— Then let's bring flowers.
Sora smiled gently.
— And go to the temple together.
Yuna widened her eyes.
— You don't have to…
— We want to.
— We're friends, right?
Yuna lowered her face.
And for the first time—
her eyes filled with tears.
Inside the library…
nobody spoke.
Hanae lightly tightened the sleeve of her uniform.
— So…
— her dad had already died since then…?
Takeo answered without directly looking at her.
— Turn the page.
His tone was unusually serious.
Hanae noticed immediately.
And quietly stayed silent.
Shinohara watched Aoi, Mio, and Hina silently.
Without saying anything.
But her eyes were observant.
As if she was slowly beginning to understand.
And as the pages continued turning—
time inside the manga continued moving too.
The characters grew older.
The art style matured.
The uniforms changed.
And then the page showed:
「First Year of High School」
Takumi adjusted his glasses while reading.
— The story is really progressing properly…
— I like that.
This time Hanae didn't joke around.
She simply kept reading quietly.
More focused than usual.
— …Yeah.
— Me too.
Inside the manga, Sora, Riko, and Yuna stood nervously in front of the class assignment board.
Searching for their names anxiously.
Then almost simultaneously—
the three screamed:
— AAAAAH!
— WE'RE IN THE SAME CLASS!
The next scene showed them running excitedly toward the back seats of the classroom.
Throwing their bags onto the chairs.
That familiar beginning-of-the-school-year energy.
The kind of happiness that feels eternal when you're young.
Riko looked absentmindedly toward the window while speaking.
— That boy… Daichi…
— he joined the theater club.
Sora tilted her head curiously.
— Really?
Yuna smiled softly.
A nostalgic smile.
Warm.
— Ever since we were little, he used to do impressions to cheer me up…
— so I guess theater suits him, hehe.
Sora rested her face on her hands.
— Wow…
— so he's been practicing without even realizing it since childhood.
Yuna laughed softly.
Then looked at the other two.
— What about you guys?
— Which clubs are you joining?
Sora answered almost immediately.
— Art club.
— I want to learn how to draw properly.
She became slightly embarrassed.
— My drawings are still kinda childish…
Riko dramatically raised one finger.
— Fashion club!
Sora and Yuna stared at her for two seconds.
— …There is no fashion club.
— THERE IS IN MY HEART.
The two burst into laughter.
Then Riko crossed her arms dramatically.
— Fine then…
— maybe literature club.
Sora and Yuna immediately looked at her.
— Seriously…?
— WHAT?!
— Literature can be elegant too!
Everyone inside the library quietly laughed reading that scene.
Even Misaki let out a tiny smile.
Then Riko looked toward Yuna.
— What about you?
Yuna rested her chin on her hand.
Thinking quietly.
— I don't know…
— none of the clubs really interest me.
She looked toward the window.
— Even though Daichi keeps inviting me to theater…
Then smiled softly.
— He keeps saying there's a senpai there who's basically a monster on stage.
Almost simultaneously—
Takeo and Shinohara quietly muttered together:
— Yumi-senpai…
The two looked at each other.
And smiled naturally.
As if hearing that name alone brought back too many memories.
The pages continued turning.
The seasons passed.
The group slowly changed.
But stayed together.
Then came second year.
Again the classroom board.
Again the anxiety.
And then:
— AAH!
— SAME CLASS AGAIN!
The girls celebrated like children.
Inside the new classroom, they once again sat in the back.
The same seats as always.
Like they were trying to stop time itself from changing things.
Then two boys sat in front of them.
One of them flashed an exaggerated smile.
— Hello, ladies.
— I'm Aizawa Touma.
Then dramatically pointed toward the boy beside him.
— And this is my servant…
— Nakamura Yuri.
The other boy instantly exploded.
— I AM NOT YOUR SERVANT!
— STOP MAKING THINGS UP!
Touma burst into laughter.
Sora quietly watched the two of them.
Then thought:
"Nakamura Yuri is handsome…"
She subtly looked away.
"…but he only keeps looking at Riko."
Inside the library—
Yamada swallowed hard.
Slowly.
Then turned his eyes toward Hina.
She continued reading her own manga seriously.
Focused.
Almost pretending not to notice everyone's reactions.
But at that moment—
Yamada understood something.
"Hina…"
His chest tightened softly.
"…since back then…
you already knew all of this?"
The pages continued.
Months passed inside the story.
Now Yuna appeared on stage alongside Tachibana Airi and Daichi during a theater rehearsal.
Stage lights illuminated their faces.
Then a new boy entered the classroom.
Hands in his pockets.
Cold expression.
— My name is Kurogawa Ken.
Souma stared silently at the page for several moments.
Then quietly murmured:
— …The way this Ken introduced himself…
— feels like me.
Aoi glanced toward him quickly.
But Souma continued staring at the manga silently.
Then came the hospital scene.
And at that moment—
the atmosphere inside the library changed completely.
Riko cried beside her hospitalized mother's bed.
Sora and Yuna stood beside her holding her shoulders.
Not knowing what to say.
But staying there anyway.
Mio felt her eyes burn.
She immediately lowered her head.
"That was the day…"
She lightly tightened her skirt.
"…my mother got hospitalized…"
Then she looked toward Hina.
Hina kept reading together with everyone.
Quiet.
Serious.
Mio's chest tightened painfully.
"Hina…
you were watching all of us this entire time…"
Then the manga showed the group playing online games together late into the night.
Laughing.
Arguing over stupid things.
Talking for hours.
Then the beach.
Yuna and her mother walking near the ocean.
Daichi buried in sand.
Riko taking pictures.
Sora laughing.
The pages felt so alive—
they almost resembled real memories.
Then came karaoke.
Sora and Nakamura Ken alone inside a small karaoke room.
Singing terribly.
Laughing together.
Until—
without meaning to—
their hands touched on top of the table.
The entire table inside the library became silent at that page.
Yamada widened his eyes slightly.
Mio glanced discreetly toward Aoi.
Aoi glanced discreetly toward Souma.
Souma pretended not to notice.
Then came the cosplay event.
Misaki immediately widened her eyes.
— This event…
She leaned closer to the manga.
— Wow…
The costumes.
The lights.
The photographs.
Everything felt strangely familiar.
Then—
Sora and Yuri kissed in the middle of the event.
And at that exact moment—
nobody said a single word.
The library fell completely silent.
The kind of silence that only happens when something feels too beautiful to interrupt.
Then came the page that made Aoi freeze.
Yuna stood in front of a gravestone.
Flowers in her hands.
The name engraved on it read:
「Shirakawa Haruki」
Sora and Riko waited silently outside the cemetery.
Aoi widened her eyes slightly.
"This…"
Her fingers tightened gently.
"…never happened."
But she understood immediately.
Hina wasn't drawing reality.
She was drawing feelings.
Fears.
Possibilities.
Losses that could have existed.
Then—
the final year arrived.
Graduation.
The characters walking through the hallways one last time.
Pictures.
Farewells.
Hugs.
The older students saying:
— This is never a goodbye.
— The world is too small for eternal separations, hehe.
And then—
the main group—
now third years—
appeared together one final time.
Riko.
Sora.
Yuna.
All crying.
But smiling.
— We'll go to different universities…
— but we'll stay together forever.
Yuna held both of their hands.
Her eyes trembled.
— I love you guys.
Riko started crying first.
Then Sora.
— We love you too…
— thank you for everything, Yuna…
Riko wiped her tears while asking:
— What about Ken?
— Will he be okay?
Yuna smiled through her tears.
— He will.
— The university I chose is close to his hometown.
Then she slowly began walking away.
And Riko shouted while crying:
— I'LL MISS YOU!
Sora held her shoulders while crying too.
Then Riko smiled through tears.
— But like the senpais told us…
— this is never a goodbye.
The final page showed only the sky.
Clear.
Infinite.
And the title once more.
「Between Goodbye and Forever」
When Hina slowly closed the manga—
nobody spoke.
The library became completely silent.
Even more silent than usual.
Takeo slowly turned toward the window.
Snow continued falling outside.
Shinohara discreetly pulled out a handkerchief.
Wiping her eyes.
Yamada held the manga with slightly trembling hands.
Like he still hadn't fully processed everything.
— Well…
His voice faltered slightly.
Hina tightened her fingers on her lap.
Nervous.
Almost frightened.
— W-what…
— what did you all think?
Then Aoi smiled first.
A small smile.
But sincere.
— I liked it, Hina.
Mio immediately nodded.
Her eyes still wet.
— I loved it too.
Takumi adjusted his glasses.
But this time he didn't look like someone trying to sound smart.
Just honest.
— It was incredible…
— seriously.
Hanae looked at Hina warmly.
— You've been watching all of us…
— this whole time.
Hina blinked repeatedly.
Like she couldn't process those words.
— R-really…?
Then tears slowly filled her eyes.
— This is the first time…
— anyone has ever praised something I made…
Aoi immediately hugged her.
Mio joined the hug right after.
— Thank you, Hina.
— Thank you for turning all of this into something so beautiful…
Hina finally started crying for real.
But smiling at the same time.
The kind of crying that stays trapped for years—
and finally comes out.
Takumi lowered his head slightly.
— I never really tried to understand you properly…
— so…
— thank you, Hina-san.
Yamada simply kept looking at her silently.
With a small smile.
Gentle.
Filled with emotions he himself couldn't fully put into words.
Near the window—
Takeo continued watching the snow fall.
— "This is never a goodbye"…
— huh…
Shinohara looked at him quietly from behind.
And then she noticed it.
A tiny drop falling silently onto the floor.
She smiled softly.
Sad.
Gentle.
Then slowly walked toward him.
Resting her head lightly against his shoulder.
Takeo closed his eyes for a moment.
— We're…
— leaving, aren't we…
Shinohara lightly held the sleeve of his uniform.
— Earlier than we wanted…
— right…?
The two stayed silent.
Only listening to the wind outside.
And the faint sound of the manga pages still spread across the table.
Then suddenly—
Hanae clapped her hands loudly.
Her eyes were still slightly red.
But she smiled brightly.
— ALRIGHT!
— I REFUSE to let this mood end sadly!
Everyone looked at her.
She dramatically pointed toward the door.
— Karaoke.
— Right now.
— All of us.
Kaito immediately stood up first.
— Finally, someone sensible.
Mio raised her hand excitedly.
— I PICK THE FIRST SONG!
Hina wiped her tears while laughing softly.
Aoi quietly watched everyone.
Her chest felt tight.
Warm.
Painful.
Happy.
And in that moment—
for the very first time—
she realized that maybe growing up hurts precisely because moments like these are far too precious to last forever.