4

As it turned out, the weather forecast for the night after exam day was way off, and it didn’t snow at all.

The promised snowball fight was impossible, and the impromptu get-together was canceled. Cancellation was also partly due to a message from Mio saying I think I may have caught a cold.

Guess I just let my guard down once exams were over.

Mio had promptly responded to Hazuki and Haruto’s concerned messages, so her symptoms were probably mild. That was very relieving for Eita to see.

He even saw Mio in the hallway the first day of school that next week, chatting happily with her friends. She was in a rather boisterous group of four girls. Her friend Momoka was taking charge and shouting, “Let’s throw a party for the end of exams!”

The entire school was feeling the liberation of the end of exams. Eita had moved right near the end of the year, but even then it was a bit of an unfamiliar sight.

The days moved along peacefully, and everyone could finally relax and live in the moment.

But that carefree atmosphere was soon penetrated by the looming word, “graduation”, a concept that was becoming more real by the second. The school was brimming with excited happiness mixed with pangs of loneliness. It was like the entire student body was impatiently waiting for the inevitable.

Mio was out making memories with her classmates every day. Same for Haruto, Hazuki, and Yoriko. Entrance exams were finally over, and the wall had broken down, so the concern for consideration on both ends was finally able to be looked past, and everyone could interact normally.

The post-aquarium LINE chat was pretty dead at that point, probably for that reason. There hadn’t been much activity since exams. There were some mentions of another celebration for the end of exams, but nothing was done about it, and the days went on.

Eita was watching the entire pre-graduation atmosphere as something of an outsider. He had only moved back at the end of December, attending Kahiogawa Senior High for the short third trimester. It was difficult to share in the investment and spirit of people who had been there for all three years.

The day of his graduation ceremony was no different.

“Thank you for all you’ve done for Eita.”

“Thank you for everything.” Eita followed his mother’s example, bowing to the vice principal in the staff room.

“Of course, and congratulations on your graduation!” the vice principal exclaimed with a wide smile.

Eita bowed once more in response.

After saying his goodbyes, he went down the stairs in front of the staff room to the first floor. The guest entrance was just below, with energetic voices of graduates and their friends and family leaking in from the outside.

There were final group photos, bouquets from club members, and some students taking pictures with their parents.

“Anything you want, Eita?”

“I’m not too interested in pictures.”

“In that case, ready to go home?”

“You can head back first. I’ve got something to take care of.”

That he did. Something very important that had to be done.

Business that he’d arranged with a LINE message before the graduation ceremony even started.

Several graduates remained on the grounds even after the graduation ceremony.

Girls were in groups writing messages in each others’ yearbooks, and guys were making a ruckus while taking goofy pictures on their phones. Eita figured that was how they all dealt with their emotional highs.

It was the best way to deal with feelings that would otherwise overwhelm them if they were alone. They couldn’t go home yet, and had to convince themselves it was all going to be okay. Because as soon as they did go home, high school life was officially over.

Eita made his way through the reluctant throngs quickly. He passed from the north building that held the staff room to the central building. His path eventually took him to the third floor of the southern building, after going down a hallway that connected to the central building like a crank lever.

He eventually stood before a closed door.

Eita forced himself to knock on the door of the Photography Club before his hesitation could kick in.

“C’mon in!” shouted a carefree voice on the other side.

“Excuse me,” he announced, opening the door.

The room was about half the size of a classroom. A large table stood prominently in the center, surrounded by bookshelves full of books on photography and camera equipment.

There was enough stuff in the room to make it feel cluttered, but it all still seemed well-organized.

And there beside the table, front and center… was Komiya Ena, her camera in hand.

“Y’know, this makes the first time you ever came looking for me, Eita-senpai.”

Eita walked in and closed the door behind him. The voices of all the graduates in the hallway faded away, leaving the Photography Club as a space for just him and Ena.

“Is that right?”

“Yup.”

“You sure?” Eita knew it was true, so all he could do was pretend he hadn’t ever noticed.

“But that’s okay. I had business with you, too, Eita-senpai.” With that, Ena thrust a crystal trophy out right in front of Eita’s face.

The name of the photography contest was on it, right alongside the words Gold Prize.

“Isn’t this awesome?! We got the gold! Our advisor is already negotiating the continuation of our club, just as promised!” Ena gushed, ecstatic joy all over her face.

“I see. Congrats.” Eita wasn’t just saying that. He was genuinely happy for her. Ena had called the Photography Club a place she could finally belong. It was a small clubroom tucked away in the corner of the school, but it was important to her. Knowing it’d be there for her next year was relieving.

“But… I’m not the one that got us there.” Ena’s short burst of joy was replaced by an awkward smile. No doubt because of the name engraved on the trophy. Shimizu Tooru. Not Komiya Ena.

But that fact came as no surprise to Eita.

“I know. I went and saw it.”

Eita had learned that the results announcement and prize exhibition would be held at a hall in Fujisawa City, so he snuck in to go see them. Exams were over anyway, and he found himself much more invested in the future of the Photography Club than he’d expected.

The winning photo was displayed in the most prominent part of the exhibition hall.

It was of a high school girl holding a camera, a solemn expression etched in her face.

A perfect capturing of Komiya Ena in her element.

“Your face was captivating.”

Ena’s eyes lowered slightly at the frank praise, likely in embarrassment. “That’s all thanks to you, Eita-senpai.”

“Nah, I didn’t do anything.” His picture had cost her the award, ultimately.

“That picture… was when I was photographing you and Souma-senpai.”

Ena’s picture was of Eita throwing a fantastic homerun pitch to Haruto. Evidently Shiumizu had snagged a picture of Ena focusing on the two of them.

“Well, looks like I was useful, then.”

“Yup.” Ena gave a small nod, and Eita didn’t say any more.

The conversation died down. Eita and Ena were the only ones in the Photography Club room, so naturally the room was enveloped in silence when they stopped conversing.

“…”

“…”

But it was a necessary silence. Eita was meeting with Ena due to the LINE message he had previously sent her, saying they needed to talk. There was something he had to tell her.

“Komiya, I-”

“You don’t have to answer.” Ena quickly interrupted. “My condition was that I won a prize, but I didn’t.” Her speech sped up as she grabbed for excuses.

But Eita ignored her. He prioritized what he wanted, almost acting like her in how he could read the room but pretended not to. “I was happy… when you said that you were in love with me.”

“…Mhm.” Ena lowered her eyes, a conflicted expression crossing her face.

“So I want to do this right.” As Eita stared intently, Ena eventually raised her eyes, and they looked at each other.

“…”

“…”

Ena’s lips were pressed into a thin line, and she still seemed a bit confused. But even so, she mumbled, “Okay. Then let’s hear your response.” By the time she finished her sentence, she had returned to her usual, straightforward self.

Eita didn’t look away. He directed his feelings towards Ena and Ena alone. “I… I’ve been in love with someone else for a long time. So… I’m sorry.”

“…Mhm.” Ena lowered her head, her voice cracking like she was about to cry. “I already knew that…”

Ena’s voice trembled. Her hands shook as she clenched them tightly, as did her shoulders, and undoubtedly so did her heart. But then she looked up. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes, and yet…

“But that’s the Eita-senpai that I fell in love with anyway.”

She could deliver her final line with a smile.