Chapter Text
It had been a week since that day.
Suo went about daily life as usual.
Arrived early to school, sat in the usual seat, sipping tea from the same thermos.
Sakura and Nirei were always around.
The three of them hung out and chatted like always.
Umemiya, too, often spent time with Momose—
who now seemed happier, more alive.
Everything felt normal.
…Or at least, that’s what Suo believed.
⸻
But sometimes, while waiting for the final bell to ring…
the gaze would drift toward the old art room visible from the upstairs window.
The room remained locked.
Its walls mossy, windows dusty.
No one had gone in again.
Yet there was this lingering feeling—
like someone was still drawing quietly inside.
One time, Suo asked Sakura:
“Hey… who do you think was the last one to use that art room?”
Sakura smiled and shrugged.
“No idea… I think it’s been closed since forever, hasn’t it?”
Suo only nodded.
But that night, woke up to find a pencil in hand—
and a sketch lying on the desk.
Couldn’t remember when it was drawn.
The face on the paper was blurry.
But the artist’s smile…
looked strangely familiar.
⸻
A month later, a new student transferred into Furin.
Didn’t talk much.
Hair slightly long.
Wore a hoodie even on hot days.
And when passing by Suo in the hallway—
the chest tightened suddenly.
“Have we… met before?”
The new student glanced over.
Didn’t smile. Didn’t reply.
Just walked past quietly.
In that student’s hand—
was a small, black sketchbook.
⸻
And that night, Suo dreamed.
Stood once more in the old art room.
A sketchbook lay open on the table.
But there were no faces.
No names.
Only a blank page remained.
And in the bottom right corner,
written faintly in pencil:
“The story isn’t over.”