The second day of the Autumn Festival dawned brighter and louder. Hoshikawa High felt like a different school entirely—colorful, alive, and full of stories waiting to unfold.
And for once, Naoto wasn't dreading any of it.
---
A Group Appears
Rika was cornered the moment she arrived.
"Rikaaa! You promised you'd hang out with us today!" one of her friends whined, looping an arm around her.
"We want to take pictures at the photo booth!"
"And try the haunted house together!"
Naoto, standing a short distance away with a soda in hand, raised an eyebrow. He could feel the glances. The whispers.
One of the girls looked at him, then grinned. "Hey, Rika. Is that your shadow?"
Rika narrowed her eyes. "He's not my shadow."
"Then what is he?"
There was a pause. Everyone turned to her.
Naoto watched, curious how she'd dodge this one.
"…He's my pain," Rika muttered, brushing past them. "The kind that never goes away."
Naoto almost choked on his drink.
---
The Haunted House Fiasco
"Why am I doing this?" Naoto asked as they stood at the entrance of the haunted house, which was built with way too much enthusiasm by the drama club.
"Because they dared me," Rika replied, holding a flashlight like a weapon. "And if I suffer, so do you."
The inside was pitch dark. Creepy music played. Mannequin arms poked out of curtains.
Naoto wasn't scared. But when someone jumped out wearing a mask—
"AHHHHHH!"
Rika screamed—and instinctively grabbed his arm.
They stood frozen in place for a moment. Then she realized what she was doing and instantly let go.
"Forget that happened," she muttered.
He tried not to smirk. "Sure. I didn't see anything. Or feel anything either."
"Do you want to die here?"
---
The Photo Booth Moment
Later, her friends dragged both of them into the photo booth.
"Come on, just one!" one girl insisted. "Group shot!"
Naoto stood stiffly at the edge, barely looking into the camera. Rika was in the middle, forced to smile.
Snap!
The result: Naoto awkward, Rika irritated, everyone else laughing.
But one of the photos—just one—captured something different.
A half-smile from Naoto. Rika, mid-laugh.
That photo quietly ended up in Rika's notebook later that night.
She didn't know why she kept it.
---
Festival Whispers
As they walked through the food stalls again, some older students stared a little longer than usual.
"Hey, isn't that the guy with Rika again?"
"They're always together."
"You think they're dating?"
Rika heard it.
This time, she didn't say anything.
But her expression was unreadable.
---
That Night
Naoto sat near his window again. The room was quiet—festival sounds still lingering in the background.
His phone lit up.
> [Unknown]: "You look happy in that photo."
> Naoto: "Stop watching me."
> [Unknown]: "I can't help it. You're finally becoming... human again."
He stared at the message.
He didn't reply.
But he also didn't delete it.
---
[End of Chapter 15]