Chapter 34
The sound of rain taps on the dimly lit library window.
The first graders, who were deprived of their usual "place" in the wet schoolyard, moved from their boring classrooms to this library lined with picture books.
Ryosaku and Mieko's favorite picture book, which they used to read over and over again, was also monopolized by "that cutest girl." That girl...played with Ryosaku when his heart was broken, and while her friends left the group one after another, she stayed by Ryosaku's side until the end.
...It was as if that "baton" that Mieko had passed to that girl.
That's right...the "baton" of the relay of love that was entrusted to the girl by Mieko...
Unlike last year, the number of new first-year students has increased significantly, and on rainy days they crowd into this spacious, antique room.
However, for some reason, no one wanted to sit in the corner seats by the window where Ryosaku and Mieko were sitting side by side...those two precious "memory seats".
It's as if those two seats were "reserved" forever just for Ryosaku and Mieko...
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Sitting in the corner of the noisy room, Ryosaku spotted the nostalgic figure of a boy from behind.
It was... ever since "that incident" the day after the school play, Ryosaku had seen Oyama boy intently immersed in reading.
Since "that incident," he has been deeply traumatized, both mentally and physically in a state of disrepair, and has finally overcome the long and painful ordeal of refusing to go to school. He had returned to his room.
Ryosaku finally realized that Oyama boy had disappeared from the library and had been missing from the school for a long time.
Ryosaku, who was preoccupied with Mieko, realized that just like him, Oyama had been fighting desperately against himself until this day.
Ryosaku quietly walked up behind Oyama to once again express his gratitude for what he had done for him in the past.
