Chapter Seven: The Second Goodbye Lunch was quieter than usual. Mina and Arisol sat beneath the courtyard tree while the others went to grab drinks. The wind rustled softly through the branches, scattering tiny petals across their laps. Arisol stared at her food, untouched. Her mind wasn’t on Yuki’s cold stare, or the weird silence from Haru earlier. It was somewhere in between—lost in a space only she could feel. “I wish I could just ask him,” Arisol said suddenly. “Yuki?” Mina asked, kicking her feet gently. “Yeah… I figured. You’ve had that far-off stare for two days now.” Arisol let out a sigh. “It’s not just that he’s ignoring me. It’s that… it’s like none of it ever happened. The poems, the hospital, the way he said goodbye. He looked me in the eyes, Mina. And nothing.” Mina leaned against her. “Then maybe it’s time to remind him.” Just then, Arisol’s phone buzzed. She glanced down. Aunt Megumi. She hesitated. “It’s my aunt. I’ll call her back—” “No,” Mina said softly. “Answer it. Just in case.” Arisol picked up, pressing the phone to her ear. “Aunt Meg—” Her aunt’s voice was soft but trembling. “Arisol… sweetheart. I’m so sorry to call you at school. Your father… he passed this morning. Peacefully. He asked about you. He smiled before…” Everything blurred. Arisol didn’t hear the rest. The phone dropped from her hand onto the grass. Her breath caught in her throat like glass. Mina sat up straight. “Ari?” She didn’t answer. She stood slowly, the world spinning too fast. Her fingers trembled. Her throat burned. A few nearby students stared, but she didn’t care. “Ari, say something—please,” Mina whispered, standing beside her. Arisol just shook her head. “He’s gone.” Mina wrapped her arms around her without hesitation. No words. Just warmth and stillness while Arisol stared into the sky that felt suddenly so far away. Yuki walked by then, across the courtyard. He looked at her. Paused. And then… kept walking. Let me know if you'd like Chapter Eight to open at the funeral, or a few days later with Arisol deciding what to do about Yuki. Idk
