One week. It'd been one week since Shino's collapse on the school's tracks and she had yet to return. Kindaichi dribbled the ball three times before tossing it in the air and attempting to copy Oikawa's jump serve. It was clumsy, and the ball flew to the side, but Watari dashed to the right to receive it anyway.

"Maa, what a pain," Oikawa muttered to the side, tentatively stretching his legs. He winced when he felt a pang on his knee, but it wasn't anything he hadn't felt before.

"Overworking yourself again, I see," Iwaizumi observed, though he sounded far too detached to be accusing; far too far away. "At least put on your knee brace."

"Ah, I left it at home, haha..." Oikawa winked at him and stuck out his tongue, causing Iwaizumi to roll his eyes. The brunet looked around the gym, his gaze pained when he watched Yahaba wander to where Shino usually stood next to the coaches to collect a bottle of water from her. Yahaba paused in his tracks, as if realizing that no, Iwasaki Shino was not there and he'd have to fetch his own damn water before awkwardly shuffling back into position.

"Team meeting," Oikawa decided, sounding unusually grave.

Iwaizumi gave him a quick nod, and the practice session was paused.

LINE: CLASS 1-5

[Kagawa]: Has anyone heard from Iwasaki-chan yet? I'm getting really worried

[Ishida]: I heard that she was in hospital but I don't know which one

[Miyuki]: I saw the ambulance take her away during clean-up duty, I think

[Kurokawa]: It's been a week, guys... she's probably recovering from whatever that struck her down, no biggie

[Kurokawa]: I bet she's reading our messages and laughing at us right now

[Kagawa]: Ehhh? I've never seen Iwasaki-chan laugh before, I don't think she would do that, haha

[Hiiragi]: Why don't we ask Kunimi-san and Kindaichi-san? They're closest to her.

[Miyuki]: Good idea! Kunimi-san, Kindaichi-san, are you reading this? If you know what happened to Iwasaki-chan, please tell us. Everyone is worried and has been posting non-stop about her.

[Ishida]: Yeah, nothing bad happened, right?

[Kurokawa]: She's helped all of us so much. I know she's a bit closed-off sometimes, but we're all concerned about her so please respond. Sincerely, all of 1-5.

[Kagawa]: ^ What she said

[Kunimi]: We don't know.

[Suzuki]: I know what hospital she's staying at! It's the local one closest to school; I know because I followed the ambulance to find out where she was staying so I would know where to send the cake I'm going to make her.

[Kindaichi]: Seriously?! Where?! She hasn't been responding to messages from either of us.

[Kurokawa]: They don't allow cake in the hospital

[Suzuki]: Oh, darn. Anyway, I can't recall what it was called; just look it up using maps and location

[Ishida]: Why don't we send her a get-well card?

[Miyuki]: Great idea! We should pass it around the class during break time so everyone gets to sign it

[Kagawa]: I'm down ^ make sure the design is cute

A pair of deft hands repeatedly solved a rainbow puzzle cube; the owner of those hands had her brow furrowed slightly in shallow concentration. Her gaze was completely blank as she clicked the cubes back into their original place.

Eventually, she placed the cube on the bedside table next to her hospital bed, and opted for staring at the ceiling instead, deep in thought. She turned her head to one side, her gaze fixed on the blank sheets of paper underneath her cube, and the pen that accompanied it.

She sat up and took a sheet of paper and pen, using a folding table that stretched across her bed to support the paper. She was pondering on what to write when the nurse came in with a fresh pitcher of water.

"Are you doing homework?" the nurse said, if a little condescendingly. "Why are you still studying this? There's no point."

"Ah..." Shino lifted her gaze. "I'm not studying. But if I had been," she added when the nurse adopted a snooty look, "it's because those who try their best and put their all into everything are the ones that win in life. And I would like to be that person."

The nurse raised an eyebrow. "I see." She promptly left, leaving Shino alone with her pen and her empty sheet of paper.

She began to write.

Shino finished when Miho entered the room, her lips pressed into a thin line. She was holding something in her hand—an old cassette recorder.

"You told me you wanted this," Miho said. "Here. Your father and I have already packed most of your stuff."

"What about my phone?"

Miho stiffened before taking the device out of her skirt pocket. "You've been getting a lot of messages. I haven't looked at any of them... they're probably from your friends."

Shino's lips twitched. "Really?" Almost eagerly, she took the phone from her mother and swiftly unlocked it, shocked at all the flood of unchecked messages on her LINE. Her eyes widened slightly as she opened Class 1-5's exclusive chat. "Everyone..." She turned her phone off. "It's time for my evening walk," she reminded her mother, getting out of bed.

"Of course." Miho's gaze shifted to the letters. "These are...?"

"For my friends."

"Oh."

The sky was dark and the stars shone brightly as Shino walked through the hospital's grounds, the evening breeze biting at her skin through her hospital robes and shawl. She carried her phone with her, the device tucked in her palm. Eventually, she reached a red bridge that stretched across a bubbling brook.

She observed the water for a while before turning on her phone and switching to the camera. Shino raised her arm, snapping a photo of a lone star burning brightly in space.

"Thank you," she murmured as she sent the photo to Class 1-5's chatroom. "Everyone." Then, slowly, she held her phone over the river. Another zephyr brushed her fingers as she let go, the phone landing in the water with a splash. I'm sorry. But if I am to make a full recovery, I cannot see you all again.

Tomorrow morning, Shino was released from the hospital and allowed to go home. Inside their home, there were boxes piled everywhere, and Shino expertly dodged them as she made her way to her room. The letter she had written last night was tucked in an envelope with a cake sticker sealing it, and she gripped the corner of the envelope tightly in her hand.

She had received two cards that morning, and she hadn't had the time to read them yet.

Her desk and bed were no longer there, but that wasn't a problem. She huddled in the corner, pressing record on the cassette tape and lifting the microphone to her mouth.

She hesitated.

Then—

"Hello, Kindaichi."

Mizoguchi wheeling his bin back into his property when a gentle footfall reached his ears. He paused and looked up, eyes widening when he saw who it was.

"Iwasaki-chan?" he spluttered in disbelief. "You—"

"Sorry, Mizoguchi-san, but I don't have much time." Shino's voice was soft, and her words had a desperate air about it. "But please give this to the team. And tell them that I'm very, very sorry that I cannot be their manager anymore." She held out a white envelope with crinkled corners.

Mizoguchi frowned, but took the envelope anyway. "I don't understand—"

"You will when you read it," Shino insisted. "Please, just... take it."

Kunimi had just gotten back home and was changing in his room when his mother knocked on the door. "I'm not decent," he said blandly, raising his voice. "Don't come in, please."

"Alright, but come out soon. Your friend left me something for you to give to Kindaichi-kun."

Kunimi paused in pulling the red shirt over his head. For Kindaichi?

Kindaichi strolled into class to find his classmates all gathered around one person. Huh? What's going on? His heart jumped. Is it Iwasaki?! Did something happen? "Oi," he called, shoving his way into the crowd to peer over Kurokawa Najimi's shoulder. She was the only person who would dare have their phone out just a minute before their demon homeroom teacher was due to arrive. "What's going on here?"

"Come, look!" Najimi invited, her voice urgent. "Iwasaki-chan sent us this when we were all asleep."

"It's some kind of black screen," Kagawa mused.

"Did she send the wrong photo?" someone wondered.

"Maybe she had her thumb over the camera."

"No—wait!" It was Ami who voiced what Kindaichi had almost immediately noticed. "Look, everyone, there's something bright in the top-center. I think... she took a picture of—"

"The night sky," Kindaichi finished with no small amount of surprise in his voice. Why would she...? He shook his head. "Did she send anything else?"

"No," Najimi stated, biting her lip. "Just this. I don't know what it's supposed to mean."

"Maybe," a boy called Ishida theorized, "She's saying that even when the sky's so dark, there are still stars shining out there. So if she can learn to shine brighter..."

"We'll be able to see her," Kagawa murmured.

"That's a nice thought," Kindaichi admitted. Iwasaki... what are you trying to tell us? Is that really it?

"Wuuu, we sent her a card and everything!" Miyuki sighed, crossing her arms. "I wonder if she got it?"

Najimi was confident. "Of course she will! We can count on her."

You can count on me.

Kindaichi sank into his seat, a sinking feeling entering his heart. Where did you go, Iwasaki? And why won't you talk to me?

A/N: Short chapter, I know, but I'm feeling quite drained ATM, and I'm not sure how to make this emotional enough, huhuhu...

This isn't quite the end just yet. We still don't know what's really happening, but I swear the explanation is coming NEXT chapter, and hopefully it'll be a bit sadder than this.

That star quote is from Toradora! which is an awesome anime.

Next chapter: We find out what the team meeting was about, though it's not going to be explicitly shown. We see the cards, the letter, and...? What did Shino give to Kunimi's mother? I'm sure you can all guess.