Title: Leisure Days

Author: Hikari Kou Minami

Disclaimer: Kagerou Daze © Jin (Shizen no Teki-P)

Warning: Bad grammar (English isn't my native language, anyway), many head-canons, a OOC's possibility, some of AU!situations (for the next chapter), an unclear ending—idk lol

Note: I think I used many head-canons here. I'm sorry. And I think (again) this chapter is a bit too long orz. I'm sorry (again). Feel free to criticize my grammar. Hoping you all enjoy this chapter. XD

03: Crane

It was dark.

Completely dark, so he couldn't see anything but dark. He couldn't remember what happened on him before. A few seconds, a thin red line appeared on his sight. He couldn't help but run toward that line that thicker as he ran. And when that line covered his sight, the light illuminated him suddenly; made him had to covered his eyes.

It was white.

A second after he opened his eyes, the white ceiling filled his sight. He blinked his eyes repeatedly, so that he awoke from his unconsciousness. When he felt better, he sat on bed that he used to sleep before. He didn't remember anything after he squeezed Ayano's hand and confirmed that that girl was alive. Maybe, they fell into unconsciousness because of space and time distortion. Thinking about Ayano, he immediately saw around him. There were all of Mekakushi Dan's members plus Hiyori who slept like him before. He didn't know who was sent them here.

And then, his eyes fixated into a black-seifuku girl on his left side. He didn't know why the person who brought them here placed him and her side by side. Her red scarf still wrapped on her neck. He looked around until he found a desk that separated his bed with hers. He looked at the drawer and found some papers. Curiously, he pulled the papers and looked at it.

"This is..." he widened his eye-balls when he saw the figure of 100 was written on the paper, followed by a name who had that paper; 'Kisaragi Shintaro'. Yeah, it was his paper test. His eyes looked at the date of the test. It has been two years ago, he thought. Why? Why was it in here? As he remembered, he didn't know about that desk at all. Had anyone taken his forgotten test paper? (yeah, forgotten. Because he never cared with all of his test paper). But why? Suddenly, his memories about that test paper flew out on his mind.

The paper cranes that the girl who was lying in front of him made from the paper test. The paper cranes that she gave to him with a cheerful smile. The paper cranes that had been the silent witness of her suicide.

That girl. Really...

Shintaro squeezed that paper. He didn't have any thought if that girl had been brought his test paper when they were on their first year of high school. He felt guilty. He didn't know how to apologize for her again. He was really fool. A cold-hearted fool guy, really.

Being silence for a while, he folded a paper crane from that paper, then. It was easy for him. Then, he looked at the drawer again and pulled other papers. He counted the papers; there were ten papers. He didn't remember how many tests that had been they done when they were on first year exactly. Maybe fifteen or more, he couldn't remember. Being a hikineet made him forgot all about the school, almost. Especially about Ayano. Thanks to Kano for had made him remember again—though he felt scary at first. Slowly but sure, he folded ten paper cranes. And when he finished the last, he heard a soft voice on his ears.

"Uuh..., where am I?"

Shintaro surprised when he heard the moan first, but he was relieved that voice was owned by Ayano.

"Ah ... Shintaro," she said when she woke up from her bed and sat on it.

Awkwardly, he replied, "Uuh ... hi,"

"Where are we?" she asked as her eyes looked around on the room. "Ah, they are here too," she smiled as she caught her step-siblings was lying on the bed.

"Uuh ... I don't know where is this place," he replied with an awkward face. He didn't know why he felt awkward suddenly, whereas he could say normally when he confirmed that she was alive. Maybe, it was because of that paper test.

Drew her scarf close, Ayano's eyes caught ten paper cranes. A bright smile rose on her face. "You make it, Shintaro?" she asked as she pointed at the paper cranes on the desk.

Awkwardly and with a shame, he replied, "Uuh ... yeah," his eyes looked away. "For you," he added.

"Thank you!" Ayano shouted—made him surprised for awhile. She picked one of the paper crane, then. When she saw at the score that written on it, she turned her sight to him—who was still looked his sight away. She turned again her sight to the paper crane. "I'm sorry, I had been taken your test paper, Shintaro," she said.

"No," he replied as his head turned down. "I have to apologize to you instead," his voice became louder a bit than before—made that girl turned her head into him.

"Shintaro..."

"I'm sorry for being so cold and didn't care to you," he said more calmly. "I'm really sorry,"

"You don't need to apologize—"

"If that's so, I'll never forgive myself instead!" his voice became louder again; seemed like want to cry.

Ayano couldn't help but stare at his classmate. She felt that it wasn't Shintaro's fault. But, if that was his fault, she had been forgiven him before she jumped from the rooftop. Her eyes turned at the paper crane on her hands.

"Hey, Shintaro," she said. There was no respond, she continued, "I have a wish,". "You know, my wish is returning happiness to my family," she said without any pause. "And it has been came true because of you!"

"... What?" he turned his head into her. "What do you mean?" he asked as he blinked his eyes.

"You folded ten paper cranes. A paper crane has 100 score on it, and the paper cranes are ten. So, if you calculate it, there were 1000 score and it means there were 1000 paper cranes, then," she said it with a cheerful smile.

Non-sense, Shintaro thought as he speechless after heard her explanation. Although, he thought it, he knew that that girl wanted to cheer him and forgive him. He smiled. Maybe, it was the best. "Yeah. You are right," he said. "There are 1000 paper cranes," he smiled.

"I've forgive you with this paper cranes," she said and showed the ten paper cranes on her hands. "So you don't need to feel guilty again, Shintaro," she smiled, then.

Relieved, Shintaro smiled to her. "Thank you. Thank you very much."

And then they smiled each other.