CHAPTER FOUR – CONNECTIONS BENEATH THE SUN

As soon as the door of their classroom was closed, nearly everyone stood up and rushed towards Kaede, who was still standing next to her chair and looking thunderstruck.

"Wow! Class representative! You should be proud, Kaede!" Tenko exclaimed. "And it's good to see that the professors saw enough strength of mind and character in you to choose you for the position—of course, you're loads better than any degenerate male for it!"

Tsumugi looked rather envious from where she stood at Kaede's right. "That's to be expected of such a glowing heroine character," the Ultimate Cosplayer said with a bit of reverence. "Plain background characters like us just can't compete."

"Puh-lease!" said Miu, her hands on her hips. "What does Bakamatsu have that I don't? Well, I guess you can say sad, sour and dumpy tits, for one thing!" she added with a hoot.

"Hey, hey, come on! There's no need for any of that!" said Kaito Momota, waving off Miu and her remark dismissively. He turned to Kaede with a smile and a thumbs-up. "Congrats, Kaede! I know you'll do the class proud with your leadership! But if you wanna learn some more wisdom along the way, I'd be happy to make you my sidekick!"

The Ultimate Child Caregiver, Maki Harukawa, let out a noise of silent disapproval next to him. "You say that like you're not just some reckless idiot, Momota."

Kaito recoiled at that, scratching his head sheepishly. "Hey, come on, Maki Roll! I'm just trying to help everyone rise to the occasion. It's what it means to be the hero, y'know?"

Maki's eyes flashed dangerously. "I told you what would happen if you kept calling me that, right?" she muttered. Kaito flashed a nervous smile, though he backed away nonetheless.

"C-Congratulations, Kaede," Shuichi joined in with a smile, his hat failing at covering up the redness of his face. "I hope we can support you all the way in whatever the class takes on."

Kaede turned pink as well as she grinned back. "Thank you so much, Shuichi. And to you guys as well. Really, I'm just speechless. But also, I'm honored to be chosen as your class representative. I hope I don't let you all down."

Angie Yonaga tittered at that as she clapped her hands together. "If you need any sort of guidance in your endeavors, Kaede, remember that you can always pray to Atua," the Ultimate Artist said with a simper. "He and I will cooperate to guide you, so that you may guide everyone else on the path to salvation!"

Towering above everyone else, Gonta grinned as he looked down at Kaede. "Gonta do his best to support Kaede," he said, his eyes gleaming behind his round eyeglasses. "And everyone else too! Gonta promise, like true gentleman!"

Kirumi watched from the sidelines, ready to give her own adulation for Kaede once the others had finished crowding around her. The announcement had come in the wake of their most recent class, as their homeroom professor Koichi Kizakura delivered the news to them before leaving. Had it been up to her, Kirumi could not have made a better choice for class representative; Kaede was strong-willed, confident and extremely easy to get along with. Such a balance allowed her to be a leader who could not only inspire others towards unity, but also someone who was empathic enough to sit down and listen to those who needed it, and she often joined the others in whatever they were doing instead of keeping to herself, making everyone feel comfortable.

Next to Kirumi, Rantaro observed the class with a smile not unlike one an older brother would afford his younger siblings. "It's pretty nice to see everyone like this," he remarked. "I mean, with all the colorful personalities in this classroom alone, it's a wonder that we can get along sometimes."

Behind him, Korekiyo Shinguji let out a quiet chuckle that only seemed to enhance his uncanny aura. "But such clashing ideals and temperaments are filled with beauty in their own right, yes? The dynamics being exchanged, the emotions running high, the determination, aggression, even the meekness . . . 'tis a wondrous sight indeed."

Kirumi nodded at the Ultimate Anthropologist's remark. "Agreed. The sense of unity it brings can be uplifting, no matter how cacophonic it can be sometimes," she said.

"To be honest, I thought you'd end up being class rep, Kirumi," said Rantaro. "Not that Kaede's a bad choice—she's perfect for it. It's just that . . . with your sense of responsibility and your knack of knowing what a person might need, it fits the job description as well."

"Should I be offered such a responsibility, I would be honored," replied Kirumi, "but I prefer to serve instead. There is still as much fulfillment to be had in offering one's services to an able leader like Kaede as there is in being the leader yourself."

"Others would find the prospect of subservience to be rather demeaning, but there is still beauty in such devotion to service as well," said Korekiyo. "I am glad to know that you are accustomed to such notions as well, Kirumi. Truly fitting for the Ultimate Maid."

"Thank you, Korekiyo," said Kirumi with a modest bow.

"Now then, Rantaro," said Korekiyo, turning towards Rantaro again with a gleam of curious anticipation in his eyes. "As I've mentioned before . . . your travels have something to do with your siblings, yes?"

"Oh, yeah. Something like that," said Rantaro with a short laugh. "Why are you asking?"

As the two of them talked, Kirumi noticed that her classmates were finally starting to clear up and give Kaede some breathing room. At that, Kirumi approached her hastily. Kaede looked around and smiled as she saw her.

"I believe congratulations are in order, Kaede," Kirumi told her amiably. "I will do my very best to support you as you represent our class."

"Thank you, Kirumi," said Kaede with a nervous but warm smile. "With your help and everyone else's support, it's starting to feel manageable. It's still going to be a handful, though, what with the likes of Miu and Kokichi . . ."

"You rang?" a playful voice rang out suddenly; Kokichi had swooped in behind them, a cheeky grin spread wide on his face, prompting Kaede to jump and Kirumi to step back.

"Don't pop up like that out of nowhere all of a sudden!" Kaede exclaimed. "It's rude to scare people like that!"

Kokichi winked. "I just wanted to congratulate you like everyone else is doing, Kaede. Anyway, I heard you and Mommy here talking"—at that, Kirumi let out a sigh—"and I just wanna ask if you'll really be able to handle the pressure of being class rep. I mean, with the competitiveness and intensity of Ultimates being contained in a single place, there's bound to be some bloodshed just waiting to happen!" At that, a shrewd gleam shone in his eyes.

"Please do not say such things," said Kirumi curtly. "The academy inspires concord and cooperation above all, not belligerent competition."

"Well, maybe I can invite a few of my subordinates to change some things around here, then," Kokichi remarked casually.

"S-Subordinates?" asked Kaede.

"Duh! What kind of evil supreme leader wouldn't have subordinates?" Kokichi yelled. "And at ten thousand strong too, all across the world! With the connections we have and the number of politicians in my organization's pocket, from the White House to the Kremlin, from Beijing to London, I hold all the cards and a reset button to go with them! One phone call from me and the world changes!"

Kirumi regarded him for a moment. "That . . . is another lie, isn't it?"

"Is it? . . . Maybe. Or maybe not, who knows?" said Kokichi, laughing. "Anyway, good luck representing our dysfunctional family, Kaede! And if you ever get bored with the world, just let me know. Ciao!"

And with that, Kokichi bounced off, looking for a new classmate to bother as he whistled a merry tune. Kaede shook her head as she watched him go. "Geez, if he's always like that, I hate to wonder what mental state his subordinates are in," she said. "If he has any, that is."

"He is merely being mischievous," Kirumi commented. "In itself, there isn't much harm in that, though I hope he doesn't use it to badger people like he often does with Keebo. Hopefully, with your guidance and authority, Kaede, you will be able to rein him in better."

"That sounds like a grueling challenge, to be honest," said Kaede with a nervous laugh, "but I'll do my best. Not just with him, but with everyone else. Oh, that reminds me!" she added, her eyes lighting up with recall. "How's Ryoma doing?"

"He seemed fine this morning," replied Kirumi, staring at the empty seat at the back of the class where Ryoma often sat. "He told me that he might be sitting out the morning periods, since he's not feeling well. Perhaps after lunchtime, he would be doing a lot better. I'll make sure to bring him some food that will help him with that."

"That's good," said Kaede with a sigh. "I really hope we can talk to him one of these days. I'm just worried, you know? He's the only one among us who keeps isolating himself. He deserves to be a part of this just like everyone else."

"I agree. I hope that my assistance will help him get back on his feet somehow. It can be a tricky business to get through to him, but I will keep doing my best."

"I know you can, Kirumi!" said Kaede, smiling. Kirumi smiled politely back at her words, though her thoughts were on a more somber wavelength as she remembered her encounter with Ryoma earlier that morning. He had failed to join the early group for breakfast, and just like with his lunch meals, Kirumi prepared some breakfast for him and went to deliver it personally to his room. Ryoma seemed relatively normal as he answered her arrival, though also regretful about giving her trouble so early in the morning.

"Is my routine gonna start today?" he had asked her earlier. "The one you said you'd prepare?"

"Would you like it to begin today?" Kirumi had asked him in return; though she had yet to formulate a final figurative draft for what she had promised him, she had some preliminary activities to offer as a start.

"I dunno. I'm not saying this because I want to slack off or something, just to be clear. It's just . . . difficult."

"What is?"

"Our setup. The new schedule. Going out there doing something on a time that's different from the one I've been used to for the past couple of years. Sometimes, I think I have it nailed down, but everything just shifts, and I end up going back to square one trying to get used to it all over again. Not just the surroundings and the time, but the people too. And all the while, it just feels . . . wrong, like I shouldn't be a part of any of it, like I shouldn't even be trying because it's unnatural." Ryoma looked disheartened then as he chewed slowly on a piece of toast. "Maybe this is what they meant in those lectures the wardens gave us back in stir."

"What were the lectures about?" Kirumi had asked him, feeling rather sobered as she hazarded a private guess.

"That by the time we get out, we'll be begging to go back in because the world will no longer accept us after moving on without us. That whether we'd like it or not, the lives we had before were long gone, and nothing's there for us to go back to. Not gonna lie, that stuff really gets to you in prison. If the guards aren't there to remind you of it, you have yourself to listen to all day inside your cell, going over the choices you made and what kind of life you now have."

It was after this somber reflection that, upon finishing his breakfast, Ryoma had expressed his wish to skip their morning classes for the day. Such absences did not matter much in Hope's Peak; as long as Ultimates were busy using their time productively, it was not considered an issue to have students skipping their classes to partake in activities related to their talents, though some like Kiyotaka could be found encouraging students to attend classes if they could. Ryoma, of course, was a different matter altogether. Recalling their conversation in her mind, Kirumi knew she would not soon forget the deadened look that suffused Ryoma's round eyes then, hinting at the untold stories about his crime and incarceration that no newspaper article or TV report could ever capture. If anything, it encapsulated just how slow and high of a climb it would be for Ryoma to recover—and how difficult it is as well for her to help him.

Kirumi had just finished serving meals for lunchtime later that noon when she was approached by Keebo, who looked rather somber as he glanced at the eating students on the tables. She turned to him dutifully as she saw him approach. "Greetings, Keebo. Is there anything you need?" she asked him with a bow.

"No, I'm quite fine. Thank you, Kirumi," replied Keebo. "I'm here to bring you a message from Ryoma, actually."

Kirumi raised her eyebrows, feeling surprise and concern well up in her. "What is it about?"

"He wanted you to know that he would be skipping lunch today. He asked me to tell you before you delivered food to his room."

"Did he say why?"

"I'm afraid not," said Keebo rather apologetically, "though he did say that if you want to look for him, he will be at the courtyard near the open field."

"I see." Kirumi glanced towards the direction of the open field, putting two and two together and hoping that Ryoma's choice to skip lunch had nothing to do with his dejection that morning. "I'll go talk to him after I'm through here. Thank you for telling me, Keebo."

"It was nothing," said Keebo, smiling.

It was around one o'clock when Kirumi made her way to the courtyard, traversing under the covered walkways that shielded her from the sun. Some of the Reserve Course students populated this area, chatting under the shade of trees or at the stone benches that lined the walkways. A few of them gazed with awe and admiration as she passed—partly due to her uniform as well, Kirumi knew, which stood out rather oddly against the simple uniforms of the Main and Reserve Courses.

The bench that Ryoma had occupied sat underneath a towering maple tree, its leaves a mixture of green and yellow that fluttered lazily in the afternoon breeze. Ryoma himself looked like a child underneath its shade, sitting atop the bench with his feet barely touching the ground. It made for a peaceful image that was sadly belied by an underlying bleakness for those who were familiar with the Ultimate Tennis Pro.

Ryoma looked up at the sound of her soft footsteps, looking resigned. "I hope this wasn't another bother for you," he muttered.

"It was no trouble," said Kirumi in return. "May I sit next to you?"

"Of course." Ryoma scooted to one side of the bench, making enough room for her to sit down. As she did so, Kirumi maintained a respectable distance away from him.

"Aren't you hungry?" she asked him. "Everyone else has eaten."

"Not really," Ryoma replied, taking out a new candy cigarette from a small box in his pocket and chewing on it idly. "I was looking out of the windows in my room, and I couldn't resist exploring more of this place for a change. I ran into someone the first time I tried, but I didn't want to let it stop me."

"Who did you run into?"

". . . Yakuza."

Kirumi regarded him with surprise. "Do you mean Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu? From Class 77-B?"

"So you know him?" asked Ryoma.

Kirumi nodded, remembering her first meeting with Class 77-B. "I've encountered his name and talent before when I was going door to door during the second day of classes."

Ryoma grunted. "No wonder his pin looked familiar. I didn't know the Kuzuryu Clan had someone studying here as a student." He paused for a moment, staring out into the field. "He recognized me."

"Oh, did you two speak to one another?"

"Not really. He seemed keen about it, but I didn't want any trouble." Ryoma shook his head, looking surly. "I've had enough of mobsters for one lifetime. It's one thing to just hear about them, and it's a whole new world to tangle with them outright. A lot of them know what I did, and they don't seem too happy that I got off with just a life sentence. Maybe this one from the Kuzuryu Clan has the same beef."

"Perhaps not," Kirumi proffered. "We're here as students, not as rivals or enemies. No matter what you did, I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to go after you at this point."

"How can you tell?"

"We are part of a highly prestigious university—the most esteemed in the country, and one that is known across the world. Hope's Peak Academy exerts sizeable influence, and its students are both prized and protected. Should anything untoward happen to you because of your past crimes while you are here as a scouted student, it would create complex consequences for those responsible, and I doubt any undesirable elements would dare take such a risk. Also, if a known name such as the Kuzuryu Clan has one of their children scouted as a student here, it shows just how well-known and accepted the academy is even among their circles.

"You seem to know a lot about this kind of stuff," said Ryoma as he looked around at her.

"I've had my share of encounters," said Kirumi.

Ryoma raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Sounds like quite a story. Better than mine, I hope."

Kirumi could only smile a little as she remembered her past undertakings with her former employers. Like Ryoma, there was a lot more that she was unable to discuss, particularly when it came to dealing with undesirables like the mafia.

"Perhaps, in the future, I will be able to tell you about some of them," was all that she could say at the moment.

Ryoma chuckled softly. "If you'll have me, I'll look forward to that."

As midday wore on and the afternoon began to creep in, the conversations continued. Though she wondered if any students back at the main building were looking for her services, Kirumi had no qualms staying with Ryoma and simply talking about whatever crossed their minds, even if there was no teapot to share between them. She told him of Kaede's appointment as their class's representative, of lunchtime with the rest of the class, and the other Ultimates she had encountered all the while. It was small talk, the kind that would seem commonplace for those who were looking to discuss anything under the sun, but nonetheless it seemed to make Ryoma feel better, and Kirumi felt glad that she was able to help him brighten up with it.

"I've been thinking about . . . about what my routine is gonna be," Ryoma stated after a while, straightening up slowly. "I'm still worried that I might stink up the gym so badly with my rust and cause a delay for any other students who can use the place better. Then again, if I train when no one else is around, like at nighttime . . . is that even allowed?"

"I may be able to secure some special permission for you from the faculty," said Kirumi. "If they believe that it falls in line with your talent, they may allow you to use the gymnasium's facilities at night."

"You mean special treatment? I don't know about that. It might not seem fair to the other gym users." Ryoma sighed grimly. "Geez, this may be a lot more difficult to figure out than I thought."

"Maybe we can begin laying down a few preliminary points that we can develop a plan from," Kirumi offered. "Is it okay if I ask you about any of your specific preferences?"

"Go ahead."

"Very well, then. What kind of environment would you prefer to exercise in? Are there any particulars in the equipment and whatnot?"

Ryoma paused for a moment, his brow furrowed with thought. "I'm not too picky with the equipment, so I'll be fine in that regard. As for the environment, I'd rather work out alone most of the time. I'm used to being alone even back when I was still . . . still playing," he added rather reluctantly, "but if I had to work out with someone else around . . . well, if it's with someone I know, I guess that'll be fine too."

As she listened to his words, Kirumi began going through her memory as to who exactly frequented the gymnasium the most, and if any of them were students that Ryoma would feel comfortable exercising with. Class 78's Aoi Asahina and Sakura Ogami, along with Class 77-B's Akane Owari and Nekomaru Nidai were some of the most common visitors there; from their own class, Tenko and Kaito were regulars, with the former warming up there before her Neo-Aikido training sessions at the nearby dojo and the latter often bringing Shuichi and even Maki Harukawa in tow for some basic exercise routines. Though these students were all generally friendly enough—with the possible exception of Tenko, mostly due to Ryoma being a male—most of them had little to no prior interactions with the Ultimate Tennis Pro. And while Shuichi and Maki would provide little to no problems due to their general aloofness, Kaito was an entirely different matter; Kirumi remembered the first time that he and Ryoma met in class, and how Ryoma was visibly irked at the Ultimate Astronaut's prodding about his days as a tennis ace. As such, she knew that another encounter between the two of them might discourage Ryoma from coming to the gymnasium again.

"Maybe I can accompany you instead," she offered.

Ryoma frowned. "How exactly is that going to work?"

"If you do not wish to exercise with anyone you are unfamiliar with, perhaps I can keep you company in order to help you feel more comfortable," replied Kirumi. "That way, you can at least focus on what you need to do without having to worry about being alone in such an environment."

"So you're gonna stand by somewhere and wait for me while I'm exercising?"

"No. I will exercise with you."

The offer was out before Kirumi could even think twice, though there was nothing in it for her to be reluctant about. After all, in itself it was also an offer from one friend to another, and not merely the notion of a servant to coddle her master like it was in prior cases. Ryoma, on the other hand, looked at her as if she was starting to stick to her devotion to duty a bit too much.

". . . Are you serious about that?" he asked her slowly.

"Of course," said Kirumi. "I do some exercising of my own during mornings, but it would be nice to also do so in the afternoons when my schedule is freer. That way, it would be a two-pronged resolution; I will be able to keep being productive with my time, while you are able to exercise with no fear of being left alone with people you are uncomfortable with. And if you or any other students in the gymnasium have any requests, at least I can be readily called upon. What do you say?"

Ryoma stared at her for a moment, as if he was physically digesting her words the same way he was chewing on his candy cigarette. Kirumi waited patiently for his reply, wondering if she was offering too much—or even too little.

After a while, Ryoma shook his head. "That seems like too much for me to ask."

"Do not worry about me. It is a manageable choice, nothing that's worth too much trouble," Kirumi assured him. "However, I do wish to make sure that my decision would not be bothersome for you," she added, ready to think of another approach should Ryoma ask. "Would I impede you, or be a source of discomfort in any way?"

"No, not like that," Ryoma clarified. "It's just . . . It feels like I'm starting to make you babysit me."

"I'm certain the other students would not think so," said Kirumi. "My services do not amount to babysitting, after all."

"Maybe, but you know how some people think sometimes. And believe me, with my size and looks, they'd have one hell of a laugh, and I don't want anyone making fun of you because of that."

"I have endured far worse in my early work experiences," said Kirumi, sitting up in a decorous manner. "I simply wish to see this through to the best of my abilities, both as a maid and as your classmate, if you would have me. And thus, I came to the conclusion that in order for you to feel at ease, I shall do this alongside you, as any friend would for a troubled companion. If any person finds something comical about my choice or my methods, or in how you and I look working together like this, let them laugh. To me, being productive and helping you is more important than any mockery I may endure."

A hush fell upon them following her words. In the silence, Kirumi pondered on her choices, and again she found nothing wrong in them for her to balk in any way. Going down a maid's career path had taught her many things, and chief among them was the notion that being questioned and even ridiculed about one's methods was always part of the job. It had been rather challenging for her to shoulder such reactions at first, back when she had been a maid in training at a mere fifteen years old, but the years that followed had given her the wisdom that such critics often failed to see; that there was no single approach or method to all the tasks and problems a maid may face. In Ryoma's case, Kirumi knew she had to take a more personal approach instead of simply dealing with him too formally all the time, and she guessed that in spite of his reluctance, Ryoma was indeed more comfortable with her as a classmate and friend rather than as a servant.

Ryoma looked away for a moment. The look in his eyes was more serious than anything Kirumi had seen from him before, and yet the brief smile that crossed his lips was soft, belying the heaviness in his aura.

"You're starting to remind me of someone," he muttered.

The personal nature of the statement brought Kirumi's dutifulness to a halt. It was something that she was not expecting, least of all from someone as distant and aloof as Ryoma.

". . . May I ask who?" she asked reluctantly.

When Ryoma did not reply immediately, Kirumi felt that she might have at last struck a nerve in the Ultimate Tennis Pro. Of course. It was too personal for me to even ask. Still, she could not stop herself from being curious enough to inquire; it was the first time that Ryoma had spoken about something other than his prison experiences, something that harkened back to his past before his fall from grace, when he had simply been Ryoma Hoshi, the famed tennis ace whose victories and titles would put most tennis players to shame.

At last, Ryoma spoke up again, his voice tinged with a different emotion this time. "I already noticed it before," he said, avoiding Kirumi's question. "It didn't seem much to me—a lot of people have similarities that start to become ordinary once you see them. But when you were speaking earlier, when you were talking about letting people think what they think, say what they say, and focusing on what's important, I think I . . . I see her spirit in you."

"How can you tell?" Kirumi asked.

Ryoma turned around and looked directly in her eyes. It was a piercing look, but the kind that brooked interest rather than displeasure, as if he was trying to see something in her gaze that no one else could. "I don't know how to say it properly, but . . . you've both got determination in you, that sense of purpose and resolve where you don't care about what others think because your principles matter, that attitude where you say 'to hell with them, what matters is this.' And it's not just that, but there's also that strong sense of compassion for others, that drive to help for the sake of helping that you two share. Seeing you doing what you do for others, for me . . . it's like seeing her again in a way."

He looked away, smiling to himself, and Kirumi had no words to say as she watched the expression—tender, bittersweet, speaking of a lost love, and she had to wonder what she and the rest of the world might have missed when the news broke on television and newspapers about his crimes. It made her realize the three sides of the Ultimate Tennis Pro that most people had yet to see, the sides that she had slowly been uncovering in her bid to help him: the prisoner, the tennis champion, and now the person.

"Ryoma . . ." Kirumi began, but she found herself faltering as she imagined how best to speak right now. Ryoma, however, let out a cordial snicker before she could continue.

"This is why I didn't like this school at first," he stated, looking out on the open field with a rueful gaze. "There are a lot of things that just bring me back to the past, not all of them good. But then again, even the good stuff hurts just as much. So I keep trying, in the same way I tried back in prison to forget. I thought I'd done that. I thought I'd thrown it all away just like how I threw away my future, and moved on from what I destroyed and left behind." He laughed silently again. "Maybe there are simply things that you just can't move on from, and in the case of people like her . . . it feels like another crime to throw away their memory like that."

A few more leaves fell from the maple tree above them as they sat in silence once more, the breeze caressing their figures almost soothingly. Kirumi kept observing Ryoma for a moment, but the Ultimate Tennis Pro kept his eyes locked onto the field and beyond, his stare bearing all the heaviness of the world. Kirumi followed his gaze and looked to the field as well, wondering if she could somehow see what he was seeing, and feel what he was feeling. Somehow, she kept coming up short, but such a thought did not deter her.

"The choices we make in the present, for our future and beyond, that is what matters now," she declared softly. "We move on from things, or we try at least, but we also make sure that when we do so, we move on to something better. And it's not just emptiness that we go on to, but rather, a brighter horizon that we can work towards as we make up for the negativities of our past and grow from our shortcomings. I'm telling you this, Ryoma, because this is what I want you to believe in. And as for the person you are talking about . . . I feel that she would have liked you to believe so as well."

The laugh that emanated from Ryoma's lips was as silent and short as ever, but it was nonetheless still tinged with that same warmth he had displayed a few moments earlier. "She said stuff like that too," he remarked, "clinging on to hope more than I ever did, telling me of the heights I can reach if I just kept believing that I could."

"She's right, you know?" said Kirumi, smiling at him.

"Maybe." Ryoma reached into his pocket for another candy cigarette, but seemed to think better of it as he drew his hand away. "I'm sorry, it's not like me to get all sentimental like this. Maybe we should get back on track with our plans before we stray too far."

"Oh, of course," said Kirumi, shifting gears and returning to her dutiful demeanor. "Have you made a decision regarding my proposal?"

"Yeah," Ryoma muttered in reply. "You can tag along, I guess. It'll help me feel less awkward with other students around, and like you said, you can make use of the time to be productive as well. It'll take a bit of getting used to for me, though, and I hope you won't think that me being all quiet while I'm exercising means that I'm ignoring you."

"Don't worry, I understand."

"Good. So are we gonna start later, or tomorrow?"

"Starting tomorrow should give us both some ample time to prepare," said Kirumi. "In the meantime, we can lay down our plans for our respective workout regimens."

"Sure thing."

As the two of them began discussing their exercise plans, Kirumi took note of everything Ryoma was laying out, making sure to remember each and every detail in order for her to make any improvements that she felt were necessary for Ryoma's comfort and productivity. Ryoma expressed his wish to start off slow with some cardio and static exercises before transitioning into more physically rigorous workouts. Kirumi began offering examples of other workouts that she had read about in fitness books and articles before, and surprisingly, Ryoma tackled her suggestions with slightly more attention and purpose than usual. While she was thankful for this, Kirumi wondered if their brief talk about that girl from his past had anything to do with it.

When the first bell rang to signal the end of lunchtime, the two of them had managed to piece together a good start. "I will make sure to write everything down and hand you a copy later, should you wish to consult it in private," Kirumi said as she stood up from the bench, making ready to go back to the academy's main building. "You are free to make any changes, though if you wish to change the time for it, please let me know beforehand."

"Sure, though I doubt I'd change the schedule. Four o'clock in the afternoon sounds just fine," said Ryoma. "Do you want me to just wait for you at the gym? Or do you want to meet up somewhere first so that we can go together?"

"I might arrive earlier or later than you, so I think it would be best if we just meet up at the gymnasium," replied Kirumi. "I will also bring some fresh towels and other amenities, as well as some sports drinks for you and the other gym goers."

"Okay, just don't burden yourself by carrying a lot of stuff, alright? If you need any help carrying it, just come to me."

"I will. Thank you."

At that, Ryoma jumped off the stone bench and dusted himself off, glancing at the main building in the distance. "Do you still have somewhere to go before you go back?" he asked.

"I might take a detour and check for a few things at the faculty before I go back to the dorms," said Kirumi. "Aren't you hungry? If you are, I can prepare a quick meal for you just in case."

"No need. I'll be fine for most of the afternoon, thanks."

"Very well. I hope to see you in class later, Ryoma."

"I'll see if I can get myself together by then."

At that, Ryoma began walking back to the main building in silence. Kirumi, on the other hand, hung back and watched him go. The brief gleam of determination that she had seen in him earlier was now gone, dissipating in the noontime sunlight like mist on a hot day, though not without the hope that it would return. And that was something that Kirumi would have to see for herself come four o'clock tomorrow.

When he was already some distance away, Ryoma stopped in his tracks. He stood there for a moment, unmoving, before turning back to look at Kirumi over his shoulder.

"Isabella," he said.

Kirumi's brow furrowed with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Pardon?"

"That was her name," said Ryoma. "Isabella."

And with that, he turned away and continued walking back to the main building. Kirumi remained where she were, dwelling on his words and the name he had chosen to share. Above her, the maple tree swayed in the noontime breeze, its faint rustles speaking to her like whispers from the past.

A/N: Glad to turn this chapter in before the weekend ends. I don't know when the next one will be considering everything that's been happening recently, but as always, I'll do my best to deliver in two weeks' time. Stay clean and safe, everyone. See you in the next chapter!