Chapter 10: In The End, The Snow Still Falls

Yukinoshita POV, Yukinoshita's apartment, Day of Graduation Festival

Waking up.

As I couldn't come up with a better description for getting out of bed on the day of the Graduation Festival, I assume that I was still tired enough that my mental capacity could not register basic language. Feels strange due to the notion I've been sleeping more often than ever over the past week. It is almost counter-intuitive, how more sleep somehow induces a feeling of lethargy and mental cloudiness….or something like that. Looking out the window, I see the sky slowly changing from a hazy darkness to red, orange, and finally sky blue. The colors layering over each other, extending across the entire field of view, as if welcoming the arrival of the sun and the new day. Streaks of white patterned the hues of orange and purples, most likely from high-flying airplanes on their journey to somewhere else in the world. I felt attached to my bed for the duration of the sunrise, calmly staring outside my bedside window, feeling lost in such palette of colors. It does occur everyday, and it's taken for granted by most people….though I developed a notion to cherish this one moment in time, as if it was truly the last time. I was thinking nonsense, so as the sun finally made its way into the sky, I rose from my bed to prepare for school. Not school as in academically, but for final preparations for the Graduation festival.

In terms of the committee, after Shiromeguri-senpai's inclusion and insightful leadership, we were able to plan out and execute the festival successfully. Shiromeguri-senpai was indeed a respected figure from both student councils, so both groups rallied under her guidance, increasing productivity almost infinitely. The first meeting with the full council had produced all the logistics for the festivities, events, food, as well as planning for the grande finale: the firework show. The school was granted permission by the city to have fireworks set off at such a large scale, as Shiromeguri-senpai insisted on having a show akin to Destinyland….though I choose not to recall the events that occurred on that occasion. In other words, I'd rather stay this way for now….at least past the festival.

The fireworks was probably the biggest obstacle that was brought up during the committee post-Shiromeguri, since a show of such scale posed some safety concerns and a lot of logistical struggle. However, it was all done successfully through the effort of everybody on the council, and the city council and education board both approved the deal, allowing for probably one of the most spectacular displays for the graduating seniors to date. Reactions included a generous round of applause for Shiromeguri-senpai, a lot of cheering, shouting, and hugging, mainly from Yuigahama-san, but then spreading to Isshiki-san and company. They were truly excited for what was to become the largest and most planned-out festival for a long time, combining all food and entertainment with the fireworks…

Well...I'm getting ahead of myself now; there's still some final preparation before the festival starts this afternoon. I realized I had already gone through the necessary morning routines, so all that was left was get my belongings and leave for Sobu High, that's all. I reached for my bag and made sure I had everything I needed. Then, for the first time in while, I decided not to set my clock; it's always been my thing to set it in the morning...though today I didn't feel inclined to do so. As I thought about the clock, I instinctively turned back to my bed...noticing a small paper resting on one of the pillows. It must have been something I was working on last night before falling asleep….not festival-related, so I felt no need to bring it with me. With everything settled, I unhooked my coat and put it on before leaving. Down the stairs, around the corner, through the front doors, just like any other morning to school.

I feel the slight chill of the morning air, but it wasn't as biting as previous days, instead filling me with a sense of invigoration. It was a day of celebration, and the initial weather reports seem to point to a beautiful day for said celebration. I turned right, following the steps of countless images of myself on their path to school. I traversed this familiar path so many times before it was probably ingrained in my mind, almost like a comforting thought that I'm on track to somewhere. Yet, was that sense worth a slight sacrifice of fulfillment? Something different? I stopped at an intersection, at which I would usually cross paths with Yuigahama-san and walk together to school. However, I believe I was slightly earlier than usual, so she must have still been sleeping or preparing to leave. In these cases, I would continue my path to school and just wait for her there...but instead I had an urge to take a different path. Instead of turning right, I continued straight, walking into an otherwise quiet downtown area. The only people passing by were businessmen going to work, or joggers taking their morning run. Most shops were closed at this point; probably in an hour or two this part of town will be crowded with people. But now, this street felt peaceful, serene, tranquil in a way, as I kept walking past shops and buildings. The buildings became shorter as I got closer to the park, and at the final intersection I again thought a bit about turning to school.

In the end, it could wait. I continued across the street, taking the path into the park. The trees haven't grown leaves yet, but there were signs of life in the form of little buds at the tips of the branches. The snow still covered the ground, but in some spots the pointed tips of grass starting poking out of their winter slumber. Tiny footprints across the snow made it clear that little animals were starting to come out….meaning the end of winter was approaching. I kept walking, through periods of straight paths and curving bends, stopping once again at something that caught my eye. One tree had bloomed early, showcasing its pink flowers. Even in the cold, the snow, this one tree had shown its colors, as if it had been impatiently waiting for the beginning of spring but diverged from the path. Where did I hear that before….but I decided it wasn't worth the thought. I stared at the tree, admiring the beauty, but also remembering how early bloomers often were faced with unfavorable consequences...there were already signs of change… like the petals already starting to fall on the ground below, forming the beginning of the pink blanket. In biology, the early-blooming trees were unfavorable as the birds have not arrived yet from migration, making reproduction not as likely. Also, the early start also shows signs of the tree's biological clock no longer as punctual or accurate as before...whether due to natural age or illness. In the end, the early bloom leaves this tree susceptible to frost, and only some sort of miracle that could protect the tree would be able to produce a positive outcome, hence saving it. It was like...nevermind.

I moved on. Walking away from the tree, away from the park, away from it all. It no longer interested my mind, the natural beauty of the tree now fading into a distant memory. It was still pretty on the surface….perhaps I will leave it at that and move on. Eventually I reached the familiar walkway, stretching towards the entrance of Sobu High. Even from a distance, signs of movement were visible; anything from giant banners to decorated stands were shifted left and right. The sun was now a considerable distance over the horizon, shining over the school grounds and illuminating the large amount of glitter used in some sections. It must have been close to mid-morning, so the "walk" I had must have really turned into a journey. Nevertheless, I eventually wound up here, as if there was only one path to begin with. Slowly yet steadily, the image of the school grounds enlarged so I could make out the faces of the students moving boxes, fixing banners, and adjusting the event stands. One of these faces I recognized, wearing a giant grin and practically bouncing off the nonexistent walls...it was none other than Yuigahama-san. I made it to the entrance and was greeted by Yuigahama-san rather excitedly.

"Yukinon! Can't you believe it the festival's today and it's gonna be sooooo great!"

"Yes it will….but we still have to prepare." she nodded in agreement.

"Hm..I didn't see you earlier Yukinon…."

"Yeah, I took a slightly longer path to school today." Almost as if by cue, Isshiki-san, Hayama-kun, and Shiromeguri-senpai appeared from behind one of the food stands to greet us.

"Hey Yukino-senpai!"

"Good morning Yukinoshita-san."

"Heyo Yukinoshita-san!"

"Good morning Isshiki-san, Hayama-kun, Shiromeguri-senpai...nice to see you all." I decided to turn things back to festival prep. "Is everything going fine with the final preparations."

Shiromeguri-senpai replied. "Things are going great! Just a few banners and stuff need to be hung up, and the fireworks crew should be arriving soon to put in the magic." As she said this, I could almost see mini fireworks going off in her eyes….

"You seem very excited about the fireworks." I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Of course...that'll blow everyone away with the pyrotechnics! Well…" she smiled at this point, "I'll act surprised about it anyway. This idea was really all of you guys coming together for us seniors. I only helped a tiny bit, so I'd like to thank you all for making this happen." Shiromeguri-senpai was really understating how much she helped everyone out, but it made sense that she was honoring our efforts to make this festival a reality. Well, it was reality just yet; we still had some work to do.

"Well, it's thanks to you Shiromeguri-senpai that we've gotten this far, so let's go all the way this time." This statement seems to have initiated our little group to put our hands in the middle similar to scenes in sports games, and we broke off to our own activities and preparations. It was apparent that the work that was left for us summed up to less than a few hour's job at most, so I presumed everything would be set in stone before lunch, leaving us with some down time before the festival starts.

The first task I started involved setting up the banner that would span the front entrance. The underclassmen from the Art Club took on many of the design aspects of the project, including the banners, so they all came out really nicely. Now all was left was to attach the ends to the poles across the pathway, so I got to one side with a step-ladder lying on the ground. Coincidentally, Yuigahama-san wound up on the other side of the walkway, excitedly waving a hand at me while we both proceeded to pick the banner up. Other students came to make sure we were safe while on top of the ladder. Although Yuigahama-san and I were not the tallest people there, the steps made it quite easy to attach the ends to the pole. The only tricky part was adjusting the sides so that the sign had a nice curve to it, so it wasn't sagging nor too stiff. Both Yuigahama-san and I were fiddling with the ends, since it was either too shifted to the left or right, too high, too low, and so on. After a few minutes of fine-tuning, the banner rested perfectly on top of the poles, the light wind letting the glitter on the banner sparkle in the sunlight. For a second, everything was peaceful as I admired the banner, the kanji artistically painted in with illustrations….then….

There was a cracking sound, then something like a bolt dropping to the ground.I felt confused as the air beside me started rushing upwards, the banner seeming to float farther away. It took me a second to realize that my feet were no longer on the ladder, therefore I was falling.

"Yukinon!"

Again, came a moment where time seemed to slow down. It felt….oddly calming, everything in slow motion before reality kicked in. Just….a little more time….

In the end, I felt a sharp pain run across my left knee before I landed on the surrounding students. I was fortunate they were there to break my fall, or I would assume my injuries would have been more severe. I didn't come out unscathed though, as my hand instinctively went to my left knee, starting to feel hot and sore. A line of red became a little wider before bleeding down, and the sight of the cut across my knee almost instantly sent pain signals to my brain. Gritting my teeth, I looked over to see what must have happened, and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw the ladder in shambles. The top step had separated from the rest of the structure, leaving a sharp metal edge with a faint drop of red at its tip. More students gathered around me, including Yuigahama-san, Hayama-kun, and Isshiki-san. They all had expressions of mild shock and sympathy, which didn't surprise me. However, I knew this was at most a freak accident, and that it shouldn't require the attention of the entire student body for one small cut….but it still hurts.

I shifted my weight onto my right leg and addressed the growing crowd. "Guys, I will be fine. It is just a cut so I will go to the infirmary to get it bandaged. You can all go back to finishing the preparations, alright?" They seemed satisfied with my answer, and the crowd slowly dispersed back to normal operations.

"Yuigahama-san, do you mind helping me to the infirmary?" She looked at me, at first with surprise, but quickly melted into a smile as she nodded firmly. She came over to my left side and basically wrapped her entire right side around me. Not what I was envisioning initially, but I believe this works as well. We made our way past the students and into the school building, conveniently unlocked by the staff so we could access supplies for the festival. Since the infirmary was on the second floor, the next obstacle became the stairs. Yuigahama-san's method suddenly became useful as it made climbing the stairs much easier than I expected. Before long, we made it to the room, and I slid the door open and entered.

"Yukinon, let me get you all cleaned and bandaged up!" Well, I didn't have much of a choice as Yuigahama-san quickly slid past me and started opening up the cabinets filled with medicines and supplies. I conceded, taking a seat near the window.

"Okay, just make sure to not mix up the bottles and accidently kill me-"...that sounded a bit off coming from me.

Yuigahama-san took my comment quite comically. "Waahh? Of course not….I'm not that airheaded?! I mean….this has to be easier than cooking, since all I need is the rubbing alcohol and the ointment and some bandages….and…..um…."

I started laughing. "Yes, you got them all." I looked down to inspect the injury more closely. It was a pretty clean cut across the knee, not deep enough to sever anything important, but still a bad cut. I tried bending my knee, noticing that after a certain angle the pain becomes pretty severe, so I left it relaxed. By the time I was done assessing my leg, Yuigahama-san came with the spray and enough bandages to mummify someone. She got down and started cleaning the knee, bringing out the spray to disinfect. I braced myself, and tried not to show any signs of pain as the alcohol stung like hell. I probably failed in staying emotionless, as Yuigahama-san noticed and gave a warm look.

"It's okay, of course this would hurt like a lot, and it must suck….but you can tough it out!" She clenched her fist with a look of determination, borderline constipation, but I got her point. She continued, wiping the excess alcohol and applying the antiseptic before starting the bandage wrapping. "Y'know, you'll always strong and dependable as a friend. I wouldn't have done so well my second year without you." She suddenly stopped applying the bandage, looking up at me with a smile on her face, yet I could see something amiss. Her expression slowly revealed her true emotions, as tears started falling.

"Y-You're the greatest friend like ever….and I'm….I'm nowhere as helpful….I'm….sorry!"

She moved forward, landing on me and wrapping her arms around my back. Her head rested on my shoulder, and I found my hands instinctively wrapped around her to comfort her. Yet there was no prior reason for this situation to occur, nothing that could have prompted something as emotionally charged to happen as they have happened at the present time. There was….perhaps…nevermind. I let this play on for about a minute before getting us out of there. That room had a bit too much sentiment attached to it, and I was not to blame her for anything related to it. But right now we still have one goal to accomplish.

We both stood up to leave, and as I watched Yuigahama-san, I could tell she was still somewhat shaken by whatever had just happened but was doing her best to seem cheerful. Her eyes were still a bit tinged with red, and she tried to prevent the bit of sniffling, but I chose to ignore those details as we headed back downstairs towards the preparations. By the time we got back down, I was pretty sure they would have been able to get the banner upright and fixed at the front entrance, so I was not surprised when we walked outside that it was completed. Hayama-kun and Isshiki-san came toward us and asked how my leg was doing. I said it was alright, nothing really to worry about. Of course they seemed concerned about it, pointing out how I had a bit of a limp from that one knee, but I assured them that it would be fine for tonight and from then on it would heal. After a bit more appeasement, everyone seemed ready to move on and finish up the final touch-ups before the opening. I got most of the light materials ready across the stalls, and before long it looked as though we had finally finished.

We had finally finished. Was this really what I wanted...since afterwards I knew it would be over. Then-

"Yukinon! We're going to lunch now, so let's go!" I felt Yuigahama-san get a hold of my arm as she brought me over to the rest of the group. It seems that I had spaced out a bit judging by everyone's reactions, but I brushed it aside. No point in getting all sentimental again.

"Alright then, let's have some lunch," I agreed, and we all headed out.

Lunch.

Nothing really important came of this basic consumption of food, just friendly interactions between classmates before waiting for the opening of the festival. So, I didn't feel much attention being paid to these few hours at the place we were at, or what I was really eating, or the conversation that was going on between Yuigahama-san and the others. It must have been heated for a bit, since I could hear Yuigahama-san's voice pretty clearly through the whole conversation. But I was more focused on something outside. I was just looking at the sky, feeling my vision hover around a cloud floating in the sky. I couldn't discern what it exactly looked like, but it was quite interesting. Quite a bizarre cloud I would presume, since its shape kept shifting as it passed by. It looked like a cat at first, then morphing into a human face. It had everything; the hair, the nose, the eyes, the mouth, the ahog-

"Yukinon, you're spilling your drink!"

"Eh?" I quickly looked down and straightened my glass before any more would spill onto the table. I grabbed a few napkins and cleaned up the mess, apologizing a bit for spacing out. Once I looked back up to the sky, the cloud was gone. Strange.

I felt a bit of spite wash over my mind, a moment where he had somehow worked his way back into my thoughts. I wanted to scream and tell him to get out, to stop...but as I was going to, the thoughts disappeared and I returned to my former position with everyone else. The agitation was gone, though those feelings had taken away quite a bit of energy from myself, as if I had run a marathon, which is strange since I would never think of running one with my stamina, or lack of stamina that is. The feeling was shrouded in emptiness; I obviously hid it, making sure I held a steady hand and usual composure for the rest of lunch. It wasn't so difficult, since by that time everyone had eaten their food and were only chatting about certain topics I did not feel inclined to think about. Not long after, the group decided it was time to head back towards the school and start what was going to be the largest student-held event in Chiba since who knows when.

Was I excited? It was hard to say. Maybe the question is whether it would be better if I felt excited for this.

Well...would it?

"Yukinon, over here!"

I turned my head, following the voice to Yuigahama-san, who seemed just about thrilled at the moment. She was holding a generous amount of food in her hands, and I could not help but laugh a little at her reaction to all this food. She somehow managed to hold all of it with one hand before holding onto my wrist with the other, pulling me towards her.

"C'mon, there's so much to do over here! Have some food as well!" she chirped before handing me a skewer of yakitori. As we walked further into the festival, I slowly nibbled on the yakitori, letting the taste of the chicken linger a little longer than usual.

It was undoubtedly delicious; the chicken was so tender it would melt on my tongue.

Yuigahama-san was still trying to drag me somewhere, and I realized that I haven't really asked her where we were going in particular. Once I asked, she just turned around and smiled.

"Don't worry, it's really fun!" We passed by a few more food stalls before she brought us to where many of the games were.

I smiled.

Yuigahama-san will always be Yuigahama-san.

"Yui-senpaiii!" I turned again, and none other than Isshiki-san appeared. Yuigahama-san was currently trying to hook a small balloon for the fifth time. Isshiki-san walked over, as cheerful as usual, but as she got closer I could tell a more sincere expression on her face.

"How's it going?" she asked, looking directly at me.

"Well, the festival's been pretty fun, nice and relaxing," I replied, nodding towards Yuigahama-san over there on her sixth attempt.

"Mm, that's good!" Isshiki-san beamed. "How's your leg then?"

I looked down at my leg, where the bandages were still wrapped around. It still hurt, and if I weren't having this much fun I would probably be in a worse condition. But at this moment, I felt normal.

"It feels fine now, thanks for asking," I replied.

"Great!" Everything was so nice today. The preparations, the festival itself, all leading to the planned fireworks event. Smooth and quite relaxing indeed. I-

"Yui-senpai….is something wrong?"

"Huh?" I asked, completely caught off guard by Isshiki-san. She looked quite disturbed by something, and she was definitely staring in my direction with an uncomfortable look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"You're...crying…"

No...

As she said this, a slight breeze passed us by, and I felt the cooling sensation on my cheeks. The same feeling, only reminded me of emptiness, of coldness, even in the warmer spring evening. Bringing back the dead of winter, and I...I-

"Yukinon!" Yuigahama-san had come back from the stall, with one of the balloons in her hand, and her expression changed as she came into view.

She wore the same expression Isshiki-san held. Strained and worried.

"Yukinon? You…you okay?"

"I…" I couldn't speak again.

"Yukinon…"

"Yui-senpai?"

With that, I saw other familiar faces start to draw nearer, including Hiratsuka-sensei and Shiromeguri-senpai.

I...there was nothing left to do really.

I had fun today.

"I'll...go into the school and relax a bit." I quickly said, turning my direction towards the building. "It's fine, just need a little time to think. You guys can stay here and have fun."

"Yukinon...but-"

"It's fine, Yui." I used her first name...wasn't sure if it slipped out or was intentional. But with that she seemed slightly surprised, eventually agreeing with my point with a nod. Isshiki-san didn't reply, but let me walk towards the school by myself. The doors were unlocked in case we needed any supplies or stuff like that from the school for the festival.

Pushing the doors open, I started walking the halls, and instantly I felt the pain from my leg get worse and worse. I wasn't really walking anymore, more like limping. That wasn't the real pain I was facing though.

There was definitely a torrent of emotions passing by, each only lasting a couple of seconds before my mind raced towards another place. I was a mess. The hallways seemed darker than before; my mind didn't comprehend that it was getting towards sunset so logically it would be darker than usual. My legs took me somewhere I was not yet aware of, yet I could only remember the feeling of walking up the flight of stairs because it caused an increased amount of strain on the injured knee. I made it up the stairs, then slowly walked down the familiar halls.

There was the infirmary to the left. The sun was setting, giving the room that orange glow as I remembered... I was here before. The latter with Yuigahama-san, and the former with...him.

This sparked my imagination once more, seeing the image of both him and I sitting there after the sports festival. That time I was treating his injuries, and we were so close together it was hard to breathe. For a moment, I caught a glimpse of her point of view, the girl with flowing black hair and cold demeanor kneeling there next to him. Looking at his eyes, as rotten as they were. Forgetting about school, about his or her...my responsibilities, or the time of day or day of the week. A that moment, it was just him and I, and nobody else. She...I was very close to him.

In reality, I was still so far. Too far to even move any closer, and with that the moment passed, the opportunity eclipsed itself and became shrouded in shadows once more.

I must have been standing there for at least ten minutes, as when I came to the sun was significantly lower, almost at the point of sunset. My heart was beating faster, and my cheeks were warm, contrasting the cooling effect of the tears.

I was lost, but I figured it would be all right in the end. This was how it was to be.

I smiled wistfully, moving away from the infirmary. I found the stairs again, but instead of going down I traveled up, making sure I didn't trip or injure my leg any more. Another flight of stairs...then up one more flight. Before I knew it, I was on the roof.

I met the cooler air with a slight chill, but after I felt accustomed to the outside again I started moving along the rooftop, looking up at the sky streaked in multiple colors. It was similar to the colors of the morning, obviously in the opposite direction, but equally beautiful. It was beautiful.

I moved closer towards the edge, getting a better view of the festival below. The stalls lined up across the main entrance, and students were moving in all directions: eating, playing games, and mostly having fun. Among those people were Yuigahama-san, Isshiki-san, Shiromeguri-senpai, Hayama-kun, Tobe-kun, Miura-san, Kawasaki-san, Totsuka-kun, Ebina-san, and Hiratsuka-sensei, among all the other students and staff there. All of them...carrying on. Moving forward.

It was a bit too late on my part, then.

I moved away, walking towards the other side of the roof, my footsteps slowly yet surely beating to the rhythm of the music below. The pain in my leg was mitigated, almost feeling like I had not injured it at all. I believed the tears have dried, so the breeze felt not stinging but more welcoming. I walked forwards, but if I stared at the sky it would seem I was not moving at all.

I reached the ledge. I looked around...realizing that the fireworks were going to be set off any moment now. They would come from the front, so I turned around and sat on the ledge.

I wasn't sure how much time passed...but sure enough the crowd down there quieted down and time slowed down. My hands felt the cool and rough texture of the concrete ledge, meeting my fingers with a gentle touch. The wind blew forwards a bit, pushing my hair in front of me to see. The sun shone ahead, now at sunset. The night was quickly approaching, but the fireworks were about to begin.

We made sure the fireworks were going to be precisely timed and choreographed for maximum visual effect.

I closed my eyes for a second, letting myself relax and absorb the world through my other senses. The low whistling of the air around my ears, mixing with the murmur of the crowd below and the chirping of birds from above. The clean smell of an approaching spring, with subtle hints of the food being cooked and served below. I could almost taste the yakitori I had earlier. The warmth of the sun blanketing my face, the flow of the wind from behind.

At the same time, a slow progression of images passed into my vision like an old movie reel. Memories, both good and bad, playing across. The infirmary scene vanished as quickly as it appeared, and so did many others. The first time I was in the Service Club. That look on Hiratsuka-sensei's face when she brought him in: content and masked humor.

Getting to know Yuigahama-san...first with the failed baking attempt that slowly led to her joining the club. All the times we got to hang out through our club duties, growing closer together because of the time we spent after school in the name of the Service Club.

Aiding Isshiki-san with everything the Student Council threw at her, which she decided to the throw on Hikigaya-kun, and subsequently taking some of the load on our shoulders as well. Nevertheless, it felt a bit satisfying seeing out the success of the events the Student council planned, whether it was the Christmas party or this senior festival.

And then...there was Hikigaya-kun, someone who managed to go against everything I was expecting or attempting to do but in the end making these past few months much more than it would have been otherwise. My mind flickered over all the times we were sitting in the club room; he would be reading his childish light novel, while I read more sophisticated literature. He drank his overly sweet MAX coffee, and I had my cup of tea. He had his ultimately logical and rotten personality, contrasting my mature yet aloof character. I wouldn't have talked to him under normal circumstances.

So the circumstances were anything but normal.

Neither of us were so-called normal. And it was in that fact I think we were able to be together, to grow closer.

Finally, the trip to Destinyland comes to mind. After shopping for Pan-san clothes and stuff, he and I were on one of the rides, separated from the others. We were on the ride now, and to be honest it was quite awkward at first. But after a bit of talking, it become comfortable...and I looked over to him, his ahoge and all. His eyes were still looking out towards the outside, as we were approaching the end of the tunnel and eventually the waterfall.

The light illuminated his face, and for a second I could see those small pupils of his shine. I looked at him for a bit longer, feeling something I couldn't explain then.

"Hey, Hikigaya-kun…" I said, grabbing his attention. I didn't notice my hand moving towards him, holding onto the cuff of his jacket. He turned, obviously surprised.

The ride moved outside, the color-filled amusement park below us.

"Help me someday."

I'm back on the rooftop ledge, looking up at the sky. My eyes are open now, gazing at the expanse of sky above. At that moment, I heard the first of the fireworks sizzle and ignite from the ground, shooting up towards the air to light up the fastly approaching night.

I smiled...feeling somehow refreshed by this moment.

"It's okay, Hikigaya-kun." I said out loud, still looking upwards, at nothing in particular at all. "You…"

My voice hitched for a second, but I regained my voice to continue.

"You don't have to help me anymore…"

"You're free."

My smile faltered at this, but that moment of hesitation melted away.

The first firework opened up in the sky, expanding in an orange sparkle of light in all directions. I froze for a second, before more fireworks became airborne, building the momentum of the show with greater and greater intensity.

My hands slid forwards, while I let my body naturally slide in the opposite direction. My legs were already moving up the ledge, and before I knew it I was standing again.

It's okay Hikigaya-kun. You've...you've done so much, and I really appreciate it…

My feet shuffled closer towards the edge, until my heels were no longer touching the concrete.

Even if I haven't said it to you...I'll cherish being your clubmate…

The wind ruffled my dress and hair a bit as it passed by, as I waited for it to calm for just a moment.

Your friend….

A firework was just launched, soaring higher than the others...it was going to be larger than the others...and beautiful

And...your lover.

My body moved freely, unrestrained by the feeling of being weighed down. My breath came easy, my movements more fluid and open.

I blinked, the smile on my face still present before I opened my mouth one last time, hearing my voice once more to say a few choice words.

"Goodbye, Hikigaya-kun."

With that, I disconnected from the ground, feeling the air around me carry my weight instead. The firework exploded above, illuminating the sky in multiple colors, spreading across my entire field of vision.

The whistling grew louder, but the feeling in my arms and legs diminished until my eyes too became heavy. I caught one last glimpse of the heavens, engulfed in light, contrasted with shadows, mainly one directly above. The firework was dissipating, returning to its natural state. The shadow become universal, as my eyes closed and I let go.

Farewell.

A/N: Well, that was a long time. School, etc. But after all that time, a chapter is finally here. I will continue this story to the end, because it deserves a good ending. 5 months is too long, I agree. So, there will be a lot of explaining to do in future chapters, so I'll get to work and I hope you guys continue to enjoy what is to come. Thanks for all the support, and now that I'm moving out of the hiatus this story can get the work it deserves. Alright, enough from me, time for the next chapter. See you soon.