A few minutes earlier.

Kiro let the doors close behind him as he entered. He wasn't sure if it was Sayori's school he stumbled into, but he saw no one outside, so he had to go in for answers.

He stood in the hallway, feeling out of place. The school was big on the inside—WAY bigger than his school.

Was he even allowed to be in here?

Probably not.

Groups of students were talking to each other down the hallway, luckily paying no attention to him.

When he was running outside, Kiro was completely on adrenaline. He did ask random people if they knew who Sayori was, but that was completely different from now. Before, he just asked one person at a time, no need for uncomfortable small talk. It was either a yes, a no, or they just didn't care.

Simple. Easy.

But now… not so much.

Kiro looked around, pretending that he knew what he was doing.

He pulled out his dead phone, acting like he had a purpose for being here. Maybe he was meeting up with someone or dropping something off.

Man, I look like an idiot right now.

The school wasn't completely empty. Like his, some classrooms still had voices inside, presumably from after-school activities.

Down the hall on his left, a group of students suddenly burst out in laughter, making Kiro instinctively look down. The thought that they were laughing at him crossed his mind, sending a wave of embarrassment over him.

Dude, what the hell are you even doing at this point?

Kiro didn't have a plan. He never made any, winging everything was his go-to. From quizzes to even final exams, he went with the flow, never studying beforehand. But this? Wandering around a random school that he hoped was Sayori's and didn't even know if he was allowed to be in?

Yeah… it was bad.

With his hoodie up, Kiro kept moving, opposite the groups, trying his best not to look like a weirdo.

He glanced around the posters stuck on the wall as he moved, nodding to himself like they were interesting.

Alright, there's the drama club, the music club, the literature club… yeah, pretty basic stuff. Oh, wait, there's a gaming club? I didn't even know that counted as one.

Turning down a side hallway, Kiro spotted a stairwell leading up at the end of it.

Maybe Sayori's just upstairs, he thought to himself. Hopefully, it ain't as crowded as down here.

He made his way to the stairwell, his steps light as he went up. As he climbed, the noise downstairs died down, easing him a little.

The second floor was the same, just a bit quieter. The only big difference was just the lack of students in the hallways.

Okay, this ain't that bad.

He wandered a bit, his eyes desperately searching for clues. It was the usual stuff: club signups, school elections, and bake sales were plastered all along the hallway.

A soft breeze tugged on his hoodie. He turned his head and saw a door slightly ajar just a few feet away. The room was dimly lit, but from his angle, he could see the edge of something inside.

Kiro crept closer, curious.

What's in here?

He peeked in.

No way…

A piano. A piano sat in the middle of the room, its keys gleaming in the dim light spilling in from an open window. The room was filled with various instruments, including guitars and violins, and even a drum kit was tucked in the back.

Is this the music room?

Kiro remembered that Sayori asked him if he had played the piano once. He said yes, and she thought it was cool. He shrugged it off, though, saying that he wasn't that good.

He stepped in, the door creaking behind him. Something about the piano pulled him in, but in reality, he didn't like playing the piano. Not really. Sure, he liked the piano, who doesn't? But actually playing it left a sour taste in his mouth.

Now, though, standing in front of it… His fingers twitched.

Man, this probably looks hella weird. He shakes his head, thinking, It's a shot, but maybe Sayori remembered that I played once.

Kiro slowly slid onto the bench, his hands flowing over the keys with practised ease. His hoodie was draped over his shoulders, and he bunched up his sleeves to his elbows, making it easier to play.

Kiro looked around him, scanning the empty room again out of paranoia.

No one was here. No one was watching.

No pressure. No expectations.

He exhaled through his nose.

No one to judge him.

Not anymore.

His fingers remained hovering over the keys, motionless for a beat.

Then, they dropped.

Not gentle. Not slow. Not the way that they wanted it to be.

Each note flew out of him like a bird that had been caged for far too long. The notes sparked brightly, lighting up the room and the hallways outside with passionate music.

Kiro's fingers jumped from key to key with clinical precision. There was no sheet music. No practice. No wrist exercises. No hesitation. Just instinct.

The chords emerged fast and confident, almost like he had a score to settle with the piano. His fingers moved like they'd done this millions of times before, gliding over the keys with an instinctive grace that claimed, "Just kidding, I am that good."

Kiro wasn't trying to impress anyone. There was no one to impress.

But damn, did it sound good.

At first, the rhythm was just noise, reckless, and seemed without direction. Then suddenly, it shifted, and the roughness smoothed out.

A melody of something poured from the piano. Kiro couldn't place the exact song, too deep into the motion of his hands and the music swirling around him.

Then, he heard it–barely. The sound was getting covered by the sound of his playing.

Footsteps.

They were carrying something, but that was all Kiro could figure out.

If they walked in, they'd probably compliment him and say he was a genius. Or, just kick him out. Either or. He wasn't very optimistic.

He waited a bit, still playing the piano but at a slower pace.

No one came in.

He continued, and the closing chorus echoed through the empty room, the loudest it's been yet. The last notes were bold, like they had something to prove.

And then the last few keys danced off his fingertips.

The final chord struck.

Then–silence.

Kiro sat hunched over the keys, his chest rising and falling. Sweat dripped down him as his hands hovered over the keys, not knowing what to do now that it was over.

No clapping. No shouting. No attention.

He let out a breath and leaned back slightly, flexing his fingers like he had just regained control of his body.

"...Okay," he whispered to himself. "Hopefully that worked."

Kiro exhaled again, this time out of frustration rather than relief. With the music gone, reality came crashing back.

He rubbed his hands together, wiping the sweat onto his pants. Then, he stood up, the bench creaking beneath him, and glanced at the door.

Maybe Sayori was here and she heard it, maybe she didn't. It might not even be her school.

Still… he tried. Because she asked once, casually, in a conversation that she probably forgot. He remembered, though.

Kiro stepped into the hallway again, looking down both ways.

Nothing.

No coral pink hair. No bow. No bubbly voice asking for food. No Sayori.

She didn't hear me. Besides, it's too late now. I bet she doesn't even need me anymore, he thinks pessimistically, dragging his feet down the corridor.

But…

There was this feeling. Something in the air. That one thing that didn't fit. Almost like doing a puzzle, only to realize that the last piece belonged to a completely different set.

Kiro didn't know what to do next, so he did the only thing he could do: walk aimlessly until he could ask someone if they knew Sayori.

Again.

His eyes were glued to the floor, like it had all the pieces to his imaginary puzzle.

She probably already left. I know I would. Maybe she heard and just… nah, never mind. She wouldn't. Not Sayori.

Kiro ran a hand through his hair and exhaled, his thoughts growing heavier with each step.

Is this what it feels like to get left on read in real life? He thought to himself. Wow, that was not funny at all, great job Kir-

BAM.

"OOF–!"

"AH–!"

Kiro stumbled back, tripping over his own feet. His butt hit the ground hard, knocking his breath clean out of him as something-no, someone– slammed right into him. He winced, blinking confusedly as he sat on the ground.

Right in front of him, also on the ground, was Sayori. The person he was trying to find for so long. The girl who made him run all over town was right in front of him, cradling her head.

Her hair was a mess–probably from the running—and her usual red bow lay lopsided on it, miraculously not falling off. She looked super energetic, like a dog who had just finished doing its exercise.

She never changes, does she? Kiro mused.

Sayori groaned, holding her head like she had just headbutted a wall.

"Wha-why did that hurt so much?!" she whined, her face turning into cartoonish pain as she held her head.

Kiro looked over at her, expressionless. "You're acting like it was my fault that you ran into me."

Sayori flopped dramatically on her back, arms splayed out like she was dying. "Why are you always at the worst places at the worst times?!"

"I was legit just walking a straight line," Kiro deadpanned, brushing dust off his hoodie. "Also, I'm not the one who was running at Mach 5 either."

They both sat there for a minute, collecting their breaths.

Sayori groaned on the floor. "Ughhhh, you're impossible."

Kiro snorted. "You're the one who hit me like Truck-kun. I'm just glad I didn't get the isekai treatment."

"Please," Sayori shot back, "you're one of those types who'd be glad to get isekai'd."

"Yeah, yeah." Kiro rolled his eyes. "You and I both know that if I got isekai'd, I'd probably die to a slime or something."

Sayori burst out in laughter as she sat up. "Well, it's a good thing I had to slow down to round the corner then."

"Yeah, why were you running anyway?" Kiro asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sayori blinked, like she just remembered. "Oh! Right!" Her eyes brightened. "I heard something. I think it was a piano or something. It sounded really good. And it sounded like something you would play."

Kiro tilted his head slightly. "Really? How would you even know that?"

"Yeah-huh! You told me you did, remember?" she said, pointing a finger at him.

"So, you didn't forget…" he murmured.

Sayori tilted her head, confused. "Huh? Did you say something?"

"Nah… not really," Kiro said, a small smile on his face, partly hidden from his hood.

Her eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute. You were the one playing, right?"

Kiro shrugged. "I haven't played in a while. I think the last time I played the piano seriously was a couple of years ago."

He stood up and offered a hand to Sayori. "And besides, I told you I wasn't that good."

"Hmm…" Sayori stroked her chin, deep in thought.

Kiro, chuckling lightly, helped her up. "Alright, Sherlock, whatchu thinking about, now?"

Sayori let him pull her to her feet, her hand on her chin, as she always did when thinking deeply.

"I'm thinking…" she said slowly, squinting up at him. "That you're hiding something."

"Ding! Ding! Ding! We got a winner, folks!" Kiro said playfully.

Sayori pouted, puffing out her cheeks. "Meanie!"

She huffed and crossed her arms, her suspicions melting away as her attention span drifted. "Oh, yeah! I was supposed to bring you back! Like, an hour ago!

Kiro blinked. "Uhh… Back? Back where?"

Sayori gasped like Kiro had just insulted her. "Don't tell me you forgot!?"

He stared blankly at her. "Well, I can't forget something if I never knew about it in the first place, can I?"

She opened her mouth, about to argue… then slowly closed it. "...Okay, maybe I forgot to tell you?"

"Is that a question I'm supposed to answer?" Kiro raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "And why does it sound like you 'forgot' on purpose?"

Sayori laughed nervously and grabbed his sleeve. "C'mon! We're gonna be late!"

"Late? Late for what?" He asked while she pulled him down the hall, towards the stairs.

"You'll see! It's a surprise!"

Kiro groaned. "I swear, every time you say that, something goes wrong, or it gets really complicated."

Sayori giggled as she led him upstairs. "Yeah, but when it does, you're there to fix it!"

"That's because we're friends, and you need someone to keep you from doing something dumb," he muttered.

"Yep!" Sayori said brightly, not denying it.

She hummed cheerfully as she pulled him around her unfamiliar school. Kiro followed reluctantly, not a clue to what Sayori had in store for him.

As they hurried down the hall, Sayori glanced back at him, a grin on her face.

"Hey, you like cupcakes... right?"

Kiro tilted his head, then shrugged. "I mean... I don't not like them, I guess?"

Sayori pumped her fist like she had just won a game. "Perfect!"

Kiro chuckled at Sayori's reaction, amused but skeptical. "Okay... Why?"

She laughed as she ran, tugging Kiro behind her. "You'll see!" She called out over her shoulder.

He lets her pull him along, still suspicious of Sayori and what she could do.

"...Yeah... It's a trap, isn't it?" He mumbles under his breath.