"No, I want you to agree first," Shouko said firmly, shaking her head.

Akira sighed but gave a small nod. He figured it probably wasn't anything outrageous, and her mysterious tone only piqued his curiosity.

"But…" he added, flashing a mischievous smile.

Shouko, who had just relaxed, stiffened again. "B-but what?" she asked, already suspicious.

Seeing her reaction, Akira chuckled. "You'll also have to agree to one condition of mine."

Before she could object, he quickly added, "Don't worry, mine won't be unreasonable either."

Shouko considered it for a moment, then nodded.

She picked up her glass from the table, took a sip, and asked casually, "Can you at least give me a hint?"

"Nope," Akira said flatly, avoiding her eyes.

Just then, a key turned in the front door.

"Mom's back," Akira said, tearing a segment from his orange and handing it to Shouko.

Right on cue, Miyamura Shizuka's cheerful voice came from the entrance. "I'm home!"

The moment she stepped into the living room, still smiling brightly, she playfully snatched the orange out of Akira's hand.

Akira, unfazed, grabbed another from the table and started peeling again. "Something good happen?"

Shouko handed him back her untouched piece of orange, then sneakily stole the one he had just started peeling, nodding in agreement with his question.

Shizuka plopped down beside Shouko on the tatami mat, turned on the TV with the remote, and popped an orange slice in her mouth. Swallowing, she said brightly:

"Your grandfather just called. He wants us to come visit after exams, once your holiday starts."

"Grandpa?" Akira paused mid-chew. The mention brought back memories long tucked away.

He remembered that his grandfather lived in Osaka, where he and Akira's uncle ran an open-air hot spring resort.

They hadn't visited in years—not since his dad's schedule made travel difficult, and his mom didn't want to leave his father home alone. Besides, holiday seasons were the busiest time at the resort.

Still, when they weren't swamped, his grandparents would occasionally visit them instead, leaving the resort in his uncle's care. Officially to see their daughter—but Akira always suspected they were really just taking a break from work.

No wonder his mom was excited. She hadn't seen them in ages either.

"Okay. Let's see if Dad's free," Shizuka said.

Then, catching a flicker of disappointment on Shouko's face, she reached over to ruffle her hair gently. "Don't worry. I'll bring you and Yuzuru too. When you get home, ask Yaeko if she's available to come."

She said it optimistically, but deep down she already knew: Yaeko likely wouldn't be free. As for Kei Nishimiya, it was almost certain she wouldn't come either.

"Okay! I'll ask her!" Shouko beamed. As long as she could still be with Akira during the break, that was all that mattered.

Akira, meanwhile, had already guessed his mom would take them. He didn't mind. He was just… unsure if the hot spring resort still had mixed baths.

Meanwhile, at Suimon Elementary's Principal's Office...

A middle-aged man with thinning hair sat on a couch, legs crossed and cigarette smoldering between his fingers.

"You're saying you're resigning… after graduation?" he asked incredulously, staring at Mr. Takeuchi across from him.

When he first heard the news, he thought it was a joke—until Takeuchi showed him the actual job offer from the private school.

He couldn't understand how a guy like him got hired.

But Takeuchi didn't have his usual submissive tone. Calmly, he picked a cigarette from the man's pack, lit it, and replied:

"Yeah. As soon as Akira Miyamura graduates, I'm gone."

The principal's face darkened. He thought of all the favors he'd done for Takeuchi, all the times he'd cleaned up his messes. To be met with this new, smug attitude—it stung.

His hand twitched. He wanted to slap him, like he'd done before.

But Takeuchi had anticipated the move. He leaned back, dodging easily, then took a long drag of his cigarette.

With a thin smirk, he stood, exhaled a cloud of smoke toward the principal, and walked out without another word.

He didn't need to mock the man. The look of impotent rage was enough. He'd waited a long time for this.

A moment later, behind the closed door, he heard the crash of something breaking—and laughed aloud.

Later that afternoon...

"Mom, I—" Ishida Shoya started, stepping into the salon.

His mother, Miyako, was trimming a customer's hair and cut him off gently. "Shoya, can we talk later? I need to concentrate right now."

Shoya looked around at the other waiting customers. The words caught in his throat. He nodded and quietly slipped away into the back room.

By dinnertime, Miyako finally remembered. "Shoya, what was it you wanted to tell me earlier?"

Shoya paused, his chopsticks frozen mid-air. After a moment, he looked at her, shook his head, and said softly:

"Nothing."

Miyako shrugged and moved on, unaware of the storm quietly building in her son's heart.

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POWER STONE!!!

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