Prologue: Oomuro Sakurako
[ March 2008 ]

"Hello, Ayano-fukukaicho, Chitose-sempai, Rise-kaicho."

They turned and looked over at Oomuro Sakurako, the youngest girl in the student council, a little worriedly. She was usually polite to everyone (except Furutani Himawari, with whom she bickered like a sibling). But today as she stood in the door, she was quiet and dispirited. Sakurako knew they were looking at her, so she went on. "I have to leave the student council, and I won't be back. I hope Himawari makes it to the vice president. It would be a shame being her rival for a year and having someone else be fukukaicho. Please tell her that." She smiled but that only made the expressions of the other people there worse, so she must not have done it right.

Ayano looked at Rise and Chitose, then started to ask "What has happened, Sakurako-san?" "Even if you ask me that," Sakurako said, "I - that is, I can't explain what's going on right now, and I can't stay. I will miss everyone very much." She turned and walked away rapidly but not making much noise.

Sakurako knew there were no tears in her eyes. Years of putting on a front when she was sad had trained her - mostly - to hide those kind of feelings. And now she had no choice. There was no shoulder left to cry on. She didn't have much of a family, and now she had lost Himawari for good. And life was going to get no easier ever again. She'd probably have to leave school and fend for herself after this school year ended. She might - she'd probably never cry again.

Just as she'd come to terms with that and was close to the shoe lockers, a figure loomed out of the shadows and phantom hands reached for Sakurako.