Ink between us

It had been two years since graduation, but the air inside Kogawa High still smelled the same—chalk dust, floor polish, and that faint scent of blooming cherry trees that always lingered near the windows in spring.

The reunion was held in the old gymnasium, but guests were encouraged to roam the school grounds beforehand. Familiar corridors buzzed with distant laughter and sudden outbursts of joy. Class 3-A's reunion was more than just a catch-up session—it was a return to a time and place that had shaped them all.

Ren Sakamoto stepped into their old classroom first, his sketchpad tucked loosely under one arm. The desks were arranged the same way they had been when he and Yuuji Aikawa had sat three rows apart—before life tangled their fates into something a lot more intimate.

"Still looks small," a voice said behind him.

Ren turned and found Yuuji leaning on the doorway, dressed in a clean blazer that clashed with the warm fondness in his gaze.

"You got taller," Ren replied dryly, before adding, "or maybe just smugger."

Yuuji chuckled, stepping in. "You missed this place, didn't you?"

"I missed what happened in it," Ren said, voice lower now, almost reverent. "Not the place."

---

Soon after, the others arrived.

Ian Moore and Rio Wilson were trailing behind a laughing pack of classmates—Rio enthusiastically hugging everyone while Ian offered his usual soft-spoken greetings. Kenji Suguru and Will Ethan came last, walking side by side, Will doing most of the talking while Kenji offered small nods and rare but honest smiles.

Classroom 3-A slowly filled with more and more familiar faces: classmates who had moved away, others who stayed close. There was Chisato Arata, who now worked in Sapporo's local government. Mayu Nishikawa, training to be a nurse. Tetsuo Inoue, who'd gone into robotics. Even Hina and Kaito—who had been best friends and rivals through school—had shown up, still arguing about who had the better math grades.

The six boys gravitated to their shared row of desks, each of them gazing out the window for a moment. The cherry tree just outside still swayed with the same rhythm it did during their last day of school.

---

"Group photo in the gym!" someone called from the hallway.

They all stood, laughing, brushing dust from their pants, and headed toward the gymnasium, where rows of folding chairs and old decorations set the nostalgic mood.

Teachers stood at the edge, smiling. Mr. Takeda, their former homeroom teacher, stood proudly with a clipboard in hand.

"So many of you have changed," he said, his voice fond but full of pride. "But I can still see the same spark in your eyes."

When the camera clicked, Ren found his hand brushing Yuuji's again. Their fingers didn't quite lace, but the tension between them wasn't unnoticed—especially by Rio, who grinned and leaned closer to Ian, whispering something that made the latter roll his eyes.

The event flowed with food, games, and surprise segments: a short slideshow of their high school memories, old project displays retrieved from storage, and even a small awards segment.

Will received "Most Dramatic Glow-Up."

Ren was voted "Most Likely to Have a Museum Wing Named After Him."

Yuuji, not to be outdone, received "Most Likely to Win a Debate in His Sleep."

---

Later, during the free-roam hour, the six of them slipped back into their classroom, joined by a few others from their original group project days: Sanae Kudo, Arashi Tanaka, and Miho Yamazaki.

Rio perched on a desk, swinging his legs. "It's weird, isn't it? Coming back here… It's like we're ghosts walking through our own memories."

"You're always dramatic," Ian said, but his voice was softer than usual. "Still… you're right."

Ren had opened his sketchpad and was already scribbling the silhouettes of the desks, classmates in motion, a blackboard stained with chalk ghosts.

"I missed this," Will whispered, glancing at Kenji beside him. "Being in a room full of people who really knew me."

Kenji didn't say anything, but he leaned closer, their arms brushing. That was answer enough.

---

Before they left, Mr. Takeda gathered everyone by the entrance gate.

"One last tradition," he said, holding a marker. "Sign your name—just inside the old flagpole base. You'll be part of this school's story forever."

Ren hesitated before writing his name in careful strokes. Yuuji added his below it. Ian and Rio wrote theirs side-by-side. Will doodled a small theater mask next to his, and Kenji simply wrote his name in clean, bold kanji.

The six of them stood together one last time under the now-darkening sky.

"Let's not wait years before the next one," Yuuji murmured.

"I'll hold you to that," Ren said, smiling.

---

As they parted ways for the night—some to the station, others to late-night cafés—their hearts felt fuller, grounded. The past wasn't something to mourn. It was something to visit, to honor, and then move forward from—hand in hand, or at least close enough to reach.

Because what started in classroom 3-A never truly ended.

It just grew up with them.