A single drop of sweat trickles down his temple.

"Ah... seriously, it's so hot. This is the worst ever."

The classroom is thick with the smell of students' sweat and the musty scent of the air conditioner. Outside the closed windows, the sound of cicadas buzzing rings out. They cry so loudly that the sound echoes inside the classroom despite the windows being shut. There was even a funny incident where students argued about why the windows were open while the AC was on.

My sweat-soaked gym clothes clung to my back. The back of my neck was drenched in sticky sweat, and my face turned red on its own from the heat. Fanning myself with my hands didn't help at all.

'...I'm going to get burned.'

I looked down at my arms and legs, which were exposed to the sunlight. They were turning reddish, looking like they were being cooked. I placed my palm on the top of my head, which had grown hot from the sun. At first, it was a pleasant warmth, but as the seconds passed, it became so hot that I eventually pulled my hand away. I suddenly wanted a shower.

I roughly wiped the sweat from my chin with the back of my hand and tried to focus on class again. I wished we could have had class in the gym on a day like this. Looking around, every kid in the class had a flushed face and was soaked in sweat. The sight was strangely cute, so I swallowed a laugh to myself.

---

'Ah, class is over.'

The kids all complained that it was too hot to do PE properly and headed back into the school building. I was about to follow them while fanning myself when suddenly, a garden-like area—not too far away—that the school had placed off-limits caught my eye. Usually, I would have passed it by without a thought, but the unusually lush green leaves and blooming petals moved my heart, leading me there naturally.

Grass being crushed under my feet, small bugs flying around with a buzzing sound, sunlight failing to reach the ground because of the thick leaves, colorful flowers, benches installed for some unknown purpose, and a person lying on one of them. It was better maintained than I thought...

A person?

I rubbed my eyes and looked again; it really was a person. That person was lying on the bench without moving an inch. Fortunately, the bench he was on was in the shade of a tree, so the sunlight wasn't hitting his face directly.

Without realizing it, I quieted my footsteps and approached him. When I checked his face, it was a boy from my class! I couldn't believe it... He skipped class and was sleeping in a place like this.

Then, a stupid thought popped into my head.

'Is he dead?'

There's no way that was the case, but the suspicion arose anyway. Sleeping so peacefully in a restricted area where no one comes was enough to make me wonder. I leaned down, bringing my face close to the boy's. I had to check if he was dead (though he was obviously alive)...

And then I met them. His clear, blue, ocean-like eyes.