"If you were a bit cuter, I might have considered it." My voice was surprisingly light, even to my own ears. The girl in front of me held her breath for just a split second—and then, she forced a smile. "I see." Leaving only those words, she turned on her heel. Her shadow, stretching out in the sunset, looked painfully thin. I had no reason to stop her. I thought I felt that way, yet something felt stuck in the back of my throat. But in the end, I said nothing. —From that day on, everything began to go wrong. At first, it was just a rumor. "Apparently she confessed to the popular guy and got rejected." That stupid story spread as if for entertainment. Before long, it turned into malice. Being bumped into in the hallway. Being laughed at behind her back. The graffiti on her desk increased. It wasn't just in our class. Before I knew it, it had spread to the entire grade. I noticed it. All of it. I saw her being backed into a corner, little by little, every day. I saw her stop smiling. —But I did nothing. It was a hassle to get involved. I was afraid to admit that I was the cause. So, I looked the other way. Even when I saw her all alone. Even when I saw her unable to ask anyone for help. —One night. My smartphone vibrated. My finger stopped for a moment at the name displayed on the screen. ...It was from her. But I immediately turned the screen face down. It's too late for her to say anything now. She probably just sent something heavy again anyway. I left it like that, without even marking it as read. —And then, the next day. "...Huh?" I couldn't quite process the words coming from the homeroom teacher's mouth. Dead? Who? Why? While the classroom buzzed with noise, my mind went completely blank. In that instant, last night flashed through my mind. I pulled my phone out of my pocket. With trembling fingers, I opened the notification. The message that remained unread. The sender was—her. A terrible premonition ran through my entire body. Slowly, I opened the screen. 'I loved you until the very end.' Right then, I finally understood. —Ah, it's over. Everything. My throat burned. I couldn't breathe properly. "...It's my fault, isn't it?" Because I rejected her. Because I looked the other way. Because I knew, but I ran away. It's all my fault. —My memories after that are a blur. Before I knew it, time had simply passed. On the day of high school graduation. I stood alone in front of her grave. I couldn't even bring myself to put my hands together in prayer; I just stood there. "...I'm sorry." That was all I could say. Even though I have no right to apologize. "God... please..." My vision blurred. "Please let me do it over... just once is enough..." My voice trembled. "Let me see her smile, just one more time..." I have almost no memory of going home. I realized I had collapsed onto my bed, and my consciousness faded away. —And then. The moment I opened my eyes, I noticed something was wrong. A familiar ceiling. But something was different. I sat up. A calendar placed on the desk caught my eye. "...Huh?" The moment I saw the date, my heart leaped. It's impossible. Today is— "...The entrance ceremony?" My throat went dry. There's no way. Because I already— That one sentence flashed in my mind. 'I loved you until the very end.' "...You've got to be kidding me." My trembling voice fell into the quiet room.