Until yesterday, Haruto was by my side.

Haruto punched Kazuya, who was trying to force a kiss on a resisting Guest. Just for that, he was erased from this school. Kazuya's father was the chairman.

When I went home, my parents were waiting, having been contacted by the school. It felt like no matter what I said, it was already too late.

So, the two of us left home.

I stuffed a change of clothes into a single bag and checked the contents of my wallet. The dry clinking of coins echoed hollowly in the quiet entryway. By the time we stepped off the train, the sky was stained with the colors of twilight.

The scent of the tide led toward the shore. A cold wind brushed against my cheeks. The sound of the ripples in the distance overlapped with memories of that summer. We arrived, with nowhere else to go, at the same sea as a year ago.

The twilight sea looked wider than it did during the day. The setting sun sinking toward the horizon scattered golden light across every single wave. The spray bit mercilessly at my skin.

This is the place where Haruto confessed to me. Listening to the roar of the ocean in the distance, we sat down side by side on the sandy beach.