I walk along listlessly, glancing at the scenery turning orange as the sun sets. A week has passed since I moved to this area. My new classmates seem to have gotten used to the existence of a 'transfer student,' and they are forming the established communities that likely existed before I arrived. It's not that I'm being bullied or avoided. If I ask about something I don't understand, they tell me right away, and some kids talk to me when I look troubled. However, the thin yet thick wall toward me that is common in all those communications was somehow difficult to deal with.

There was a classmate named Rei Tsukino. We had been together since before starting elementary school, sparked by our parents being close. Compared to boys his age, and even students in general, he fell into the shyer group. He was passive, didn't voice his opinions much, and seemed to avoid me at times. Because of his intelligent and bright image, he was thought of as the 'type who finds it easier to be alone.' But once I talked to him, I found it was actually the opposite; I felt he had a very strong desire to frolic with someone and get along with others. That's why it hurt my heart quite a bit when I told him I was moving. To be honest, I've rarely seen him interacting with anyone other than his family.