Her mother took her hand and squeezed it.

‘We’ll work this out together,’ she said.

Kokoro struggled to keep back the tears. She was happy, yet a part of her felt suddenly pained. What about Aki and Fuka?

‘Ms Kitajima?’

‘Yes?’

‘If I end up staying at Yukishina No. 5, Mr Ida won’t still be my homeroom teacher, will he?’

She knew it wasn’t right to hate him, or even dislike him. Since he was trying to do what he thought was right.

‘Mr Ida told me that I needed to respond to Sanada-san’s note. He said Sanada-san felt I was making fun of her, and it upset her. But that’s not my fault.’

The words came pouring out of her. She wasn’t sure if she was angry or upset, but either way she didn’t like the way her voice trembled uncontrollably.

Ms Kitajima looked at Kokoro. ‘I think Sanada-san has her own troubles. And when she sees how you’re different from her, maybe she really does feel like you’re making fun of her.’

Kokoro was silent.

‘It’s not something you need to understand right now. Sanada-san needs to sort out her own issues.’

Ms Kitajima looked intently at Kokoro’s mother.

‘Mr Ida won’t be your teacher next year,’ she said.

In her voice Kokoro thought she could hear echoes of her earlier words, you’re battling every single day, aren’t you?

It was as if a jolt of electricity had run straight through her. The desire within her was so intense to say to Ms Kitajima right there:

Could you please help my friends in another world, too?

To stand up for Aki, and Fuka, and Ureshino, in each of their own worlds.

But she knew it would never work.

KOKORO COULDN’T PICTURE AT ALL what Sanada-san’s troubles were, but she knew that Ms Kitajima would help sort them out. This seemed absurd and painful, but that was the kind of person Ms Kitajima was – which was exactly why she could trust her.

At the end of March when the castle closed, and the seven friends had returned to their worlds, what would happen to them? She would never know the sequel to their lives, no matter how much she worried about them now, in this moment.

And this hurt.

Please be well, all of you.

IT WAS 29 MARCH, THE day before their farewell party.

Kokoro had already been to visit two other junior highs.

The No. 1 and No. 3 junior highs were, compared to Yukishina No. 5, small schools, and the teachers who showed her around emphasized how cosy they were.

Kokoro had mixed feelings. She could sense they thought she was one of those students who didn’t fit in at a large-scale school.