She remained facing away and he continued to address her back. ‘I want to remember this,’ he said. ‘I want to remember it all. Remember the others, and remember you. I know you might say that’s impossible, but still I want to.’

He waited in silence, but the Wolf Queen didn’t respond.

Rion turned towards the mirrors. Inside himself, he whispered to his sister, Farewell.

He reached his palms out to the mirror.

Then she spoke.

‘I’ll do my very best.’

He turned around to see her, but the dazzling light from the mirror made his field of vision melt, and the shapes in the grand foyer began to fade. The Wolf Queen was no longer visible.

Something flickered before him. The Wolf Queen was in front of him and their eyes met. She slowly removed her wolf mask and smiled.

Or at least it seemed that way.

7 April 2006

AS KOKORO LEFT HOME PUNCTUALLY, her mother called out, ‘Will you be OK? Do you want me to go with you?’

‘I’m OK. I’ll go by myself,’ Kokoro said.

Last night she’d told her mother over and over again, but she still seemed worried. It’s only to be expected, Kokoro thought, but she had made up her mind.

Today was the first day of the first semester of eighth grade for her at Yukishina No. 5.

She was able to go confidently to school because she’d understood that this school wasn’t the only place she belonged.

Moé-chan had moved on to another school. But her words to Kokoro remained strongly etched in her memory.

It’s only school.

She knew now there were other worlds, other places she could go.

If she didn’t like her school, there were always the No. 1 and No. 3 junior highs nearby. She knew she’d make it. She could go anywhere. It wasn’t as if it was always going to be easy. There’d always be people she disliked. That reality wasn’t going to go away.

There was a person who’d said she didn’t have to struggle if she didn’t want to.

That’s why she’d decided to go back.

Back to school.

THE CHERRY TREES WERE IN full bloom and their blossoms fluttered silently to the ground. A light wind was blowing.

As Kokoro walked through the school gate, she held her hair down in the wind. She was a little anxious – it would be a lie to say she wasn’t – but she’d set off to school today with her head held high.

She heard a voice from somewhere in front of her.

‘Hey.’

Eyes narrowed in the blustery wind, Kokoro looked towards the voice. The fallen blossoms stopped swirling and her field of vision began to clear.

She saw a boy straddling a bicycle, and he was looking in her direction.