She had a good idea of what she wanted to buy Fuka as a present.

She’d go to Careo, a local shopping mall within walking distance. It had opened when she first started at elementary school, and had every type of shop, McDonald’s and Mister Donut included.

It was exhilarating to go out, and she was filled with a fluttery expectation. She hadn’t realized how good it felt to be out on her own.

Kokoro emerged on to the high street.

As she did, two bicycles whizzed past her. When she spotted them, she froze. From their tops, she knew these were boys attending the school she had attended – Yukishina No. 5 Junior High School. ‘No way! Hey!’ they called out to each other in conversation. Each grade at school had different jersey colours, and these boys weren’t wearing Kokoro’s freshman blue, but a dark red, which meant they were in eighth grade.

She felt like she could actually hear her excitement being snuffed out.

She looked down, avoiding them as they cycled off into the distance. But she couldn’t help looking up. She wanted to hear the boys’ voices. Wouldn’t they turn around and whisper about her?

Of course not.

Yukishina No. 5 was an enormous school, and they wouldn’t recognize her.

But still she couldn’t shake the awful feeling that swept over her.

What if they were friends with Miori? She suddenly wanted to crouch down and hide herself away. She turned to face the street again, and it felt like the heat of the asphalt was gripping her by the ankles. Far away, at the end of the long street, she saw the sign to the shopping mall. She couldn’t believe it had seemed so close when her parents drove her there.

The thought of walking so far made her weak at the knees.

She’d been standing in one place for so long it felt like she was rooted to the spot. She willed her feet to move.

How far had she walked?

After a while, she began to feel ill, and stopped at a convenience store.

Inside, she felt blinded.

The lighting above the rows of bentos and drinks was far too glaring, and she couldn’t keep her eyes open. She’d been here any number of times, and thought she was used to it, but now the colours seemed far more dazzling. And so much stuff! Row after row of sweets and juice she would apologetically ask her mother to buy for her, lined up like a mural covering the whole wall, and it all felt terribly wrong. So much choice made her head spin.