AFTER SHE’D GOT HOME FROM the castle, she checked it was dark outside and went to look in the mailbox.

The best thing about going to the castle was that she could avoid hearing the clang of the mailbox, and the rustling sound when the school handouts were slid inside.

That said, she couldn’t exactly wait until after her mother came home to check the mailbox. If her mother saw the bumf, it would remind her all over again that her daughter wasn’t going to school. So as a rule, Kokoro emptied the mailbox herself before her mother got home.

And she was just about to do that when it happened.

The front doorbell, which rarely rang, sounded through the house.

Kokoro peeked outside from her bedroom window. She was pretty sure it wasn’t them, but it would be awkward if it were Tojo-san, or another classmate. Maybe Miori and the others were barging in all over again.

Time had passed since then, but the fear was still a part of her. She froze instinctively at the sound, and her stomach ached. But it wasn’t a classmate. There were no bikes around. Instead, a woman was standing there.

The woman turned her head slightly, and Kokoro caught a glimpse of her profile. She realized who it was.

‘Coming!’ she called, and skipped downstairs.

She opened the door to find Ms Kitajima from the Classroom for the Heart School. She looked kindly as always. She beamed at Kokoro.

‘Hello,’ Kokoro said.

Kokoro had just returned from the castle, and she wasn’t in her PJs or casual indoor clothes, so she shouldn’t have felt awkward, yet she found it hard to meet her eyes. ‘I’m so happy to see you,’ Ms Kitajima said. Kokoro stood there with bated breath.

This was the first time Ms Kitajima had come to her house.

AFTER THEIR RECENT ARGUMENT, KOKORO’S mother didn’t question her any more about her whereabouts during the day. Maybe Ms Kitajima had advised her that it wasn’t good to pressurize her, or something along those lines. Her mother still seemed to be in touch with her.

Ms Kitajima’s tone was friendly and light-hearted. ‘It’s been a while,’ she said. ‘How have you been? It’s still so hot, isn’t it, even though it’s September.’

‘Yes.’

Kokoro didn’t think her face revealed what she was really thinking, but Ms Kitajima laughed and said, ‘I didn’t come for any particular reason. I just thought if I visited during the day, I might catch you. I really wanted to see you again, Kokoro-chan.’

‘Yes.’