part1 · 001-ep1

Episode 1: Ordinary Days

Morning.

A thread of light slipped through the gap in the curtains, tracing a thin line across the floor of the room.

"Reeen! Time to get up!"

His mother's voice, drifting up from downstairs.

"...Mm..."

Kurose Ren squirmed around under his blanket and slowly opened his eyes. He was sleepy. He wanted to stay in bed just a little longer. On the verge of giving in to that temptation, he looked at the clock by his pillow.

"...Seven twenty."

Not good.

"Crap!"

Ren shot out of bed. He changed into his uniform, grabbed his bag, and raced down the stairs.

"Morning!"

"Don't 'Morning!' me. You're about to be late."

In the kitchen, his mother was setting out breakfast.

"Where's Dad?"

"He's already eating."

"Hey, Ren. Morning."

His father smiled, newspaper in one hand.

"Morning, Dad."

Toast, fried eggs, and salad on the table. An ordinary breakfast, the kind you could find anywhere.

"Come on, sit down. You won't make it to school in time if you don't eat."

"Thanks for the food."

Ren took his seat and stuffed bread into his mouth.

"Hot!"

"That's what you get for eating so fast."

His mother laughed, exasperated. His father looked up from his newspaper and laughed too.

"You getting home late today?"

"Probably normal. No club or anything."

"I see. Well, be back by dinner, then."

"Okay."

That was the whole conversation. Nothing special about it at all. Same as yesterday. Tomorrow would surely be the same. That was what Ren thought.

It was simply how things were. Morning comes, you wake up. Go to school. Talk with friends. Come home, and Mom and Dad are there.

Eat dinner, take a bath, go to sleep. Day after day, the same. For fifteen-year-old Ren, that was what "ordinary" meant.

　　　　　◇

"Ren!"

He had walked a little way from the house when a voice called out behind him. He turned.

"Mizuki."

Kanzaki Mizuki was standing there.

"Morning."

"Morning. Cutting it close again today?"

"...Kind of."

"Again?"

"Couldn't get up."

"That's what you said yesterday, too."

"Because yesterday was the same, too."

"You're not even sorry, are you?"

Mizuki laughed, exasperated. Ren laughed with her. The two of them started walking side by side.

They had always been together, ever since they were little. Their houses were close, and they went to the same school. They never even had to arrange to meet — they just naturally ended up walking together.

"Hey, Ren."

"Hm?"

"Did you do the math homework?"

Ren's feet stopped.

"..."

"You didn't, did you?"

"...Forgot."

"Figures."

Mizuki let out a sigh.

"I'm not letting you copy."

"Please?"

"No."

"Mizuki."

"No."

"Just one problem."

"You didn't do a single one, and you're asking to copy 'just one'?"

"..."

"Come on, do it first thing when you get to school."

"Okay..."

Ren's shoulders slumped. Mizuki laughed.

"But you know, Ren, you've never changed. Not since back then."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Mizuki looked at him for just a moment.

"You've always seemed like you were having fun, one way or another."

"Maybe 'cause I am?"

"What is?"

"Every day."

Ren answered offhandedly.

"I come home and Mom and Dad are there, and you're around too. School's fun in a perfectly normal way."

"...I see."

"Yeah."

Ren looked ahead. A blue sky. A gentle breeze. The same road to school. The same morning as always.

Nothing was changing.

And that was exactly why Ren never doubted it — that these days would go on forever.

At school, he sat through classes as always. During break, he traded stupid jokes with his friends. At lunch, he ate his bento. After school, he talked with Mizuki for a little while, then headed home.

"Well, see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

They parted in front of the school gate.

"Ren."

"Hm?"

"Don't forget the homework, okay?"

"I know."

"Absolutely?"

"Absolutely."

"See you."

"See you tomorrow."

Mizuki waved. Ren waved back. And then he walked home alone.

The evening sky had gone a little red. At home, his mother would be waiting. His father would come back, too. They would talk about school over dinner. Tonight was sure to be another night just like yesterday's.

Those were the thoughts drifting through Ren's head as he walked.

And then—

He opened the door to his house.

"I'm home."

He waited for the reply. Normally,

"Welcome home."

would come his mother's voice. He had assumed today would be the same.

But.

"..."

There was no reply.

Ren tilted his head slightly.

"Mom?"

The house was quiet. Even so, Ren thought nothing of it at that moment. It only seemed a little strange to him, nothing more.

Not yet.

That these "ordinary days" were about to end — fifteen-year-old Ren knew nothing of it.