An Ominous Premonition

“……This is boring.”

I looked around the empty room.

I rubbed my face for no particular reason, then leaned back in my chair and gazed up at the ceiling.

“Why me of all people….”

Of course, it couldn’t be helped that one person was left over. Our class had an odd number of students.

But when I tried to explain the result by asking, ‘Why me specifically?’ it still seemed strange.

With my grades, shouldn’t I obviously be the one teaching someone else? I stared blankly at a stain on the ceiling, then bowed my head with a deep sigh.

“I wanted to study together….”

Sitting alone in the empty room, I could almost hear his gentle voice lingering in my ears and smell the faint scent of herbs.

My hand reached out without me realizing it and found the hairpin he’d given me. It felt cool, yet somehow warm. I closed my eyes for a moment and quietly savored the sensation...