Hikaru was slightly surprised—someone had actually spoken to him.
A few heads turned in curiosity. After all, no one ever approached Hikaru Kagawa. But the moment passed quickly. Students lost interest and returned to their conversations, scribbles, and digital distractions.
Without much emotion, Hikaru glanced up and replied in a flat tone, "Hm? What is it?"
Standing before him was Sakura Ayazawa, one of the most popular girls in school. With calm confidence, she asked,
"Kagawa-kun, if it's possible… could we talk in the cafeteria during lunch break?"
Hikaru blinked. He hadn't made any lunch plans—he never did. And though his expression barely changed, a sliver of curiosity stirred within him. Why would she want to talk to him?
Ayazawa was admired by nearly everyone. She had a wide circle of friends, received regular love confessions, and even had a boyfriend. Her boyfriend, Haruki Kiryuu, was from their class too. Though he wasn't as immensely popular as Ayazawa, he was well-liked—normal, but not very sociable. Both were attractive, but in terms of looks, Hikaru easily surpassed Haruki, though he had no interest in social hierarchy.
"Okay. Fine," Hikaru said quietly.
Ayazawa looked mildly surprised, clearly having expected a refusal.
"Alright then. See you later," she said, flashing a polite smile before turning back to her group of friends.
Moments later, their homeroom teacher arrived and began distributing the results of the recent test. As expected, the top scorer was Riku Hayashi—a student council member, former middle school classmate and friend of Hikaru's, and the favorite to become the next student council president. Hikaru barely glanced at his paper: 60 out of 100. Unimpressive, but unsurprising. He didn't react. Instead, he found his gaze drifting to Sakura Ayazawa once more.
Sakura was part of a close-knit group of four: herself, Haruki Kiryuu, a lively and cheerful girl named Yume Amagiri, and an athletic, straightforward boy named Renji Kanzaki. A well-balanced group, the kind Hikaru used to be part of—once.
When the lunch bell finally rang, Ayazawa approached him again, this time with her school bag slung over one shoulder. She greeted him casually, then glanced around the hallway. Making sure no one was watching, she reached into her bag and handed him something—a small envelope with a heart symbol on it.
Hikaru stared at it, caught off guard.
What the hell… a love letter? From her? he thought, confused. Why would a popular girl, already in a relationship, give him a love letter?
As if reading his thoughts, Ayazawa quickly explained, "That letter's not from me. A friend of mine from class 2-C asked me to give it to you."
Hikaru and Ayazawa were in class 2-B. He looked down at the envelope. "There's no name on this. Who's it from?"
"She didn't want to write her name," Ayazawa said. "She told me she was too embarrassed… said she just wanted you to understand her feelings."
Hikaru raised an eyebrow. "So… I'm not supposed to reply?"
Ayazawa shook her head. "No reply needed. She already knows you won't feel the same. She just wanted you to know."
Hikaru quietly slipped the letter into his pocket. He understood now—someone admired him from afar. He didn't know how to feel about that.
Ayazawa hesitated. "Since I'm already here… would it be okay if I sat with you for lunch?"
He didn't mind. "Sure," he said.
She seemed mildly shocked by his agreement but sat down across from him anyway. They both opened their lunch boxes. Hikaru ate silently, indifferent to the occasional glances from classmates who were clearly surprised to see him having a conversation—a first for many of them.
"Kagawa-kun," Ayazawa began, "I've never seen you talk to anyone. Do you not have any friends?"
The directness of her question didn't bother him. "I don't," he answered plainly.
She grinned teasingly. "I thought you were one of those study-obsessed types, but after today's test results… I guess I was wrong."
Hikaru didn't respond. He simply continued eating.
But something about this moment felt… unusual. Unexpected. This was the first real conversation he'd had at this school.
And yet, he wasn't as closed off as he normally would be.
There was a reason.
Hikaru Kagawa didn't talk to people.
But today, he made an exception—for Sakura Ayazawa.
Not because he wanted to be her friend.
But because he was curious.
He knew something about her—something no one else knew.
After a few more minutes of light conversation, Ayazawa finished her meal and closed her lunch box.
"You know… I think you should hang out with us sometime," she offered. "Yume and Renji are really nice."
She said it casually, almost expecting him to decline. But to her surprise, Hikaru looked at her and said, "Sure. I guess I can hang out with you guys."
Ayazawa's eyes widened slightly. "You really aren't what people say you are," she said. "Others talk weird stuff about you, but honestly? You seem completely normal."
She smiled again, then stood up and returned to her group.
She was wrong.
Hikaru Kagawa wasn't normal—not in the slightest.
There was a reason he spoke to her.
And it wasn't friendship. It was curiosity.
Because he knew something about Sakura Ayazawa—a secret she thought no one had discovered.
That evening, Hikaru returned home. His sister Yuki was watching television, legs tucked under a blanket on the couch.
The news was on.
The anchor reported another brutal killing by the serial killer terrorizing Tokyo. The murderer had become infamous not only for the gruesome nature of the crimes—but also for the clues he left behind. Hints pointing to his next victim, deliberately and chillingly crafted.
Yuki barely looked up. "Hey, welcome back," she said, eyes still on the screen.
"I'm going to sleep," Hikaru said, taking off his shoes. "Order something for lunch."
"Okay."
He walked into his room and closed the door behind him.
Sitting on his bed, Hikaru pulled out the letter. Slowly, carefully, he opened the envelope with the heart symbol and began to read.