In the hallway of the first floor of Mitakihara High’s main building, a group of first-year students are huddled up together. As one of them puts a firm hand on the shoulder of the boy at the centre of it all, Koharu squints, peeking out from behind a distant corner, ignoring the skeptical glares of the co-eds passing by. That is, until one co-ed in particular spots her snooping around.

Yosuke: … Um, senpai? What are you doing?

Koharu: None of your business. Move along.

Yosuke: (he peeks around the corner as well) Spying on Shinomiya?

Koharu: Not spying. I’m going to interview him. Newspaper business.

Yosuke: … And you’re… Waiting for the right opportunity, or…

Koharu: I got this.

Yosuke: …

Koharu: (after a few more seconds of “waiting for the right opportunity”, she turns to Yosuke) You know him, right?

Yosuke: I-I’ve already apologized for that.

Koharu: Introduce me.

Yosuke: C-Can’t you just ask him yourself…? Dude’s all talk, you can take him, right? Just walk up to him and pelt him with questions like you always do, and—

Koharu: No. If you’re there, he might actually give us the light of day. Go. (she pushes Yosuke in the direction of Shinomiya’s clique, and, as he stumbles forward, strategically positions herself behind him)

Yosuke: C’mon, senpai, I know just about as well as you do how to talk to—S-Shinomiya! (as he notices his classmate’s glare, he straightens up, greeting him in a way that immediately gets all of the clique’s eyes on him) H-Hi!

Shinomiya: Wha— (Unlike usual, he looks a bit out of his element today, even before Yosuke appeared) Wh-what is it? 

Yosuke: Uh… What’s up… dude? You… hanging in there?

Shinomiya: (He glances around at his followers, wary of their reaction) I-I’m fine, man. Don’t worry about it. 

Yosuke: I-I mean, it can’t be easy, right—

Koharu: (she peeks out from behind Yosuke) Were you close with your father? Did he ever tell you about problems he might have been facing? Debts? Enemies?

Shinomiya: What the… tch! I hardly knew the guy. Are you trying to pick a fight or something? 

Koharu: No. I’m not saying you were his enemy.

Shinomiya: Yeah, I know, and you’d better not be saying that!

Koharu: Saying what? If you know, what is it I’d better not say?

Shinomiya: Seriously? 

Student: (He eyes Shinomiya suspiciously) Hey, do you know these guys?

Shinomiya: No, of course not. C’mon, let’s go. It’s rude to ask people about this stuff, don’t you know? 

Koharu: As if you care about being polite.

Shinomiya: (A chorus of annoyed murmurs from the group around him) Oh my God. I’m not doing whatever make-believe this is. Come on guys, the yakisoba buns are gonna sell out again. (He and his group turn to leave) 

Koharu: I’m asking you a quest—Ghk! (she ceases her attempts to pursue Shinomiya when Yosuke reels her in by the hood of her sweater)

Yosuke: Leave him alone, senpai. Worth a try, but… the guy just lost his father.

Koharu: Don’t touch me. It’s because of you we screwed this up, idiot.

Yosuke: What? Because of me? “We” screwed this up because you have all the tact of a sawed-off shotgun!

Koharu: I can’t—

Yosuke: Don’t give me that! You can do better! I know you can do better!

Koharu: That guy didn’t want to listen because you were trying to suck up to him again.

Yosuke: Oh come on! First you need me to suck up to him so you can ask him ridiculous, inappropriate questions, and now you’re giving me shit for doing exactly that? Make up your mind already, senpai!

Koharu: I made up my mind months ago.

Yosuke: Then why do you keep me around? Trust me… I can take a hint, but… Do you even know what the hint you’re trying to give is?

Koharu: I… You… (she stammers) I told you… I… I will never forgive you. That’s what I told you, but you didn’t listen. You never listen.

Yosuke: Then I’ll listen. What do you want from me?

Koharu: I want you to—(she bites her lip)

Yosuke: You can’t keep doing this, senpai.

Koharu: … I can’t.

Yosuke: Right. So—

Koharu: I can’t forgive you. Not after what happened.

Yosuke: No matter what—

Koharu: There is nothing you can do—

Yosuke: Why not?

Koharu: Because what happens after?

Yosuke: After… What do you mean?

Koharu: After I forgive you.

Yosuke: I… I dunno, I-I guess we… I mean we left off in a pretty good place… b-before you—

Koharu: I… Someone like me… I can’t imagine someone like me doing… whatever comes after I forgive you.

Silence. Then, a ringing sound over the school’s intercom echoes through the hallways, and before they know it, a swarm of students rushes past, damning whatever precious moment they may have had to oblivion.

Yosuke: Senpai, that’s not—

But she’s already gone.