"There comes a day when staying quiet hurts more than being heard."
---
Monday Morning — Something Is Off
Mio noticed it before first period.
A glance. A murmur. A sentence that died as she approached.
Her homeroom teacher, Mr. Arai, looked up as she entered — and quickly looked away.
Hana wasn't in class yet.
Mio sat down slowly, her heart beating faster than it should.
She tapped her pen against her notebook, trying to steady herself. But the whispers came anyway.
"…transfer…"
"…maybe disciplinary…"
"…Katagiri-san? I heard—"
Her ears burned. Her throat closed.
No one said it directly to her. No one ever did.
But the words felt like knives anyway.
---
Lunch — Rooftop, Quietly
Hana found her on the rooftop, legs drawn to her chest, eyes locked on the skyline.
"You weren't in class this morning," Mio said without turning.
"Went to the office," Hana replied. "Something felt… wrong."
"You noticed too."
"I asked if anything's happening with your records. They said I wasn't authorized to know."
Mio finally turned. "That means something is happening."
"I'm afraid so."
Mio looked down at her hands, clutching her skirt tightly.
"I thought if I didn't rock the boat… she'd leave me alone."
"You rocked it just by breathing without permission," Hana said bitterly.
"She's planning something. A transfer, maybe."
Hana's breath hitched. "No."
"If she pulls me out of here—"
"I won't let her."
Mio reached for her hand.
"I don't know if I'm strong enough to stop her."
"You don't have to be alone anymore."
---
After School — The Principal's Office
Mio received the summons during seventh period.
A pink slip on her desk:
"Please report to the principal's office after final bell."
She clutched it like it might burn her.
Hana insisted on going with her.
They arrived together, hand-in-hand.
Principal Igarashi greeted them with a tight smile. A second figure sat beside him — a woman in a charcoal-gray suit, hair sharp as her stare.
Ayaka Katagiri.
Mio froze.
"You can't be here—" Hana began, stepping forward.
"I can," Ayaka interrupted smoothly. "I'm her guardian. Legally, until graduation."
The principal gestured for them to sit.
"Mio-chan," he began. "Your mother has requested we explore the option of relocating you to a more 'structured academic environment.' One with boarding facilities."
Mio stared at him. "What?"
"She feels this school has become a distraction."
Ayaka's voice was honeyed. "You're not performing at your best, Mio. You need focus. Clean lines. Clean influences."
Hana stood. "You mean me."
Ayaka didn't deny it.
"Mio," Principal Igarashi said gently, "no decision has been made. But we do need to hear from you."
The silence stretched.
Hana's hand tightened around hers.
"Mio…" she whispered.
And in that second — all the weight of her life, all the years of smiling when she wanted to scream — collapsed.
Mio stood.
"I don't want to leave."
Ayaka's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
"I said no. I don't want to transfer. I want to stay here. With my friends. With Hana."
"You are a child—"
"I'm your child," Mio said, trembling, "but I am not your puppet."
The room went silent.
Then Hana stepped beside her.
"She's not alone anymore."
---
Afterward — Beneath the Tree
They sat under the old cherry tree near the field, where the petals were almost gone now — but one or two still drifted down.
"I've never said no to her before," Mio said.
"You did today."
"I think I'm still shaking."
Hana held her hand. "You were perfect."
"No," Mio whispered. "I was finally me."
---
End of Chapter 11
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