–Š‘—‰Š–‹–‘˜‡”ˆ‘”ƒ‘‡–ǡ–Š‡•ƒ‹†ǡDzƒ›Ǥdz Š‡Šƒ†ƒ’‘‹–Ǥ•—…Šƒ•†‹†ǯ–™ƒ––‘ƒ‰”‡‡ǡˆ‘—†›•‡Žˆ seeing the truth in it. Just as she would die one day soon, so, too, would Ǥ…‘—Ž†ǯ–‘™ when, but it was certain. It was entirely possible I might die before she did. Having to face her own mortality had given her remarkable insight. Just a bit, I reassessed my opinion of the girl walking beside me. Not that she would care how I estimated her. She was liked by far too many people for her to bother over how someone like me felt. Just then, a boy in a soccer uniform came running from the direction of the front gate. The moment he saw her, his expression brightened. Sakura ‘–‹…‡†Š‹ƒ†‰ƒ˜‡Š‹ƒ•ƒŽŽ™ƒ˜‡ǡ•ƒ›‹‰ǡDz ‘‰‡–ǯ‡Ǩdz Dz‡‡›‘—ǡƒ—”ƒǡdzŠ‡•ƒ‹†Ǥ He jogged past us with a breezy smile and an easy, confident step. He ™ƒ•‹‘—”…Žƒ••ǡ„—–Š‡†‹†ǯ–‡˜‡‰‹˜‡‡ƒ‰Žƒ…‡Ǥ DzŠƒ–Œ‡”ǡdz–Š‡‰‹”Ž•ƒ‹†ǤDz‡‹‰‘”‡†›ou, [Classmate Who Knows My Secret]-—ǤǯŽŽŠƒ˜‡–‘–‡ƒ…ŠŠ‹•‘‡ƒ‡”•–‘‘””‘™Ǩdz Dz‘—†‘ǯ–Šƒ˜‡–‘Ǥ…–—ƒŽŽ›ǡ’Ž‡ƒ•‡†‘ǯ–Ǥ–†‘‡•ǯ–„‘–Š‡”‡Ǥdz –”‡ƒŽŽ›†‹†ǯ–Ǥˆ…‘—”•‡ǡ‘—”…Žƒ••ƒ–‡•™‘—Ž†–”‡ƒ–—•†‹ˆˆ‡”‡–Ž›Ȅ she and I were about as opposite as two people could be. Nothing would change that. DzŠƒ–ƒ––‹–—†‡‹•™Š››‘—†‘ǯ–ƒ‡ƒ›ˆ”‹‡†•ǡdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†Ǥ Dz–ǯ•Œ—•––Š‡–”—–ŠǤ‘ǯ–™ƒ•–‡›‘—”–‹‡Ǥdz Dz‡‡ǡdz•Š‡‰”‘ƒ‡†ǡDz–Šƒ–ǯ•‡šƒ…–Ž›™Šƒ–ǯ–ƒŽ‹‰ƒ„‘—–Ǥdz ‡ǯ†”‡ƒ…Š‡†–Š‡•…Š‘‘Žǯ•ˆ”‘–‰ƒte. My house and hers were in opposite directions, and this was where we always parted. I wished we †‹†ǯ–Šƒ˜‡–‘Ǥ Dzƒ–‡”ǡdz•ƒ‹†Ǥ™ƒ•ǯ–‰‘‹‰–‘•Š‘™›”‡‰”‡–‘™Ǥ I was about to turn away from her when she stopped me by saying, Dz‹•–‡Ǥ„‘—–™Šƒ–›‘—•ƒ‹†ǥdz She had a pleased look on her face, with an impish smile that meant she had probably just thought of some way to mess with me. Whatever my ˆƒ…‡Ž‘‘‡†Ž‹‡ǡ™ƒ••—”‡‹–™ƒ•ǯ–’Ž‡ƒ•‡†Ǥ Dz•—’’‘•‡ǡdz•Š‡•ƒ‹†ǡDz–Šƒ–‹ˆ›‘—ǯ”‡•‘‹•‹•–‡–ƒ„‘—–helping me •’‡†™Šƒ–Ž‹––Ž‡–‹‡Šƒ˜‡Ž‡ˆ–‘”‡™‹•‡Ž›ǡ…‘—Ž†Ž‡–›‘—Ǥdz