Cards Of The Silent King-Chapter 34: What Hana Sees

Hana sat two rows behind Kaito. She did not take notes. The teacher was talking about history. The words were dry. They did not matter.

Kaito mattered.

He sat with his back straight. His jacket was on the chair. His hand rested near the pocket.

Hana thought: Item one.

She kept the list in her head. She did not write it down. Paper could be found. Memories could be denied.

Item one: The jacket. He wore it even when the heating was on. He checked the pocket every twenty minutes.

Item two: The eyes. He looked tired. Not the kind of tired that came from studying. The kind that came from carrying something heavy.

Item three: The disappearances. He left the room five times this week. Always during transitions. Always for exactly seven minutes.

Hana thought: Seven minutes.

She tapped her pen against the desk. The sound was soft. Kaito did not turn around. He knew she was there. He always knew.

The bell rang. The class ended. Students stood up. Chairs scraped. Noise filled the room.

Kaito stood up. He put on the jacket. He zipped it halfway.

Hana walked toward him. She did not hurry. She did not want to startle him.

Hana said: "Walk with me."

Kaito said: "Okay."

They left the classroom. The hallway was crowded. They moved through the people without touching anyone.

Hana said: "You look tired."

Kaito said: "I am fine."

Hana said: "That is the default answer."

Kaito said: "It is accurate."

Hana looked at his hand. It was in his pocket. He was touching something through the fabric.

Hana thought: Item four.

Item four: The cards. She had touched one once. It was cold. Too cold for paper. Too cold for the season.

She remembered the feeling. It lingered in her thumb.

Hana said: "The cards."

Kaito said: "What about them."

Hana said: "Are they heavy."

Kaito paused. He stopped walking. They were near the stairwell. It was quieter here.

Kaito said: "Sometimes."

Hana said: "You check them like they might disappear."

Kaito said: "They might."

Hana studied his face. His eyes were dark. They held things he did not say. She had been learning to read the silence.

Hana thought: He is not hiding because he does not trust me.

She thought: He is hiding because he thinks I cannot carry it.

Hana said: "I notice things."

Kaito said: "I know."

Hana said: "Do you mind."

Kaito said: "No."

He started walking again. He went down the stairs. She followed.

Hana thought: Item five.

Item five: The scars. She had seen a burn on his wrist last week. He covered it the next day. He said it was a cooking accident. Kaito did not cook.

Hana thought: He lies badly.

She thought: Or he thinks I will believe anything.

They reached the ground floor. The exit was ahead. The sun was bright outside.

Hana stopped. She turned to face him.

Hana said: "Kaito."

Kaito said: "Yes."

Hana said: "If something is wrong. You do not have to fix it alone."

Kaito looked at her. For a second, something shifted in his expression. It was small. It was almost nothing.

Kaito said: "I know."

Hana said: "Do you."

Kaito said: "Yes."

He did not say more. He did not offer the truth. She did not demand it.

Hana thought: Not yet.

She thought: He is not ready.

She thought: But I am.

Hana said: "I am going to the library."

Kaito said: "Okay."

Hana said: "You should eat lunch."

Kaito said: "Later."

Hana said: "That is what you always say."

Kaito said: "I know."

He turned away. He walked toward the gate. His hand stayed in his pocket.

Hana watched him go. She did not follow. She had other things to do.

She walked toward the library. She found a table in the back. She sat down. She opened a book. She did not read it.

She closed her eyes. She reviewed the list.

One: The jacket.

Two: The eyes.

Three: The disappearances.

Four: The cards.

Five: The scars.

Hana thought: Six.

Item six: The way the air changed when he was near. Sometimes it felt colder. Sometimes it felt warmer. Sometimes it felt like static.

She thought: That is not normal.

She thought: But neither is he.

She opened her eyes. She looked at her hands. They were empty. She was not holding any cards. She was not holding any secrets.

Except this one.

Hana thought: I will keep the list.

She thought: I will wait.

She thought: When he is ready. He will tell me.

She picked up her pen. She tapped it on the table. Once. Twice.

A shadow passed over the window. It was a bird. It flew away.

Hana thought: He protects something.

She thought: I want to know what.

She thought: But I want him to be safe more.

She closed the book. She stood up. She left the library.

The hallway was empty. The school was quiet.

She walked toward the cafeteria. She needed to find Ryota. He talked too much. He might say something useful by accident.

Hana thought: Item seven.

Item seven: Ryota knows something. He watches Kaito differently now. He worries more.

She thought: I will ask him later.

She thought: Not today.

She reached the cafeteria. The noise hit her. It was loud. It was normal.

She saw Ryota at a table. He was waving. He had two sandwiches.

Hana walked toward him. She put the list away in her head. She locked it behind her eyes.

She smiled. It was a real smile.

Hana said: "Is one of those for me."

Ryota said: "Maybe. Depends on if you bring news."

Hana said: "No news."

Ryota said: "Boring. But okay. Eat."

She sat down. She ate the sandwich. It tasted like bread and cheese. It tasted like normal life.

She looked at the door. Kaito was not there. He was somewhere else.

Hana thought: Somewhere dangerous.

She thought: I will be here when he comes back.

She took another bite. She chewed slowly.

The list remained. It grew. It waited.

She did not write it down. She did not need to.

She remembered everything.

Especially the things he did not say.