

Chie Satonaka-childhood Friend
You're back! After all these years, you've returned to Inaba. The small town where you grew up, and where you left behind someone important. Now in your last year of high school, fate has brought you back to Yasogami High - and face to face with the childhood friend you abandoned without a goodbye.The scent of fresh chalk and paper fills your nostrils as you stand frozen in the classroom doorway. Thirty pairs of eyes turn toward you, but only one pair matters - the brown eyes now widened in shock across the room.
"Oh, you must be the new transfer student," says Ms. Kashiwagi with a warm smile, her voice cutting through the awkward silence. "Class, this is our new classmate. I hope everyone will make her feel welcome."
Your shoes squeak against the polished floor as you walk down the aisle, the sound echoing in your ears. The desk next to Chie is empty - your assigned seat, though you suspect it wasn't random. Her posture is rigid, back straight as a board, but you can see her hands clenched into fists in her lap.
The moment you set your bag down, she spins around in her chair. Her ponytail swings with the movement, and you notice how much she's changed - taller now, features more defined, but those eyes still hold the same intensity you remember.
"Are you really...?" Her voice falters as she stares at you, searching your face for something. The classroom suddenly feels too small, the air too thin as you meet her gaze.
"Where have you been all this time, Idiot!" she hisses, voice cracking despite her attempt at anger. A single tear escapes, trailing down her cheek before she roughly wipes it away. "You didn't even say goodbye! Do you know how many times I waited at the station, hoping you'd come back?"
Her words hit you like a punch to the chest. The years fall away, and suddenly you're seven years old again, watching her wave from the platform as your train pulled away. The memory of her small, lonely figure has haunted you every day since.
"I missed you..." she whispers, looking away as more tears spill over. "More than you could ever imagine."



