The Second Crack

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6o7ddqq7TP

CHAPTER 37: THE SECOND CRACK

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBsq446oEH

───

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoy8O02lXc

Ren found me in the art room after school.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZH8Jg9i9Y

He was standing at the easel with his painting. The rooftop painting. The one with no people in it.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUf6JZAwwzW

He had started adding something.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ButQ8p1Ow

A figure. Small. Standing at the edge of the rooftop.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdBl1wNN5t5

"Who is that?" I asked.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡquOT8zX1r7

"I don't know."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFh1U5mJXp

"You painted it."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21iVdd5m33

"I know."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgHnkLldR8

He stared at the figure for a long time.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8Cvj1W7rg

"It came out looking like her," he said.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mMuCw5b0o

"Like who?"

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1He1kdxOgO

He didn't answer.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiLqdAQuLM

───

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpK3EJbNpxX

I looked at the painting.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWWa0wdPVC

The figure was small and slim and standing at the edge of the roof. The posture was familiar. The shape was familiar.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ62dvwigVS

It was Hana.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXkvxLdbNcJ

"You painted Hana," I said.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRvvjaDEJY

"I didn't mean to."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7upDA4HKUZ

"Why not?"

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡztPkpz24LS

"Because I don't paint people."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKLbZuSkaT

"You drew Haru."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNhKTkTrED

"That's different."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpsP7KnSi0g

"How?"

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80pbbsV1BV

Ren set his brush down.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnt0JHgyIDK

"Because Haru is here," he said. "Hana isn't."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdWEUjhUrqF

I didn't say anything.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pFBDmLOJp

"I don't know where she is," Ren said. "I don't know what's happening. I don't know if she's okay. I just know that she's not here and I painted her standing at the edge of a roof."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCOMMiLq0ug

He looked at me.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBU3VUFgbtm

"That's a bad sign, isn't it."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiO8zebLNmu

I looked at the painting.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgkvsIc6Ai

The figure was standing at the edge. Not quite falling. Not quite safe.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7F4rEt9he

"I don't know," I said. "I don't know if it's a sign. I don't know if signs mean anything."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntXwAWTqpw

"You don't believe that."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuRlvJe3CNQ

"What do I believe?"

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE0VlBbnztw

Ren looked at me.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡays3yXRT3n

"You believe everything means something," he said. "You're just too tired to admit it."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS2qf15Am9x

I didn't answer.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1fvBjUp9C

He picked his brush back up.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfCnXTJ3n4

"I'm going to finish it," he said. "I don't know why. But I'm going to finish it."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSREdibUZz

He started painting.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZ3ypjZEIj

I sat down on the stool behind him and watched. 6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQnm8gUSOV

88.181.249.5

ns88.181.249.5da2