Lately things have been weird regarding my group of friends. Haruki, the ever so cheerful guy was depressed. He tried not show it but it's obvious in my eyes. I tried asking him what's wrong but he was insistent that there's no problem. Suspicious. Well it's not my place to intrude in his affairs, but I told him he can always come talk to me if he's ready.

And there was Udo and Akane. They never pick up Haruki at his house anymore. I asked them why, Udo said that he heeded my advice since his house is far from ours. Well I did remember saying that. Akane, meanwhile said that she's busy with something that she can't tell me at the moment. But she'll come around once she's done with it. I just shrugged, pretending not to be curious. That leaves me the only one waiting for Haruki at his house every morning. Honestly, it makes me nervous walking with him alone to the train station.

To be honest, I have a crush on Haruki. I've been keeping it inside my heart for as long as I can remember. That's because Haruki and Akane are in love with each other. I don't want to be an interloper in their eventual relationship, and Akane is my best friend so I don't wanna get in a fight with her. So in the end I just stepped aside and wished for their happiness. But still, they sure are late bloomers. We're already in our second year of high school and neither of them have confessed to each other. I guess that's just how some people are.

I really want to cheer up Haruki, but I don't know how to. I myself am not really an expert in regards to relationships. I only have the stories of my teammates at the school volleyball club as reference. Eventually, Haruki recovered on his own. But I wasn't the one who did it, but one of our friends, Sachie, who we meet up in the train station halfway our commute to school.

We became friends with Sachie in our first year, so I'm kinda jealous that she managed to cheer up Haruki even though I've known him longer. But still as long as Haruki is fine that's all that matters. Lately they're getting along more than usual, in my eyes they look like a couple. Akane may have a formidable rival, I cheered for her in my mind. But then one day, Haruki became depressed again. Not as first time, but depressed nonetheless. I noticed that Sachie doesn't commute with us in the train to school anymore. I asked Haruki what happened with her, he says that he doesn't know, she just ghosted him for some reason. I feel bad for him, but cheer up! You always have me, our junior Yume and our senior Yuri accompanying you on the way to school.

The two of them are also curious why Udo, Akane, and now Sachie doesn't commute with us in the train anymore. Well I can't give them an answer since I'm out of the loop myself. I hope all of us get along like we used to soon. I don't wanna see Haruki like this.

One day it happened. We were busy practicing in the gym after school hours when we heard someone screaming in the courtyard, saying that someone jumped from the roof. Curiously, me and my teammates stopped our practice and went to see the commotion. My heart sank..

"HARUKI!!!!"

It was Haruki lying in a pool of blood on the ground. I ran through the crowd trying to get close to him. Upon closing in I spotted them, the three people that lately don't hang with us anymore. Namely Udo, Akane and Sachie.

Sachie is crying very loudy while screaming that she's sorry and it's all her fault. Udo and Akane just stood there looking shocked.

What!? What does Sachie mean by that. I can feel my anger slowly rising up inside me after hearing that. But now's not the time for that, Haruki is more important.

A few minutes later an ambulance arrived and took Haruki. I accompanied him saying that I'm his neighbor. Udo does the same, but the other two didn't budge from their spot.

Sachie was in her own world, and was in a sobbing mess. Akane has blank expression on her face. In the end only me and Udo accompanied Haruki to the hospital.

Not long after we arrived in the hospital that it was announced that Haruki was dead on arrival. He never got the chance to get treated. I guess he really died from the impact when he jumped from the roof. The reality suddenly hit me, that he's gone. I finally let the tears that I've been holding flow. Udo cried as well. Well I understand, since his best friend since kindergarten just died after all.

Later, my parents along with Haruki's rushed through the hospital. Both of Haruki's parents broke down and cried after finding out there son was no more. My parents looked grave as well. In the end, we just expressed our condolences to them and went home. I didn't go to school the next day. I was depressed to do so.