Until My Last Heartbeat

*"Sometimes, destiny doesn't knock on your door.*

*Sometimes... it sings."*

---

The world was still asleep.

Only the first rays of dawn stretched across the endless sky, painting the clouds in soft shades of gold and crimson.

A gentle spring breeze drifted over the quiet campus of **Sakura Hills High School**, carrying with it the sweet scent of cherry blossoms.

The classrooms were empty.

The hallways were silent.

Only one place remained awake.

The rooftop.

A lone boy stood near the safety fence, facing the rising sun.

His black school blazer fluttered gently in the morning wind.

His eyes were closed.

In his left hand rested a worn leather notebook, its pages filled with handwritten lyrics, musical notes, and countless corrections.

No audience.

No microphone.

No applause.

Just the sky...

And his voice.

He took a slow breath.

Then...

He began to sing.

> **♪**

>

> **"If the morning steals the stars away,**

>

> **I'll hide them deep inside my song.**

>

> **When every road forgets your name,**

>

> **I'll be the path that leads you home.**

>

> **If tomorrow never waits for us,**

>

> **Don't cry because the night feels long.**

>

> **As long as one heartbeat remains...**

>

> **You'll never walk alone."**

>

> **♪**

The final note floated into the morning air.

For a long moment...

Only the wind answered.

The boy slowly opened his eyes.

A faint smile touched his lips before fading almost immediately.

"...Still not enough."

He looked down at the notebook.

The page was covered with crossed-out lines.

Small arrows.

Tiny handwritten notes squeezed into every empty corner.

He quietly crossed out another sentence.

"No..."

"The emotion isn't there yet."

He wanted every lyric to mean something.

Every melody to stay in someone's heart long after the song had ended.

Someday...

He wanted to stand on a stage.

Not to become famous.

Not for money.

He simply wanted someone...

Anyone...

To hear his songs and feel understood.

He closed the notebook with a soft sigh.

The campus was beginning to wake.

Students would arrive soon.

As always...

His little concert for the sunrise was over.

He picked up his guitar case and walked toward the rooftop door.

The morning breeze gently flipped one page of the notebook before he noticed.

A single sheet slipped free.

It drifted silently into the air.

The boy never looked back.

The paper floated downward through the open stairwell like a white feather before disappearing from sight.

...

Outside the school gate...

A girl suddenly stopped walking.

"...Wait..."

Her best friend looked back.

"What is it, Yui?"

Yui Tachibana tilted her head.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"A song."

Aoi blinked.

"I didn't hear anything."

"I'm serious."

The melody had already faded.

Only silence remained.

Yet...

Its warmth lingered deep inside Yui's chest.

It wasn't just beautiful.

It felt...

Lonely.

Like someone smiling while hiding tears.

Without realizing it, she looked toward the school rooftop.

The sunlight reflected brightly against the windows, making it impossible to see anyone standing there.

"...Maybe I imagined it."

"You definitely imagined it," Aoi laughed, gently pulling Yui toward the entrance. "Come on. We're going to be late."

Yui nodded.

"...Yeah."

But as she stepped inside the school building...

She couldn't stop thinking about that voice.

Who was it?

A student?

A teacher?

Someone from the music club?

Or...

Someone she'd never meet?

The hallway slowly filled with students chatting excitedly about the new semester.

Shoes tapped against polished floors.

Lockers opened and closed.

Teachers greeted students with warm smiles.

Everything felt ordinary.

Everything...

Except the strange feeling growing inside Yui's heart.

As she reached the staircase leading to the second floor...

Something white caught her attention.

A single sheet of paper rested quietly on one of the steps.

"...Hm?"

She bent down and carefully picked it up.

It wasn't homework.

It wasn't a notice.

It was sheet music.

The notes were neatly written by hand.

In the corner of the page were several corrections, as if the composer had rewritten the melody over and over again, searching for perfection.

Yui smiled without realizing it.

"So... the singer really exists."

Her eyes slowly moved to the bottom of the page.

Written in elegant handwriting were four words.

**Until My Last Heartbeat**

"...Until My Last Heartbeat..."

She whispered the title softly.

A strange warmth spread through her chest.

It was only the title of a song.

Yet somehow...

It felt like a promise.

Or perhaps...

A farewell.

Before she could think any further—

**Ring... Ring... Ring...**

The first school bell echoed throughout the building.

Yui carefully folded the sheet music and held it close.

"I'll return this to you..."

"...Whoever you are."

Unaware of it...

The owner of that song was already walking somewhere inside the same school.

And in just a few minutes...

Their paths would cross for the very first time.

The first bell echoed through Sakura Hills High School.

Students hurried through the hallways, laughing as they raced toward their classrooms.

Yui Tachibana carefully slipped the sheet music into her notebook before jogging upstairs.

"I can't be late on the first day..."

She smiled nervously as she reached Class 2-B.

Sliding the classroom door open, she bowed apologetically.

"Good morning! Sorry I'm—"

"You're thirty seconds early," the teacher interrupted with a chuckle.

The classroom burst into laughter.

Yui scratched the back of her head.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should."

Still laughing, she hurried to her seat beside the window.

Aoi leaned closer.

"You've been acting strange since we got here."

"I found something."

"What?"

Yui carefully took out the folded sheet music.

"I found this on the stairs."

Aoi looked at the handwritten notes.

"Someone dropped it?"

"I think it's from the person who was singing."

Aoi sighed dramatically.

"You're still talking about that mysterious singer?"

"I'm telling you, someone was singing!"

"If you say so."

Before Yui could answer...

The classroom suddenly became unusually quiet.

She looked toward the front.

Their homeroom teacher stepped inside carrying a stack of papers.

Behind him...

Stood a boy.

Tall.

Neatly dressed.

Black hair that lightly covered his forehead.

Calm blue eyes that quietly scanned the room before looking away again.

He carried a guitar case over one shoulder.

The classroom immediately erupted into whispers.

"He's handsome..."

"Is he the transfer student?"

"Wait... is that a guitar?"

The teacher cleared his throat.

"Everyone, settle down."

The room slowly fell silent.

"We have a new classmate joining us today."

He smiled toward the boy.

"Please introduce yourself."

The boy stepped forward.

His voice was calm.

"My name is Haruto Aizawa."

"I transferred here from Kyoto."

"I look forward to studying with all of you."

That was all.

No dramatic speech.

No smile.

No attempt to impress anyone.

Just a simple introduction.

The teacher blinked.

"...That's it?"

Haruto gave a small nod.

"Yes."

The class laughed softly.

One student whispered,

"He's so serious."

Another added,

"I wonder if he ever smiles."

The teacher sighed with amusement.

"Very well."

He looked around the classroom.

"There happens to be one empty seat."

His finger pointed toward the desk directly behind Yui.

"Haruto, you'll sit there."

"...Eh?"

Yui turned around instinctively.

Their eyes met.

Only for a second.

Haruto gave a small, polite nod before walking toward his desk.

As he passed...

A gentle scent of fresh rain lingered in the air.

He quietly placed his guitar case beside his chair.

No one noticed.

Except Yui.

"...A guitar..."

She glanced at the sheet music hidden inside her notebook.

Then at Haruto's guitar case.

A tiny question appeared in her mind.

*Could it be...*

"No..."

She quickly shook her head.

"There are lots of people who play guitar."

The teacher clapped his hands together.

"Now then."

"Let's begin today's class."

Books opened.

Pens clicked.

The ordinary rhythm of school life began.

Minutes passed.

The classroom became completely silent except for the teacher's voice.

Then...

A soft sound drifted through the room.

*Thump.*

Haruto's pencil rolled off his desk.

Without thinking, Yui bent down to pick it up.

At the exact same moment...

Haruto reached for it too.

Their fingertips touched.

For the briefest instant.

Yui looked up.

"So-sorry..."

Haruto gently took the pencil.

"...Thank you."

His expression remained calm.

But his voice

...

It sounded strangely familiar.

Before Yui could remember why...

Haruto had already returned his attention to the lesson.

She stared at the back of his notebook.

Then slowly lowered her eyes to the folded sheet music hidden beneath her own desk.

For some reason...

Her heart beat just a little faster.

She couldn't explain why.

She had only met him a minute ago.

Yet...

Something about him felt oddly familiar.

As if she'd already heard his heart...

Long before she'd ever learned his name.