Chisaki. Was there someone… a friend… .

coming to your room lately? .

Huh? Why do you ask? .

I think I heard you talking to someone. .

Nobody is co- ming.

It must have been your imagi- nation.

I see. .

My mom wouldn't ask for the reason why I wasn't going to school. .

She thought that was just because I was selfish. .

It really was just out of my selfishness, but— .

Mom. .

The scar on my body is a surgery mark. .

. .

It has been there since I was a child. .

Good luck at work. .

... .

…I'll lock the house well. .

When my mother was young, she said “Sorry you'll have to bear it being a girl,” every time when she saw my scar. I finally became old enough—

. .

—to under- stand what she meant. .

Heart-Breaking Dawn Last Part

Are .

you .

not .

go— .

—ing

to .

sch—

—ool?

…Manabu-kun, you're so diligent. .

Yeah, I abso- lutely have to go by now.

…Natsumi and other girls stopped coming every day as well. .

I didn't want to have anyhting to do with them any more, yet I feel sad that they aren't coming any more.

There's also less calls from our class teacher.

You come here for me and watch me studying every night, and I only shut myself off, unable to grow up. .

.

.

But, you see… .

So… I thought I'll try and go.

We are changing uniforms at school tomorrow. .

Good luck?

It's easier than on day when there's nothing special, right? .

.

But I'll go. .

I feel a little stressed. .

Thanks. . .

Ah, you've got a hangnail on your middle finger. .

.

Wait a second, I'll stick you a plaster. .

Ah, damn it… .

All of them look girly.

Come on. I can't stick it well if you move. .

rustle rustle

Oh, it suits you really well! .

How cute! .

You often get hangnails? Dry skin, huh? .

I had a surgery when I was little. .

I don't remember anything, but… .

.

I don't remem- ber, but I have a scar. .

It's decreased since you started coming here.

The number of calls from our class teacher. .

Tell me something.

Why can you solve all those handouts as if you were looking on the answer sheet? .

.

Manabu-kun. .

On a social network, .

Natsumi and few other girls wrote that they received a notice from the teacher. .

Did you warn them? .

Teacher? .

I'll be fine whoever you are. .

I person who I don't know, I person who I do know, .

classmate, teacher, it doesn't matter.

.

But, .

when I finally thought that you might be a teacher,

I felt a bit lost. .

Because I told you .

a lot about myself. .

Did you come here because you felt responsible for the difficulties that occurred in your class to this extent? .

Or maybe you just couldn't let pass an illicit sexual relationship? .

Why are you apologizing to me? .

I'm going to school tomorrow.

I'm sorry I worried you by not answering your phone calls even once.

.

And thank you for watching me while I was studying. Now...

That was .

the first time when I read a whole book. .

Teacher. .

Teacher, can you see it? It's within the range of your fingertips. .

There should be a rough, old, dirty scar. .

I wonder if something could have gone different

if it wasn't here. .

SNUGGLE .

Really? .

... .

. Thank you. .

Chisaki. .

…Oh my. .

Chisaki? .

Where could she have gone? .

… .

Her shoes are… .

This can't be…

HUH? WE WERE SUPPOSED TO CHANGE OUR UNIFORMS TODAY!? .

.

HI! .

. Hello. . .

Hi, Teacher! .

Hello. .

. …Hello. . .

…You're finally here. .

Kimi- jima. .

I'm sorry for that. .

Come to the guidance room later. .

You should also turn in all of your homework handouts together at once. .

What's more, you should remember the name of your teacher.

.

.

I… didn't think a grown-up man would answer only with his first name during self introduction. .

Tha— .

That's because… my surname is really long. .

It was you, as I thought. .

Ah… .

Huh? .

Kimijima? .

Wow, it's true! .

She must've to see Nitta, right? .

Huh? .

Nitta. .

Kimi- jima's here. .

What? .

Did they get angry at her for non-atten- dance? .

Idiot! Whose fault do you think it was? .

HEH HEH

Please enter the classroom quickly. .

Okay. .

Okay. .

Nitta-kun. .

My necktie! . .

Ah—

You— .

WOW! .

Get in the classroom quickly,

Nitta. .

Kamijima! .

Huh!? .

I will purchase you another necktie in the school store later.

I think not! She just…! .

Did something that looked like she cut your necktie in two?

DON'T PLAY AROUND WITH ME! YOU EDUCA- TIONAL MORON! .

nitta, let's go now… .

Take your seats before the bell… .

Mana… .

Call me “teacher.”

We're in school, after all.

Teacher Kitana- kahara. .

I should confiscate those scissors for now.

…Here. .

Are you angry at me? .

Who do you mean?

You, teacher. .

Your teacher doesn't have a right to get angry at his students.

He's more qualified for punishment himself.

Huh? Why? .

You're the one who should know best, Kimijima.

Why? Is it because you touched my boobs? .

Teacher, did you really think that I would tell somebody that my teacher's left hand was coming to my room every night? .

Did you really think that?

They'd say I'm crazy, right? .

Plus, I was the one who made you touch them.

Is this the reason why you've worn this suit today?

You usually look more casual. .

Your teacher is an adult. He has to think about many responsibilities.

.

Hmm. But I'm not going to tell anybody.

Teacher, you don't have to be so scared. .

... .

Ah, has it healed by now? .

Your scar.

I told you, I've had it since my childhood. .

The one on your heart. .

Heart. .

Yeah. .

It's smaller than pre- viously. .

Chisaki! .

I SEE. .

A boy told us that you'd come a while ago! .

.

. . . .

MNG— .

Natsumi and her friends said they wanted to apologize.

We also didn't do anything despite we knew you weren't coming to school.

Sorry! .

Like a puddle of dirty water. .

I… was the main cause. .

You don't have to apolo- gize.

The bottom of my heart was covered with scars.

I wanted to live a comfortable life without having to lay them bare before anyone.

But… you were hurt, right? .

Of course. I also knew about all of your slanders about me on the Internet.

UGH… .

But, during my off-school time… .

A friend… helped me get it all off my chest. .

Really? .

No hard feelings. .

Yeah.

Kimijima. .

Here. .

It's a return gift for your adhesive plaster.

Huh? .

A return gift?

Well, so to say. .

It looked like you had not a single one. .

…Thank you. . .

I'm sure this will continue on. .

By body and heart will be hurt many more times. That's because we all live next to each other.

.

Teacher, what is this? It looks super-cute.

No, you see, there wasn't anything else. .

Is it from your girl- friend? .

LET'S TELL EVERYONE! .

You're right; it's still too hot for a suit.

*SIGN* .

Because I'm alive. .

“Manabu-kun” stopped coming to me since that night. .

Or— . . .

It might be just that I didn't notice because I was deep asleep. .

Heart-Breaking Dawn The End

Thank you very much for reading to the end. I moved my feet in a way that let to bruises when I left my house. Shoe sores stuck to my for the the entire year. I'm sorry to all my friends who had to watch my gory feet when I entered their houses.

. . . . . . . . . .

Manabu-kun .