September had arrived, bringing summer to a close, and a chill had begun to settle over the campus.
After training ended that afternoon, Sawahara went alone to Keyaki Mall. Today was a special day, so he planned to buy a few things to mark the occasion.
The shop clerk gave him an exceedingly strange look as Sawahara bought an incense burner and two sticks of incense. The school store was surprisingly well-stocked, even carrying something like this. He'd wondered if he should place an order in advance.
Afterward, he went to the flower shop and bought a bouquet. It was obvious that Sawahara meant to commemorate someone.
As he left the flower shop, intending to drop off the things he was carrying in his dorm room first, he saw a girl fall to the ground not far away.
He recognized her. She was the orange-haired girl who had often appeared beside Vice President Nagumo. He remembered her surname was Asahina.
Sawahara stamped firmly on the paving stone beneath his feet. It was flat and solid. Could someone really fall on such an even surface?
The girl seemed to be struggling to get up. After a moment's thought, Sawahara set the flowers and incense burner on the ground. To keep the two sticks of incense from getting wet in the puddles left by yesterday's rain, he had stuck them into the burner.
"Asahina-senpai, are you all right?" Sawahara walked over and held out a hand to help her.
"I'm fine, than—" Asahina took Sawahara's offered hand and got to her feet. She felt a slight sting in her knee. It looked like she'd only scraped it a little.
She hadn't finished thanking him when she noticed the incense burner in front of her, with two sticks of incense stuck in it.