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Jun turned and dashed out of the ceremony.

He had never run this hard in his life. His heart pounded wildly with every thundering step through the wings and corridors of the school.

He checked classroom windows for movement in the darkness. Nothing.

He sprinted past more parents, gasping the same desperate question. More shaking heads.

He reached the science building. Swallowing large gulps of air, he rested his sweaty palms on his shaking kneecaps. He clutched the balled-up gown against his ribs, breath ragged.

A muffled roar of applause and cheers echoed in the distance. The ceremony had started.

Jun looked up, blinking sweat from his lashes. The science building’s roof stretched towards the clouds tinted in the beginnings of a peachy-pink afternoon. His reflection stared back from the glass doors, drenched and distressed.

Then he noticed it. One door was ajar. The glass panels not quite aligned.

He threw himself through the gap, ignoring his body’s cry for rest.

His wheezing rang louder than his footsteps as he climbed the staircase. When he reached the door to the rooftop, he slowed, letting his lungs catch up.

The door was open.

He shoved it wider and followed the short trail to the rooftop garden.

Between the tomato planters, a navy graduation gown lay crumpled on the ground.

A cap flipped on its side.

A dark suit coat.

A striped gray tie.

Jun’s legs kept moving. But something inside him already knew.

A few steps further. A white dress shirt billowed in the wind off someone’s back.

Ruki’s back.

He had kicked off his dress shoes. He pushed himself up onto the edge of the building. He stood tall and poised, like a carved statue, the bright sun illuminating every edge of him.

Jun’s mind banked. His body understood before he did.

He had never bolted as hard as he ever did in his whole existence.

It happened so fast. One second, he was sprinting. The next, he had Ruki’s shirt in his fists, and they were crashing onto the ground.

Jun’s sobs tore out of him before he could stop them—garbled, animalistic sounds he didn’t recognize. Tears splashed onto Ruki’s stunned, beautiful face.

Jun’s head was exhausted. His body was tired. He wanted to shake him, scream at him. But the sobbing locked his trembling body in place.

“Jun?” Ruki’s sweet voice broke through.

Soft fingertips wiped Jun’s tears away.

Ruki’s lips curled into a small smile. Not a happy one. “Why are you crying?”

“Why?” Jun croaked between sobs.

Ruki cocked his head slowly. “Why what?” He continued to brush the tears from Jun’s cheeks, catching a large drop dangling from his lashes.