There have been many times that I've been told that my name doesn't match with my personality.
At first, I never really cared.
A name is something you carry, like a label stuck on you before you even understand what it means.
But the more I heard it, the more it stayed with me.
"You know, You don't really feel like your name."
"It sounds brighter than you."
Each time, I only smiled weakly and nodded, pretending it doesn't bother me.
I know someone will say, who will be bothered by that.
It was me.
Because deep down, I know that I can't become someone that they want me to be, and I understood what they mean.
My name is soft.
It sounds gentle.
It sounds like someone who dreams freely, who smiles easily, who belongs among people.
And I... wasn't like that
It's not that I don't have a dreams.
It's not that I don't want happiness.
I just don't know how to reach for those things the way others do.
I prefer quiet corners.
I prefer listening rather than speaking.
I want to do what I want to do.. but only in my own small space, where no one expects anything from me.
I'm not as cheerful as my name suggests.
And Yet...
How did I end up meeting someone who seemed to have the opposite of my problem..
It was sometime during my first year of high school, second semester.
I don't remember the exact day. The weather, the date, even the lesson schedule. Those details are all blurred now.
But I remember how I met her clearly.
That afternoon, I was in the school library. The library was quiet in a way that felt comforting. The kind of quiet that didn't pressure you to speak, the kind that wrapped around your shoulder gently.
Sunlight filtered through the tall windows, casting pale patterns on the floor. Dust floated lazily in the air, visible only when the light hit it just right.
I was sitting alone at a table near the shelves, a book open in front of me.
I want to say "reading" but honestly, my eyes had stopped moving a long time ago. I was stuck on the same page, the same paragraph, while my thought drifted somewhere far away.
That was normal for me.
Then..
The library door open. The sound was soft, but in the silence, it echoed louder than it should have.
I lifted my head. That was when I saw her.
I could tell from her appearance that she was a cheerful girl... More like a carefree girl.
Just from that aura that surrounded the girl told me that she was the opposite of me.
"...Hmm?"
I must have been staring too long, because she noticed.
Her eyes met mine. For a moment, she looked surprised. Then curious.
She walked toward my table.
"Hey" She said softly
"You're Sakura Yume, right?"
"...Yeah, that's me." My voice came out quieter than I expected.
She pointed at the empty chair beside me.
"Is this seat taken?"
I glanced around. There were plenty of empty tables, plenty of empty chairs.
"... No, it's not." I answered
"Okay, thanks."
And just like that, she sat down next to me. Right beside me, my shoulder stiffened. Out of all empty seats in the library... why here?
"No problem.." I murmured, lowered my gaze.
That was when something felt off.
Wait...
How did she know my name? I was sure we'd never talked before. I couldn't even remember exchanging glances with her.
I hesitated. Asking her shouldn't have been difficult... But for some reason, my chest felt tight
What the heck, there are so many empty seats and she chose to sit here... Close to me.
"H-Hey..."
"Hm?" She turned to me.
"...Can I ask how you know my name?"
She blinked then smile gently.
"Oh that?"
"I saw it on the class list posted in hallway. Your name stood up to me."
"...I see"
"Then..." I added, after a brief pause, "What's your name?"
She looked slightly surprised, then laughed quietly.
"Oh right! I didn't introduce myself."
She faced me properly.
"My name is Fukamizu Aiko." She said so naturally, without hesitation.
"...Nice to meet you" I replied.
"Nice to meet you too" she said it with a smile.
That was all. No dramatic moment. No spark that exploded instantly. Just two people sitting next to each other in a quiet library.
And yet...
That simple meeting stayed with me.
Even now, when I think back to it, my face grown warm. It's embarrassing but I can't help it.
Whenever I remember that day... I find myself smiling like an idiot