Chapter 6: The Sky Isn't Crying Today
The familiar chime of the coffee shop door gave way to the warm murmur of low conversations, the clink of cups, and the soft jazz humming through the ceiling speakers. The golden light through the windows spilled like honey across the wooden floor, painting everything in an amber glow.
And then—
"Hey, sharp brain."
That voice.
Ren turned quickly, as if caught in a trance. There she was — Himari, framed in the doorway, her school bag slung lazily over one shoulder, hair slightly tousled by the summer breeze. Their eyes met, and in that one second, they smiled as if they'd been doing it for years.
It had only been a day.
But somehow, it felt like longer.
Ren stumbled to his feet, caught between nerves and a jitter of excitement. He reached for the nearest chair — then the wrong one — then another — nearly knocking over the table before finally placing it in front of her with a triumphant yet sheepish grin.
"Oh... sorr—sorry about that," he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "Here. Finally. Sit down, please."
Himari let out a gentle laugh, her eyes sparkling like the late-afternoon sun reflected in iced coffee. "Maybe sharp brains aren't always so sharp after all."
"Maybe just for this time," Ren answered, still trying to recover his cool. "Won't happen again."
"Nah. Keep it happening," she said, sliding into the seat with a soft thud. "It shows you're being yourself. Not anybody else."
The warmth in her words settled something in him. Like a quiet approval no one had given before.
He took his seat across from her, and they both ordered cold coffee. Then came the usual rhythm of banter — that dance they'd unknowingly perfected: graceful in awkwardness, sincere in silliness.
"Soooooo..." Himari started, dragging the word with mock seriousness.
"Soooooo...?" Ren echoed, raising an eyebrow.
"How was last night, sharp brain?"
The question, though simple, caught him off guard.
"Uh... fine? I guess? How about you, bird brain?"
"Oh, yeah. It's great to enjoy the day after a long one at school. Right?"
"Yeah, definitely. The classes felt like chewing chalk. Tasteless. Boring. I don't even know how I survived."
Himari stared at him then, quiet. Just… watching.
"Oh no," Ren said suddenly. "Was your day worse? Did your bird brain short-circuit?"
"What???" Himari laughed. "Where did that come from?!"
"You just froze. I thought the circuits blew out."
"Seriously?! That's not even close. My bird brain thinks better than your sharp one."
"Then explain that silence. You stared at me like I was a flying dumpling."
"I was just looking," Himari said with a half-shrug, trying to hide the small color rising to her cheeks.
"Just looking, huh?"
"It's just… I didn't think you'd look this dumb in clear weather," she said, recovering with a sly smile.
"Dumb?! From which angle?!"
"Every bit of it."
Ren gave her a fake offended face, placing a hand to his chest dramatically. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
"Do as you wish, sharp brain. Doesn't make it untrue."
They both laughed again.
Outside, the sky shimmered like blue silk stretched across the city.
"Did you notice?" Ren asked after a moment, the tone of his voice changing—slower, softer.
"Notice what?" Himari tilted her head.
"The sky isn't crying today."
Her eyes followed his gaze outside the window.
"We agreed to meet when it stopped raining. And here we are. Just the next day. That's crazy, right?"
She smiled, without knowing why exactly. Something about that made her heart feel... lighter.
"Yeah... looks like the next day was just next door."
"Exactly. What a lovely day."
And so time passed — in small talk, in sips of coffee, in laughter that danced between them like a shared secret. The coffee shop became their little world, untouched by the ticking clock.
Then —
"I have a question, sharp brain," Himari said, her fingers playing with the straw of her drink.
"What's up?"
"You don't have any work left tonight before bed, do you?"
Ren blinked. Her tone had changed. There was something more to that question — not quite deep, but soft and quietly hopeful. He felt it in the space between their breaths.
He paused. Thought for a second. Then shook his head. "Nope. Free as a feather."
Himari lit up. Jumping slightly with a joy that surprised even her. Ren almost jolted from his chair just seeing it.
"Then let's go have a little time in town!"
The words hung in the air — full of promise and mischief and something warmer than coffee.
And with that, the sky above the city remained clear. Not a tear in sight.