The sun was high and the streets were quiet. Kana, Emi, and Mika sat on a low wall outside a small neighborhood shop, each holding a cup of shaved ice. They didn't talk much at first. Just the occasional sound of a spoon scraping the bottom of a cup or a breeze pushing past.
"I like the peach flavor," Mika said.
Kana looked into her own cup. "I just picked one that looked good. They all kind of taste the same to me."
Emi adjusted her shoes. "At least it's cold. I didn't think it would be this hot today."
They sat for a while, letting time pass. A delivery truck drove by slowly. The shop behind them played a quiet tune from a small radio.
"You guys want to walk somewhere after this?" Kana asked.
"Where?" Emi replied.
"Doesn't matter. Just not home yet."
Mika shrugged. "We could go to the river path. There's shade."
"Sounds fine," Kana said.
They didn't rush. They sat a little longer, talking about nothing important. The kind of talk that fades when you try to remember it later.
When their cups were empty, they got up and started walking. No one led. No one followed. They just moved.
The summer heat didn't let up, but it didn't seem to matter anymore.