Misumi Uika excitedly showed Sakiko around her island.
"I bet you've never seen so many fun things back home, Sakiko!" With Sakiko's family's permission, the two girls had ventured into the woods near the resort.
Seeing Sakiko's delicate, porcelain-doll-like appearance, Uika took special care not to play too roughly, instead carefully guiding her new friend and introducing the island's sights.
To Uika's delight, despite looking thin and fragile—seemingly too delicate even for the island's breezy shoreline—Sakiko didn't act spoiled at all. She eagerly followed along, fascinated by everything Uika showed her, even insects. When Uika mischievously held a beetle close to her face, Sakiko's eyes lit up in genuine delight rather than fear.
Uika decided Sakiko was pretty nice. Just nice, really—that's all.
Did Sakiko have that unique big-city charm she'd never seen before? Uika felt curious.
But surely my island is still better, the island-born girl told herself.
Later that evening, just before they had to return home, Uika led Sakiko to an open area perfect for stargazing. Without tall buildings blocking the view or neon lights polluting the night, countless stars shone vividly overhead, forming an ocean even grander than the sea itself.
"So pretty…" Sakiko murmured, spellbound. "I've never seen stars like this back home."
Uika felt deeply satisfied by Sakiko's awe. Maybe it was a child's natural desire to impress, wanting her friend to see how wonderful the island was. Or perhaps it was because she'd come to like Sakiko a little and wanted to share her most precious treasures.
"How do you like it here, Sakiko?" the island girl asked hopefully.
"I love it!" Sakiko replied eagerly. "There are so many fun things—the beetles, the fishermen, these stars—you can't find any of this in the city."
Excited, Sakiko suddenly had an idea. She wanted to repay Uika for being her guide by showing her something unique from outside the island.
"Uika, come with me!"
They sneaked back into the small villa where Sakiko was staying. Inside, she presented Uika with a strange little machine.
Is this the amazing thing Sakiko wanted to show me? It didn't seem very special—just a small machine with a weird stick attached.
Uika bluntly voiced her confusion. Sakiko laughed; her features were still childishly soft, yet she was already radiantly pretty.
"I didn't mean the machine itself," Sakiko explained. "I meant this—"
Sakiko took out a round disc and placed it on the machine, which was actually a record player.
When Sakiko pressed a button, the mysterious stick moved by itself, settling onto the spinning record.
A moment later, music flowed forth—
It was unlike anything Uika had ever heard.
…
Uika grew even more curious about the big city.
Sakiko only visited the island in the summer for family vacations, and soon she had to return home.
But Sakiko had made a promise: she would visit the island again next summer, and if possible, she'd bring Uika to Tokyo and become her guide.
Aside from this promise, Sakiko had left something else behind—a seed planted quietly in Uika's heart.
Though the island wasn't isolated and had plenty of connections to the outside, island life was rich enough that local children rarely turned to screens when they had endless fun right outside their doors.
The television at Uika's home was primarily used by her grandfather to watch old period dramas, and by her father for the daily weather forecast.
Now, the TV had a new young viewer. Uika eagerly flipped through every channel, searching for programs about the city.
She saw many amazing things: towering concrete buildings, endless varieties of shops, countless cars streaming through intricate roads… All impressive, but not quite what she sought.
Ever since Sakiko left, Uika's mind constantly replayed the music she'd heard from that simple little machine. Completely unlike the rough fishermen's songs she knew, this music was serene, stirring, sorrowful, joyful—each piece carrying an invisible, powerful grip that captured her heart, making it beat so fiercely it seemed ready to leap from her chest.
Until now, music had just been background entertainment, a pleasant scenery along her path—until she saw…
Elegant opera performances on elaborate, beautiful stages; orchestras where dozens of musicians played as one, blending different instruments into a single, harmonious stream of sound; virtuosos who, alone, could take an instrument to its very limits…
And then there were interactive idols, and bands whose varied styles changed constantly through collaborative creativity.
This wasn't just scenery; this was a completely new path, entirely different from everything she'd known on the island.
Though still too young to fully grasp its meaning, she remembered every detail.
…
Misumi Uika's gaze turned beyond her island.
Sakiko kept her promise. She returned almost every summer—not quite every single one, but close enough. They would still hunt for beetles, walk along the shore, and watch the stars together.
Slowly, without realizing it, they both grew taller and more thoughtful.
But one summer brought a new experience.
"Uika, look at this!" Sakiko eagerly brought her to the villa again, showing off something Uika instantly recognized from TV.
"Is that… a piano?"
"It's similar, but different," Sakiko clarified. "This is a keyboard, or you can call it an electronic piano." It had already been carefully set up in the room, complete with a small stool. Sakiko sat down gracefully, fingers poised above the keys. "I've been practicing piano very hard at home this past year, you know."
Then Sakiko began to play.
As music filled the room, Uika's heart fluttered. Truthfully, Sakiko's skill probably wasn't at the level of the musicians on the records—but this was the first time Uika saw someone playing music up close, and in her eyes, Sakiko's melody was more beautiful than anything she'd heard before.
"How was it?" Sakiko confidently asked her companion.
"It's amazing!" Uika applauded sincerely and enthusiastically, not knowing how else to express her delight other than the oldest, most honest method. As she clapped, a small thought surfaced:
How wonderful… I'd like to try too.
Still picturing herself playing smoothly like Sakiko, she was startled when Sakiko spoke again:
"Uika, would you like to visit Tokyo?"
Turning from the keyboard, Sakiko looked at her with earnest eyes. Today, as always, she wore a beautiful dress—one that always seemed out of place when playing in the forest.
Yet here, the dress made Sakiko's entire presence different, and Uika suddenly realized this girl was truly a refined young lady from the city.
Sakiko wasn't like her. The quiet pace and sea breeze of the island didn't suit her at all.
What about herself?
She belonged to the island. But could she also choose a different path? One she'd never considered before—until this beautiful girl, lovelier than even a porcelain doll, showed her the existence of a world beyond the island.
"Yes!" Uika replied decisively.
She had decided to go and see this brand-new world.
---
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