The sound of footsteps filled the hallway—some students rushing home, others still chatting near their classrooms. I stared out the window, watching the soft orange light of the evening spill into the room. It felt… calm. For the first time in days, the world seemed to breathe slower.
Inohana said she had student council duties again, which meant I was free for the afternoon.
Free from the strange “game” she always dragged me into. Free to just… exist.
My feet moved without a clear destination, taking me through the quiet corridors, past the courtyard, until I stopped in front of the music club building.
From inside, I could hear the faint sound of a violin — smooth, emotional, almost sorrowful.
That sound… I knew it.
There was no mistaking it.
It was Naoko.
I opened the door quietly. Inside, she stood in the center of the room, a violin in her hands, a small phone on a tripod in front of her.
On the screen, the livestream was still running. A flood of comments scrolled upward—people cheering, requesting songs, spamming hearts.
Naoko’s face glowed with energy. Her smile looked bright, natural, almost radiant under the sunset light.
“Minna~ arigatou! Next song will be a request from chat, okay~?” she said in that cheerful tone I’d only heard online.
I froze by the door, not wanting to interrupt, but maybe my footsteps were too loud—because she turned, eyes widening slightly before softening.
“Oh? Hayashi-san? You came?” she said with a small laugh.
Her viewers probably noticed her looking at someone off-camera, because the chat exploded. Naoko quickly waved to them.
“Okay, minna! That’s all for today! Thank you for watching~ See you next stream!”
She waved one last time, then tapped her phone screen. The chat disappeared, and with it—her radiant expression.
A quiet sigh escaped her lips. “Haah… finally done.”
She slumped onto a chair, her shoulders relaxing as if she’d just taken off a heavy costume.
“The difference is… kinda shocking,” I said as I walked in.
She chuckled weakly. “Yeah, I know. You have to act full of energy, or the viewers will get bored. But when the camera’s off… well, this is the real me.”
I nodded. She looked so different now—calm, tired, maybe even a bit lonely.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she placed the violin across her lap.
“You always play after school?” I asked.
“Sometimes,” she replied, staring out the window. “Usually when there’s no one around. It feels weird if someone’s watching.”
“I get that,” I said softly.
For a while, silence filled the room. Only the sound of birds outside and the creaking of the old ceiling fan broke it. Then, Naoko suddenly turned to me with a small grin.
“Hey, wanna try playing?” she said, holding the violin out to me.
I froze.
“M-me? No, I can’t play that.”
“Really? You look like someone who’s touched a violin before.”
Her teasing tone was light, but the words hit me deeper than she knew.
I forced a smile. “Seriously, I can’t.”
But my hands… they trembled.
Just a bit.
And suddenly, the image flashed in my mind—screeching tires, shattering glass, a scream fading into silence. My breath caught.
“Hayashi-san?”
Her voice brought me back. I quickly shoved my hands into my pockets.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just… cold hands.”
She stared at me for a moment, as if reading something behind my words, but then she smiled again, this time softer.
“Then maybe… try the guitar instead?” She pointed at a guitar in the corner. “It belongs to the music club.”
I followed her gaze. A simple acoustic guitar leaned against the wall, its strings a little dusty. I hesitated.
It had been a long time since I touched an instrument.
But something about the gentle sunset light—and Naoko’s calm presence—made me want to try.
“Alright,” I said finally. “But don’t expect much.”
Her smile brightened, genuine this time. “It’s fine. I’m not great either.”
That was a lie, of course—but I didn’t say anything.
I sat down and picked up the guitar. The wood felt cool, unfamiliar. My fingers brushed against the strings, and a soft, uneven sound came out. It wasn’t perfect—but it was real.
Naoko tilted her head, listening. “You’re totally lying,” she said with a smirk. “You do know how to play.”
I laughed quietly. “Maybe a little.”
She didn’t reply. Instead, she lifted her violin again and began to play—softly, matching my rhythm.
The sound of our instruments filled the room.
The notes weren’t perfectly aligned, but somehow, they blended together. The gentle plucking of the guitar, the flowing sound of her violin—it was like two different emotions meeting halfway.
When the last note faded, we both sat in silence for a few seconds.
Naoko smiled faintly. “That felt… peaceful.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Like time slowed down for a bit.”
Her eyes met mine.
There was something in them—something fragile, almost warm—but she quickly looked away, pretending to tidy her sheet music. “I should clean up. I still have requests from today’s stream.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I should head home too.”
We began to pack things up together. The air between us felt calm, but not empty.
Every time I glanced at her hands moving carefully across the violin, I felt a strange mix of admiration and sadness. Her fingers moved like they’d been trained for years—but there was hesitation in every motion, like she was afraid of the sound she could create.
When I reached the door, she suddenly called out.
“Hey, Hayashi-san.”
I turned around.
“If you want… you can come again tomorrow. I usually practice around this time.”
Her voice was soft, almost casual, but her eyes said something else.
“Alright,” I said. “Maybe I will.”
She smiled, a small curve of her lips that carried more warmth than words.
“If you do, I’ll play something brighter next time. Promise.”
I chuckled. “I’ll hold you to that.”
As I stepped outside, the sunlight was fading. The sky was turning gold, streaked with violet clouds.
I looked down at my hands—they were still shaking faintly.
But the pain that used to accompany that tremor… felt lighter somehow.
Maybe it was the music.
Or maybe… the person who played it.
I glanced back at the music room before walking away. Through the window, I could see Naoko still sitting by the chair, staring out the same sunset I was looking at.
...The hallway was empty when I finally stepped out.
The soft hum of the evening wind slipped through the windows, carrying with it the faint scent of the ocean. The sound of the waves wasn’t far — gentle, rhythmic, almost calling me.
My steps slowed.
I didn’t really want to go home yet.
Maybe it was the leftover tension from earlier.
Maybe it was the echo of the violin still ringing in my head.
Or maybe… I just didn’t want to think too much.
Before I realized it, I was already walking down the narrow road leading to the beach behind the school.
The sky was painted in shades of orange and purple, the waves glowing softly under the fading light. The air was cool, and the sand felt warm beneath my shoes. I let out a small sigh, closing my eyes as the breeze brushed against my face.
…Peaceful.”
It had been a while since I felt something like this.
Just silence, the sea, and the sound of my own heartbeat.
Then — a familiar voice drifted through the wind.
“Hayashi-kun?”
I opened my eyes.
There, sitting on the stone steps near the shore, was Hana.
Her hair fluttered in the wind, her hands wrapped around a small can of juice. The
sunlight made her look softer, almost glowing.
She smiled when our eyes met.
“Beautiful evening, isn’t it?”
For a moment, I didn’t know what to say.
Yeah… it really was.
And somehow, I had a feeling this quiet evening — one that started as a simple walk by the sea —
was about to become something I wouldn’t forget.