I went outside and started walking down the road that led toward the mountains. The steep roadside curved upward, and from here I could already see the old iron gate marking the entrance to the trail.
I stopped for a moment and looked back.
The town stretched out below me—small houses, narrow roads, everything wrapped in green. Beyond that, the rice fields shimmered faintly under the sun. It was a nice view.
But nothing new.
I turned back and kept walking.
Before I knew it, I was back in the mountains. The air felt different here—cooler, quieter. The ground was dry now, nothing like a week ago when it had been muddy and dangerous, every step threatening to send me sliding.
I picked up a long stick along the way and lazily swung it around, hitting bushes and tall grass as I walked.
Thwap. Thwap.
I was so bored my brain felt like it was melting.
Maybe Hazel would want to hang out this week…
But she lived pretty far. And calling her out of nowhere felt awkward.
I sighed and took another step—
Then I froze.
Someone was down the Crescent Path.
"…Huh?"
At first, I couldn't tell who it was. Trees blocked my view, leaves rustling softly in the wind. I took a few cautious steps forward, my heart beating a little faster than it should've.
Without thinking, I ducked behind a tree.
…I don't even know why I did that.
Everyone knows everyone in this town. Still, the idea of running into someone I knew—like this, alone, doing nothing—made my chest tighten.
I peeked out.
And then I saw her.
"…The new girl?"
My eyes widened slightly.
She was standing there alone, right where the hole had been a week ago.
Why was she here?
And how did she even know about this path?
Maybe Uncle Peter showed her around, I thought. Yeah… that makes sense.
Still—
She wasn't walking.
She wasn't looking around.
She was just… standing there.
Like she was waiting or searching for something.
A strange chill crept up my spine.
"…What are you doing out here…?" I whispered.
I stayed hidden, watching her quietly, my grip tightening around the stick in my hand.
For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to move. I hid behind the tree again, breathing in and out.
This is too awkward…
I should probably just go back. I don't know how to talk to new people—especially girls my age. And especially her. The way she looked… It was kind of intimidating.
I swallowed.
I'll just check one more time, I told myself.
I peeked out.
"…Huh?"
She was gone. My eyes darted left. Right.
"Eh…? Eh…?"
She was just there a second ago. I didn't even hear footsteps. No rustling leaves. Nothing.
Did she leave already…?
Then—
"What are you doing?"
"—EEEK!"
A very embarrassing sound escaped my mouth.
I jumped so hard I dropped the stick, my hands flailing as I stumbled backward and smacked straight into the tree I'd been hiding behind.
"Ow—!"
My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest.
Standing right behind me was—
The new girl.
"…W-WHAT?!" I blurted out.
How—how did she get there?!
I stared at her, frozen in place. She wasn't even that close to the path. She was right behind me. Like she'd appeared out of thin air.
I didn't hear anything…
My brain refused to process it.
"What the heck…" I whispered, half to myself, half in disbelief.
She tilted her head slightly, looking at me with a calm, unreadable expression.
"…You were hiding," she said, more like an observation than a question.
My face instantly felt hot.
"I—I wasn't!" I said too quickly. "I mean—I wasn't hiding! I was just—um—standing here!"
Great. Smooth, Mayumi. Very convincing.
I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole.
I couldn't say anything next. I just stood there while she… stared at me. Up close, her eyes were this deep, strange ember—like they're about to spark.
She was just… standing there. Looking at me. She wasn't doing anything, and somehow that made it even scarier.
Why is she looking at me like that…!
Her eyes moved slowly—head to toe—then back up again. And then she looked straight into my eyes.
She stepped closer.
Oh no. Please don't.
I have crippling anxiety. This is killing me.
I pressed my back against the tree, wishing I could just melt into the bark and disappear. I was completely cornered by the new girl in town.
Why am I being cornered?
Why is this happening to me?
It was hard to look at her directly. My heart was beating way too fast. I'm scared. She kept closing the distance, one step at a time, calm and unbothered.
I squeezed my eyes shut as tight as I could.
I couldn't even look at her properly anymore. My chest felt tight. My hands clenched into fists.
She was right in front of me now.
Way too close. Everything was so quiet.
No footsteps. No wind. Just my own breathing, loud and uneven.
…One second passed.
Two.
Then—
"You know," she said calmly, her voice surprisingly gentle, "If you keep hiding like that, people might think you're doing something suspicious."
I froze.
"…Eh?"
I slowly opened one eye.
She was leaning back slightly now, hands in her pockets, looking at me with something that almost resembled amusement.
"I'm not going to eat you," she added. "You don't have to look like a cornered puppy."
My face burned.
She blinked. Then—she smiled.
Just a little.
"I'm Elena," she said. "You were that girl by the window, right?" She tilted her head. "Didn't expect my dear neighbor to already be spying on me."
My brain completely shut down.
Excuse me, but what?
Spying?
Is shel for real?
Say something, Mayumi. Anything.
"I—I'm not spying on anyone!" I said quickly. "I didn't know someone was here and—"
I swallowed. "I'm Mayumi. I'm not doing anything suspicious."
I managed to finish, my voice barely above a whisper.
I was trying my best to calm my nerves.
"S-So…" I started, clutching my hands together. "What were you doing up here… on the Crescent Path? You were just standing near that hole."
She glanced past me, toward the broken part of the trail, then shrugged lightly.
"Oh. Nothing special," she said. "I was looking for something."
"…Something?"
That didn't really clear anything up.
I hesitated, then asked the next thing that had been bugging me since morning.
"So… you're living with Uncle Peter?" I said. "Are you, um… family?"
She paused.
Just for a moment.
Then she nodded, smiling faintly. "Something like that."
Something like that…?
She continued, "Since I'll be living here for a while, I thought I'd look around. I came from a pretty far place, you know?"
Far place…?
My eyes drifted back to her face. Her posture, the way she spoke—she didn't really feel like someone from around here.
Maybe she's from the city.
That would make sense. She kind of looked like it. Clean, composed… way too put together for this sleepy countryside.
But then why move here?
This place was boring. Even I thought so—and I grew up here. Maybe she had a personal reason.
Before I could stop myself, curiosity won.
"If you're living here now…" I said, gathering what little courage I had left, "are you… going to school here too?"
She tilted her head slightly. "School?"
She repeated the word like she was a bit confused.
"Y-Yeah," I nodded quickly. "I go to Saint Lucille. I'll be in my third year next school year."
The words spilled out before I could overthink them.
For a second, she just looked at me.
I'll assume she might actually be in the same grade as me.
I felt my heart beat a little faster.
Not because I was scared this time. But because of the thought that followed. If she was going to school here…And if she was living right next door… Then maybe—just maybe—
I wouldn't have to be alone when school starts.
Making friends has always been hard for me. I usually waited too long, thought too much, and ended up doing nothing at all.
But this was different.
She was new.
And I was already talking to her.
If I could actually befriend the new girl in town before school even started…That would be kind of amazing.
For me, at least.
"That's good to know," she said. "I'll be enrolling there."
My heart skipped.
R-Really…?
"Then I guess… we'll be classmates."
That sounded normal.
That sounded friendly.
Right?
For a moment, she just stared at me. Then she smiled.
"Seems like it," she said.
She shifted her weight, glancing down the trail. "I was actually thinking of walking back. I don't know the area very well yet."
"Oh."
This is it.
This is your chance.
"I—um," I said quickly, before my courage could run away, "I live nearby. I mean—everyone does, but—if you want, can I walk with you the way back?"
I froze, waiting for her reaction.
She tilted her head, then nodded.
"I'd like that."
…Wait.
She said yes.
"Oh. Okay. Good," I said, way too fast. "I mean—yeah. Sure. No problem."
Smooth. Extremely smooth.
I bent down to pick up the stick I dropped earlier, then hesitated.
"…You didn't, um," I asked, glancing at the ground, "find what you were looking for?"
Elena looked back at the path one last time.
"…Not yet," she said. "But maybe that's fine for now."
I didn't really understand what she meant.
Still, we turned around and started walking together—side by side, not too close, not too far.
And somehow…
The mountains didn't feel as quiet as they did before.