"Is this... Yokohama?"
On the train, Fumi leaned against the window, watching the busy city with bright, expectant eyes.
"I love being beautiful and fashionable. When I grow up, I am going to stay in Tokyo and become an outstanding adult."
Her old friend Nobara Kugisaki's words echoed in her mind once again.
Those words had pushed Fumi forward, driving her to work hard until she finally reached the city she had always dreamed of.
Stepping out of the station, Fumi glanced around.
Then she saw a familiar figure.
Tears welled up instantly.
"Nobara!"
Nobara turned at the sound, only to be caught in a tight embrace as Fumi rushed toward her.
"Nobara... sob..."
Nobara clicked her tongue, though her voice trembled slightly as she wiped at the corners of her eyes.
"Come on, you are grown up now. Stop crying like a kid."
She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Fumi's tears.
"So, you will be going to school here in Yokohama now?"
Fumi nodded eagerly.
"Yeah. I want to stay in the city too and become an outstanding adult, just like you, Nobara."
Nobara scratched her head, a little embarrassed.
"I am not that impressive. But if you are staying, we could rent a place together."
"Yes!"
Fumi nodded without hesitation.
"By the way, Nobara, where do you go to school? I could not find anything about it online."
"Yokohama Jujutsu High School."
Fumi blinked.
"That exists?"
Nobara sighed.
"It does. You just will not find it online. The school is... a bit special."
After Tokyo was destroyed by a volcanic disaster, at least according to official reports, Tokyo Jujutsu High had relocated to Yokohama.
With the city still under reconstruction, staying there was not practical. Cursed Spirits thrived where people gathered, so moving made sense.
The two rented a small place near the school.
As evening approached, Nobara grabbed Fumi's arm.
"Let's go."
Fumi looked confused.
"Where are we going?"
Nobara smiled faintly.
"To see someone."
...
"Disgusting!"
"Shameless!"
"Go back to Tokyo!"
"I hope you get into an accident!"
"Just die already!"
The car doors and windows were covered in crude graffiti.
Saori ignored it at first, until she saw her front door had been vandalized too.
She let out a quiet sigh and stepped inside.
Her parents sat there, their expressions filled with frustration and helplessness.
They had no idea what they had done to deserve this treatment.
Or maybe they did.
Their family was better off than most in the village. They were polite, well-mannered, and came from the city. Their home was clean and spacious.
That alone made them stand out.
In a poor and narrow-minded village, being different was enough.
"Tomorrow, we are leaving."
Her father spoke with resignation.
Saori hesitated.
It was not the village she would miss.
It was two girls.
Nobara Kugisaki and Fumi.
Saori had always treated Nobara like a younger sister, inviting her over, making snacks she had never seen before, and telling her stories about the city.
And Fumi, quiet and distant under the pressure of the village, yet just as kind at heart.
Saori glanced back at the vandalized door.
They were not welcome here.
The villagers believed they were being looked down on.
But Saori's family had never done anything of the sort.
Prejudice was like a mountain, impossible to move.
Maybe it came from insecurity.
As long as Saori's family stayed, the comparison remained. It forced the villagers to face their own circumstances.
Driving them away felt like reclaiming dignity.
In truth, the ones looking down on them were the villagers themselves.
The next day, Saori left.
Nobara and Fumi stood behind the car, crying as they watched it disappear.
Nobara cried harder than ever.
At that moment, a thought took root in her heart.
She would leave this suffocating place.
She would go to the city Saori had spoken about.
Tokyo.
...
Now, years later.
Yokohama, at a newspaper office.
Saori wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at her computer.
"Alright, done for today."
She shut it down and stretched.
Looking at her reflection, she noticed her messy hair.
She gave a small, self-mocking smile.
"Sorry, Nobara. I turned into a completely ordinary office worker."
"If you saw me now, you would probably be disappointed."
She checked her watch.
"Oh no, it is almost five. I will miss my train."
She quickly packed up and rushed out.
At the station, slightly out of breath and with her hair still messy, she looked at the display.
Three minutes.
She exhaled in relief.
"Made it."
The train arrived shortly after.
The doors opened, and Saori waited as passengers stepped out.
Then two figures stopped in front of her.
"Saori-san..."
She looked up, confused.
Two girls stood there, their eyes filled with tears.
For a moment, time blurred.
The two small girls from her memories overlapped with the ones before her.
Her lips trembled.
"Nobara... Fumi..."
Before she could say anything else, they threw themselves into her arms.
Their cries echoed through the station.
Years of longing surged all at once.
Saori held them tightly, her hands shaking, her vision blurred with tears.
"I am sorry... I look like this now. You must be disappointed, right?"
Nobara shook her head firmly, tears shining in her eyes.
"No, Saori-san."
"In my eyes, you have always been the most outstanding adult."
Saori let out a soft laugh.
"Outstanding, huh..."
The train let out a sharp whistle and sped away into the distance, cutting through the wind.
^_________^
Send Powerstones