The backyard of the Sakamoto house was bathed in the soft light of late afternoon.
The sky had that orange glow that made everything feel warmer and more welcoming — the wooden fence, the small hydrangea garden, and the long shadows stretching across the grass.
In the middle of the yard, a child's laughter echoed happily. Hiroshi held his daughter by the arms and lifted her into the air as if she weighed nothing. The sleeves of his dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and his slightly messy brown hair moved as he spun around.
— Woohoo!
The little girl laughed loudly. Aoi was only six years old. Her light brown hair swayed as she was lifted, and her blue eyes sparkled with life.
— Again! Again!
Hiroshi laughed and lifted her one more time.
From the doorway, Yukiko watched the two of them. Her dark hair was tied back simply, and she crossed her arms, trying to look serious, but a small smile escaped.
— Be careful, you two.
Aoi immediately turned her head.
— Mom! Come play!
Hiroshi grinned.
— Come on, Yukiko!
She shook her head, laughing.
— I'm making dinner. Kare raisu… your favorite, Aoi.
The girl's eyes lit up.
— Really?!
Hiroshi gave a thumbs up.
— Now this is happiness.
Later, the three of them sat at the table.
The aroma of curry filled the house with a warm, familiar smell. Steam slowly rose from the plates, spreading that comforting scent that made any house feel like a home.
Aoi looked at her plate as if she were staring at treasure.
— I love this food…
She put her hands together.
— Thank you for the meal!
The three of them began eating.
Hiroshi took the first bite and let out a satisfied sigh.
— There is no man happier in the world than me.
Yukiko raised an eyebrow.
— Oh really… someone seems to be in a good mood today.
Hiroshi smiled.
— The company wants to promote me.
He paused for a moment.
— The office is a bit far away, though.
Aoi immediately looked up.
— Are you going to be far away, Dad?
Hiroshi set his chopsticks down and looked at her calmly. His smile was gentle and firm, like a promise.
— I will always come back home, Aoi.
But at that moment…
A strange sound appeared.
Trriiim, trriiim, trriiim.
Aoi blinked.
— What sound is that?
She looked at her father.
Hiroshi opened his mouth.
But no sound came out.
His smile froze on his face.
The world seemed to stop.
Trriiim, trriiim, trriiim.
Suddenly—
Aoi opened her eyes.
The ceiling of her bedroom came into view. The alarm clock beside her bed showed exactly 7:00 AM, vibrating as the alarm kept ringing.
Trriiim, trriiim, trriiim.
Aoi covered her face with her hand and stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then she reached out and turned off the alarm.
The room fell silent.
The space around her was simple and almost too organized. A small bookshelf with school books, neatly stacked notebooks, and very few decorations. A desk lamp, a photo frame turned sideways on the desk, and her school bag near the door.
The room wasn't empty.
But it didn't feel full of memories either.
Aoi sat up in bed and yawned.
— I need to get ready…
She picked up her uniform and went to the bathroom. Warm water fell over her shoulders as she stared at the wall tiles, lost in thought.
After getting dressed, she returned to her room and stopped in front of the mirror. Her brown hair fell over her shoulders as she carefully brushed it.
What classes do we have today again…
A few seconds passed.
Ah… I remember.
She picked up her bag and went downstairs.
The smell of green tea lingered in the kitchen. On the table was breakfast and a small note. Aoi picked up the paper.
"Eat well and have a good day at school. Your bento is in the kitchen."
Aoi sighed.
— I'm already sixteen, Mom…
Even so, a small smile appeared.
She ate breakfast alone. The house was quiet. The only sound was distant birds singing.
After finishing, she put the bento in her bag and left the house toward the station.
Her steps were calm, almost automatic.
When she was close to the station, a voice called from behind her.
— Aoi-chan!
She turned her head.
A girl was running toward her, black hair tied back and glasses slightly slipping down her nose.
— I made it… I caught the train in time!
Aoi smiled.
— Played games late again, Hina?
Hina raised her finger proudly.
— Yes! But I defeated the boss!
She smiled excitedly.
— It was exciting… sad too… but rewarding!
Aoi laughed.
— You really like those games, don't you?
— Story RPGs are the best!
At that moment, the train approached, the wind blowing their hair.
— Want me to lend you the game? — Hina asked.
— Ah… no thanks.
— But you used to have a console…
Aoi was silent for a second.
— That one… belonged to my dad.
The train arrived at that moment. Hina noticed the change in her friend's expression.
— S-sorry, Aoi…
Aoi smiled softly.
— It's okay, Hina-chan.
The doors opened and they entered the train. During the ride, Aoi looked out the window while the city passed like moving scenery.
When they got off near the school, they started walking toward Hoshimi Municipal Academy.
— Want to come with me after school? — Hina asked.
— Do what?
Hina clasped her hands together.
— I want to buy a game… but I don't want to go alone.
Aoi narrowed her eyes.
— Are you sure it's a game?
Before Hina could answer, a voice came from behind them.
— Hello, girls!
They turned around.
A girl with slightly reddish hair walked toward them with a confident smile and lots of energy.
— Mio-chan?
— You're late — Mio said.
— You too! — Hina replied.
Aoi let out a small laugh.
The three entered the school, changed their shoes, and went up the stairs to Class 2-B.
The classroom was full of small groups chatting. They sat in the back.
— Will you help me with math later? — Mio asked.
— Of course.
— And I also want to stop by the cosmetics store.
Hina raised her hand.
— Aoi is coming with me first!
Mio smirked.
— You're going to buy an erotic game, aren't you?
Hina immediately turned red.
— T-that's not it!
Mio shrugged.
— I don't know how you like that stuff… but if it were Fujimoto-senpai, I might think differently.
Aoi looked at Mio curiously.
— Takeo? You like him?
Mio smiled slightly at Aoi.
— He's amazing. Handsome, tall, third-year student, and one of the best actors in the drama club. Good thing you don't see anything in him, Aoi… hehe.
Aoi started laughing.
Then Mio asked:
— What about you, Aoi? What's your type?
Aoi thought for a moment.
— I… never really thought about it.
— How boring — Hina said.
At that moment, the teacher entered the classroom.
— Before class starts, we have a transfer student.
He pointed to the door.
— Come in.
A boy entered.
Tall, black hair, calm posture.
He looked a bit shy, but at the same time confident.
He stopped in front of the class.
— Good morning. My name is Yamamoto Souma. I'm sixteen years old. I like running and action movies. Please take care of me.
He bowed.
The class started applauding.
Mio murmured:
— Sorry, Fujimoto-senpai… you have competition now.
Aoi laughed.
Souma straightened up.
And at that moment, his eyes met Aoi's.
For a few seconds, the world seemed quiet.
Neither of them looked away.
Until the teacher spoke:
— Souma, sit in the back over there.
The moment broke.
Mio looked at Aoi with a mischievous smile.
— I saw that.
Aoi blinked.
— S-saw what?
Hina answered:
— You two staring at each other.
Aoi's face started turning red.
— It's not like that!
But as the class began, Aoi still secretly glanced at the boy sitting a few desks away by the window.
A silent thought passed through her mind.
"Why were we looking at each other like that?"