Aoi's room was silent.
The soft afternoon light filtered through the curtains, casting delicate shadows across the bed, the desk, and the mirror—where small droplets of water from the morning still remained, like traces of a beginning that now felt distant.
Aoi climbed the stairs slowly.
She pushed the door open.
Stepped inside.
And closed it behind her.
For a few seconds, she stood in the middle of the room.
Doing nothing.
Just feeling.
The familiar scent of home…
The quiet comfort of that space…
The absence of any sound.
Then, slowly, she walked to the bed and sat down.
The mattress sank gently under her weight.
She picked up her phone.
The screen lit up.
LINE notifications.
Group: Eternals.
Hina had sent a message:
"I'm only going to play a little today. Anyone else joining?"
A faint smile appeared on Aoi's face.
She typed:
"I will."
A few seconds later, another message appeared.
SoumaKey:
"I'm heading home. I won't be able to play today."
Aoi stared at that message for a moment.
"He's already back…"
Her gaze lingered longer than it should have.
Then, another notification.
Takeo had sent a photo.
It was the night sky.
The moon was partially hidden behind thin clouds, as if slowly revealing itself.
The caption read:
"This view… is better when shared with someone."
Hina replied immediately with a laughing emoji.
Right after:
Madousaki:
"I can play."
Hina replied:
"Then it'll be me, Aoi, and Misaki-chan?"
Aoi typed:
"Looks like it."
A few minutes later…
The three of them were connected.
Inside the game.
A small goblin village stood before them.
Crooked houses made of dark wood and bone.
Torches stuck into stakes illuminated the area with a flickering, unstable glow.
Grotesque shadows crawled across the walls.
Low growls echoed through the air.
Then—
Prince John appeared on the front line.
His sword gleamed under the torchlight.
In the chat, he wrote:
"Against goblins, we've got this."
Hiro charged forward immediately.
His character swung his sword in a swift arc.
Two goblins fell almost at the same time.
Madousaki raised her staff.
A magic circle formed beneath her feet.
Green light.
A healing spell.
Hiro's wounds vanished as if they had never existed.
Prince John fought beside him.
Precise movements.
Synchronized.
The battle continued for a few minutes.
Until—
Silence.
The village was empty.
Aoi typed:
"Where do we go now?"
Madousaki replied:
"We shouldn't go too far."
Prince John added:
"There's only three of us."
Aoi stared at that sentence.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
Still.
Then, slowly, she typed:
"And what about Prince John in all this… what happens to him?"
The reply came almost instantly:
"What do you mean?"
Aoi smiled to herself.
Without answering.
Then—
A new notification.
Private message.
Hina.
"What did you mean by that, Aoi?"
"What about Prince John?"
Aoi breathed softly.
She typed:
"Maybe he'll get jealous of your date."
A few seconds later—
A voice message.
Aoi opened it.
Hina's voice burst out of the phone, loud and panicked:
"STOP IT, AOI!"
"You too?!"
"We're literally playing right now!!"
Aoi froze.
She typed quickly:
"Sorry, Hina."
And sent a sticker.
A small bear hugging a star.
Hina replied:
"Cute."
Aoi typed:
"I'm going to rehearse my lines for the play for a bit."
A few seconds later:
"Before that… do you think Akihabara is a bad place?"
Aoi blinked.
"Bad?"
"Oh… the date."
She thought for a moment.
"I just think… maybe somewhere quieter would be better."
Hina replied:
"But Akihabara has quiet spots too."
Aoi let out a small sigh, smiling.
"Then… maybe you two could go to a park afterward."
Silence.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
Hina sent an image.
It was the outfit she planned to wear.
A light cream coat, soft fabric, with slightly long sleeves.
Underneath, a simple white blouse with a delicate collar.
A dark blue skirt, knee-length, with soft pleats that gave it an elegant feel.
Thin black stockings.
Simple brown shoes.
Nothing flashy.
But…
Extremely delicate.
Perfectly her.
Aoi smiled.
She typed:
"Are you sure you're just going for a walk?"
"Just kidding."
Hina replied instantly:
"I was about to insult you."
Aoi laughed softly.
Then she noticed—
Five messages in the game chat.
Madousaki:
"Hellooo?"
"Are you guys playing?"
"You're going to disconnect from inactivity…"
"ARE YOU THERE??"
Aoi hurried:
"We're here!"
"Sorry, Misaki-chan!"
Misaki replied with a sticker.
An irritated sumo wrestler.
In the Eternals group…
Aoi and Hina exchanged invisible glances.
And smiled.
The next day—
The classroom was filled with voices.
Conversations.
Footsteps.
Movement.
In the hallway, Aoi was talking with Mio and Hina.
Then—
Quick footsteps.
Misaki passed by them.
Straight ahead.
Without stopping.
Aoi smiled.
"Good morning."
"Morning."
A short reply.
And she walked into the classroom.
Mio tilted her head.
"What's up with her?"
Hina thought for a moment.
"She was the only one from the group who stayed in the city…"
"Do you think she's upset?"
Aoi blinked.
"But… because of the beach?"
Mio crossed her arms.
"She plays with you guys."
"If someone mentioned that everyone went…"
"Maybe she felt left out."
Aoi frowned slightly.
"But it wasn't planned…"
"It was our families."
Hina murmured:
"Then who told her?"
Aoi replied:
"What if it's not that at all?"
Silence.
A few seconds passed.
Hina let out an awkward laugh.
"Maybe…"
Mio smiled.
"If you thought of that…"
"It's because you care."
Hina crossed her arms.
"I only thought that because of how she looked."
Then—
Mio looked toward the end of the hallway.
Souma was approaching.
Yawning.
Mio smiled slightly.
"Well, Hina…"
"This is our cue."
Aoi turned red.
"W-WHAT?!"
"Why are you leaving?!"
Mio was already entering the classroom.
"See you."
"MIOOO!!"
Souma arrived.
Still yawning.
"Morning… yawn…"
Aoi smiled, a bit nervous.
"Good morning…"
"Didn't sleep well?"
"I got home late yesterday."
Aoi spoke, almost without thinking:
"It was really nice… you being at the beach."
Souma blinked.
"Huh?"
Aoi immediately turned red.
"I-I mean—
Everyone at the beach!
It was really fun!"
Souma froze for a second.
"Ah! Yeah!
It was great."
He looked away.
"And… you also looked… good… in your swimsuit."
Silence.
They both froze.
"I mean!!
The color suited you!!
I—
I'm going to study—"
He stopped.
At the door.
Motionless.
Aoi was still behind him, hands covering her face.
"S-Souma…?"
He didn't respond.
Aoi stepped a little closer.
"You don't have to worry…
I just—"
She stopped.
"What is it?"
Souma was staring inside the classroom.
Misaki.
Sitting.
Organizing her things.
In silence.
He spoke quietly:
"Last night…"
"Misaki confessed."
Aoi felt the world stop for a moment.
"…what?"
"Over the phone."
Her heart tightened.
As if something had been pulled inward.
She placed a hand over her chest.
Her eyes remained steady.
But inside—
Something had changed.