Sayuri couldn't stop thinking about Jun. She was worried about his injury; the image of blood running down his hand made her uneasy:
"Hey, are you okay?"
She sighed and smiled:
"Yes… and you, how's your head?"
He hugged her and gently stroked her arm:
"It's better, but I don't blame him… he's always been like this, impulsive. But come on, it's been a long day, right? I think I should take you home. Let's just wait for Yume to come back from the bathroom."
A light drizzle began to fall over them, and finally Yume came running.
"Let's go, let's go! I can't get my hair wet!" she shouted, rushing toward the car.
Warm inside the car, Yume asked where Jun was. She hadn't seen what happened, and Sayuri decided to hide it from her:
"He left…"
"Wow, just like that without saying anything…" Yume muttered. "He probably went after some girl…"
Kenji stayed silent. Despite everything, he was worried about his friend and maybe he had gone too far with the provocation.
"We're here, Say," he said, parking the car.
"Thank you, I had a lot of fun."
"Are we going again tomorrow?" Yume asked excitedly.
Kenji looked at her and laughed. "We just got back and you already want more?"
"What? I still haven't eaten all the food there!"
"Incredible," Kenji said, laughing.
"I can't go tomorrow, I have something to do with my mom," Sayuri said.
"Me neither," Kenji added. "I'm traveling with my parents. It's my grandmother's birthday. I'll only be back on Monday."
"Boring," Yume complained.
Sayuri laughed. "Love you too, friend."
Kenji opened the car door as if to get out:
"Let me walk you to the door."
"You don't need to… you'll get wet. Take Yume before she gets hungry again."
They laughed, and Kenji said goodbye:
"Sleep well, cutie. I'll call you tomorrow."
"Good night, guys."
Sayuri watched the car drive away, and her gaze immediately went to Jun's house.
"I wonder if he's okay…" she murmured. "I really want to know…"
After her shower, she dried her hair while looking out the window. Jun's house was silent. Her heart told her to go there, and without thinking too much, she grabbed a jacket, put some bandages in her pocket, and left quietly.
Just as she was about to knock, she heard a voice:
"It's too late to be knocking on other people's doors."
It was Jun, sitting on the porch, his hand still bleeding.
"Jun…"
Her eyes immediately fell to his injury, breaking her heart:
"I came to see how you are."
He gave a faint smile:
"I'll survive."
She stepped closer, sat beside him, and took his hand.
"What are you doing?" he asked quietly.
"You should be more careful… this could get infected."
Jun watched in silence as she gently cleaned his wound:
"Sorry…" he whispered. "Sometimes I lose control… when it comes to you…"
"You don't need to apologize to me, but to your friend."
"I didn't mean to hurt him, it was an accident… ouch!"
"Stop being dramatic," she said, pulling him closer.
The more he felt her touch, the more he lowered his guard. And a fear filled him—fear of ruining that moment.
"Sayuri…" he said, lifting her face. "My world doesn't make sense anymore… nothing makes sense."
"Jun…"
He interrupted her:
"This foolish heart beats so fast every time it sees you," he let out a weak laugh. "I fell in love with you the first time I saw you."
A brief pause:
"You're the girl I've been looking for all this time…"
The drizzle fell around them in slow motion, almost like a romance scene. He leaned in and kissed her—sincere, but passionate.
She closed her eyes, giving in, but slowly pulled away, because if her parents saw, it would be a problem:
"I… need to go, Jun…"
He held her waist:
"Stay… stay with me…"
"Jun…" she said weakly. "I really need to go, I have to wake up early."
She turned slightly closer again:
"But promise me you'll take care of that wound?"
"If I don't, will you come back here?" he teased.
She didn't even get the chance to answer. He pulled her back and kissed her again, intensely.
It felt too good to be real—like a dream—and she didn't want to wake up.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, noticing her expression.
"I'm afraid this is just a dream… and when I wake up, you won't want me anymore…"
Jun hugged her tightly, harder than ever before, and whispered in her ear:
"I'll never leave you again. I want you… and no one else."
He lifted her face and looked into her eyes:
"I can't live without you anymore. Meet me tomorrow at 6 p.m., at the festival… and I'll prove to you I'm telling the truth."
She smiled and said she would be there. They said goodbye with one more passionate kiss.
The next morning, Jun woke up smiling like it was Christmas. His grandmother noticed immediately.
"You're in such a good mood today," she said, curious. "Can I know why?"
Smiling, he walked over and kissed her good morning:
"I think, for the first time, I feel okay… life feels lighter, and I just want to enjoy it."
Mrs. Midori watched him warmly:
"It's so good to see you like this… I hope whatever is making you happy lasts a long time."
"I hope so too, grandma… I really do."
Sayuri also woke up feeling different, a new brightness in her eyes. She was happy, but anxious, worried about what she would say to Kenji.
"Sayuri! We need to go! We have the meeting with the suppliers!" her mother called.
She widened her eyes:
"Damn it… the appointment…"
She got up quickly and started getting ready. When she grabbed her phone, she saw a message:
"Good morning, I can't wait to see you today." — Jun
That simple message made her smile like never before.
"It wasn't a dream…" she whispered, holding the phone to her chest. "It was real… very real."
But another notification appeared:
"Good morning, Say. I miss you already." — Kenji
Her smile faded. And to avoid thinking about it, she left her phone at home.
"Let's go, Sayuri!!!" her mother shouted.
"I'm coming…"
The day passed quickly, and every ticking second made Jun more anxious.
"What do I do? How should I act? Grandma!!"
"What is it?"
"I need to ask you something…"
"Ask away."
"If a guy, a friend, is going on a first date with a girl… how should he act?"
His grandmother smiled, amused:
"First, treat her well… like she's something precious and rare. Show her you care, but always be respectful."
"I see."
"And don't worry too much… just be yourself, Jun."
"But this advice isn't for me, grandma…"
She laughed.
"Alright… then tell your friend he'll do just fine."
At exactly six, he was already at the park. His hands were sweating, he was restless.
On the other side of town, Sayuri complained:
"Mom, I need to go…"
"Calm down, Sayuri. You'll go soon."
"I'm already late!"
Her mother looked at her seriously:
"Stop it. There's nothing more important…"
She didn't even finish, and Sayuri ran out:
"Sorry, mom… I need to go."
An hour had already passed, and Jun was still waiting in the same spot, not moving.
At 7:30, nothing.
He lowered his head:
"So… this is it…"
He adjusted his clothes and turned around, but before he could take a step away, someone grabbed his arm.
"Sorry I'm late…" Sayuri said, out of breath.
He pulled her in… and hugged her, relieved.