Back home, the evening feels different—quiet, almost as if the world has slowed down just for me. The house is still as I enter through the front door, my sneakers making soft tapping noises against the wooden floor. The faint smell of dinner lingers in the air, but Mum's already gone to bed, probably exhausted from her day of work.
I kick off my shoes, dragging my feet toward the kitchen. The soft hum of the fridge is the only sound breaking the silence. I find myself standing in front of the open refrigerator, staring at the few items inside—a leftover bowl of rice, a container of pickled vegetables. Nothing really for me to eat, but my stomach still feels hollow.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spot something on the counter: a small, neatly folded towel with a slice of fruit on top. Kaito's handwriting is scrawled across the paper wrapped around it: "Had some extra, so I figured you'd want it."
I smile despite myself. He really has this way of showing up, leaving little surprises behind.
A sudden thought hits me: Does he do this for anyone else, or am I the only one?
Shaking my head, I quickly push the thought aside. "I'm not one of those girls," I whisper to myself, taking the towel and sitting down at the table.
I unfold the towel, revealing a small bento. Freshly made. A tiny smile tugs at the corner of my lips. Kaito, I think. Always teasing, always there when I least expect him.
But as I poke at the food, the uneaten rice pressing against my chopsticks, I realize I'm not really hungry anymore. My thoughts keep drifting back to this morning—his grin, the way he called me "Ayu-chan" so casually. That nickname… It feels strangely familiar now. Like I've known it all along, but the idea of him saying it has just never felt real.
"Why does he always do this?" I mutter, more to myself than anyone else. "Why can't he just… leave me alone?"
I almost want to laugh at how ridiculous that sounds. If I'm being honest, I don't want him to leave me alone. Even if his teasing makes me flustered, even if it feels like I'm always on the edge of losing my composure around him, I can't seem to push him away.
Maybe it's because Kaito's the only person who actually feels like home here. The only one who makes this place, Okinawa, seem like more than just a place I'm stuck in. Maybe it's the way he calls me Ayu-chan with that smile of his, like it's the most natural thing in the world.
I take a deep breath, pushing my bowl aside. "I don't know what I'm doing," I admit to the empty kitchen, my voice a whisper.
Suddenly, the sound of a knock on the door breaks my thoughts. I freeze. No one ever comes by this late, especially not with the lights off.
I stand, walking cautiously toward the door, my heart pounding in my chest.
When I open it, there's no one there.
Just a small paper bag with a familiar note on top.
"Don't overthink it, Ayu-chan."
I can't help but smile softly, even as my heart flutters in my chest.
"Idiot," I mutter, closing the door and holding the note in my hand.
Kaito's not here, but it feels like he is. In this strange, quiet night, the echoes of his teasing, his laughter, his presence, fill the space. Maybe it's not so bad, being tangled up in his world.