The biting chill of winter had finally retreated, leaving behind a sky the color of a fresh bruise that slowly faded into a brilliant, hopeful blue. Spring was exhaling its first warm breaths, carrying the faint, sweet scent of budding cherry blossoms and damp earth.
It was the day.
Ren stood on the sidewalk, adjusting the sleeves of his white hoodie. The fabric felt crisp against his skin, mirroring the clean, effortless look he'd aimed for. Despite his calm exterior, his mind was a chaotic hive of activity. Every time he closed his eyes, he heard the ghost of Akari's whisper from the night before—a soft, breathless confession that he was still too terrified to fully acknowledge.
Did she really say it? Or am I just projecting what I want to hear? He shook his head, trying to clear the fog.
The front door of the Minazuki house creaked open.
"Mom, I'm going to the café with Ren-san!" Akari's voice drifted out, bright and slightly higher than usual.
Inside, Aiko's eyes sparkled with enough mischief to power a small city. "Oh my, oh my… My dear Akari is going on a date with her boyfriend! How cute. Young love… these little chicks are just—"
"Mom!" Akari's protest was immediate, her cheeks inflating like a pufferfish. "I told you, we're not like that. Really, we're n–n… not—"
She froze. The word date hung in the air, shimmering like heat haze.
If this really is a date… I'd like that, she thought, her pulse suddenly drumming a frantic rhythm against her ribs. But how does he feel? What if he turns me down? What if I'm reading everything wrong and I ruin the best thing that ever happened to me? Ugh, why am I like this?
"At least say bye to your mom!" Aiko's laughter followed her as Akari scrambled out the door. "And invite Ren to lunch! I'll make something delicious—we can all eat together!"
Akari paused on the porch, a small, genuine smile tugging at her lips at the thought of Ren sitting at her dining table again. She gave a quick nod to the air and hurried toward the gate.
Ren was leaning against a streetlamp a short distance away, the sunlight catching the sharp angles of his face.
"Ren-san, were you waiting long?" she asked, breathless.
"I just got here," Ren said. He straightened up, a small, gentle smile breaking across his face. "I thought it'd be nice to walk to the café together. The weather is too good to waste in a car."
As they began to walk, their shoulders occasionally brushed. Each contact sent a jolt through Akari. Her face began to glow, the heat in her cheeks rising until she felt like she was radiating light.
Ren glanced sideways, his breath catching. "Akari-chan, you look… pretty today."
He hesitated, then continued softly, "Your face is glowing—like the sun guiding lost travelers. You're like a sun goddess herself…"
To Ren, she looked like Amaterasu rising from the eastern sea—a golden, life-giving light that chased away the long, cold shadows of his lonely nights.
Akari's blush deepened to a violent crimson. She looked down at her shoes, her heart feeling almost too large for her chest. I just want to stay like this forever, she thought. Just us.
"You really are an angel to me," Ren continued, his voice heavy with a sudden, raw sincerity. "Back then, if you hadn't approached me… if you hadn't saved me… I'd probably still be wandering around, the unluckiest person alive. I wouldn't have a friend like you."
Akari's lips tightened. A small, protective pang hit her. "Ren-san, don't say things like that anymore," she muttered, her tone turning slightly sulky.
"Sorry, Akari-chan. I won't," Ren said gently.
"But I'm just glad I have a friend who takes care of me."
"Of course I will. You don't need to thank me," she replied, her voice steadying even as her heart continued to race.
A heavy silence settled between them—not uncomfortable, but thick with things unsaid.
Ren was internally screaming. How do I ask her about last night? He thought back to his phone call with Daiki that morning.
"Hey, idiot," Ren had asked, gripping his phone like a lifeline. "How do you even know so much about this? You've never had a girlfriend. Are you secretly dating someone?"
"Like hell I am," Daiki had snorted.
"Then how?"
Daiki had let out a low, smug chuckle. "Coaches never play, my friend."
Now, staring at the pavement, Ren tried to summon that 'coach' energy. He gathered his courage, his lungs filling with air—
"Ren-san, are you alright?" Akari asked, peering into his face.
"Yeah, yeah! Fine! Totally fine!" he squeaked.
His courage shattered like glass. Later. I'll ask her later.
They reached the café, a cozy spot filled with the rich, bitter aroma of roasted beans and the sugary scent of pastries.
Ren ordered a mocha, needing the caffeine to settle his nerves. Akari, eyes wide and scanning the menu, pointed to an elaborate ice cream sundae.
"You really like ice cream, huh?" Ren asked, watching her eyes light up as the waiter walked away.
"Yeah. I love it," she said, her voice dropping into a dreamy hum. "When you take a spoonful, it melts on your tongue, and the sweetness makes you feel… relaxed. Like heaven."
"Next time, I'll try one," Ren promised. "You'll have to recommend the best one."
"I'm looking forward to it," Akari replied, her eyes shimmering. "Shall we come here again? Just for ice cream?"
"Yeah, sure. I'm in whenever you want."
"Thank you."
The waiter arrived, setting the steaming mocha and the towering sundae between them. Ren took a slow sip of his coffee, the warmth spreading through his chest, and leaned back.
"Alright," he said, his expression softening. "I promised I'd tell you how Daiki and I became friends."
Ren stared into the swirling foam of his mocha.
"Back in elementary school, I walked to class alone every day. There was this boy—Daiki—who always sat next to me. He was quiet back then, never loud like he is now. He just did his work and went home. I tried to talk to him, but he was like a brick wall."
He paused, the memory turning a bit darker.
"One day, he didn't show up. I figured he was sick. That same afternoon, a group of junior high kids cornered me. They messed up my hair, tore my bag, threw my books in the dirt… they even pushed me into a puddle of stagnant water."
Akari's spoon stopped halfway to her mouth. Her face tightened with a flash of anger.
"Didn't you tell your parents? Or a teacher?"
"I was too scared," Ren admitted, his shoulders slumping slightly at the memory of his younger, smaller self. "I thought if I said anything, they'd kill me. I just hoped someone would stop it. But for three days, they found me every single time I tried to hide."
He touched his cheek unconsciously. "They hit me. I had bruises. I lied to my parents and told them I tripped. They just told me to be careful."
Akari's eyes softened, a pained look crossing her features.
"Then, the day Daiki came back, he saw the marks. I told him the same lie, but he just looked at me and shook his head. He didn't say a word. But after school… the bullies were there again. And Daiki was right behind me."
Ren chuckled, a genuine, warm sound. "He glared at them—I've never seen a kid look that scary—and then he just started beating them up. All four of them. He was like a whirlwind. They ran away crying."
"I was stunned," Ren said, shaking his head. "He just looked at me and said, 'Hey, you coward, why are you letting them do that? Don't you have the guts to fight back?' From that moment on, we were stuck together."
Ren's voice grew nostalgic. "He taught me how to fight. We played soccer and basketball at his house. His mom treated me like a second son. We were inseparable."
He took another sip of coffee. "In junior high, things got even more intense. A year later, I told him there was this girl I liked. I'd seen her a few days before—she was gorgeous. Her skin seemed to glow in the sunlight, like the sun didn't want to shine anywhere else."
Akari suddenly puffed her cheeks out, looking away at a distant wall.
"Hey, why are you making that face?" Ren asked, a playful glint in his eye. "Are you bored? Or… are you jealous?"
"No, I'm not, you idiot—" Akari froze.
Ren's grin widened. "Akari-chan, that's the first time you've ever called me that."
"W-what…?" she mumbled, her brain short-circuiting.
"Idiot. I like it," Ren said, his voice dropping an octave. "Wanna know something else? You look really cute when you make expressions like that."
Akari blinked rapidly, her heart doing a frantic tap-dance. Did he just call me cute? Without a joke? "A-Are you serious! Stop teasing me, Ren!"
"Also," Ren said, leaning forward across the table, "could you stop calling me 'Ren-san'? I'm not an old man. Just call me Ren."
Akari's face was now the color of a ripe tomato. She bit her lip, her voice a tiny, shaky thread. "Okay… R-Ren."
Ren felt a surge of warmth. "Anyway, back to the story. I didn't tell Daiki her name. But while we were talking about her, those same four guys—the ones Daiki had thrashed before—showed up again. They were bullying a girl. And it was her. The girl I liked."
Ren smiled faintly. "Without a word, Daiki and I just looked at each other. We jumped in. This time, I wasn't watching. Daiki kicked one in the face, and I punched two in the gut so hard they actually flew back. The last one didn't even try; he just ran."
"The girl was crying, thanking us over and over. We had to tell her to stop because people were starting to think we were the ones picking on her," Ren laughed quietly. "After she left, Daiki just groaned and told me I should have said she was the one I liked earlier. He said he would've hit them even harder."
Ren's gaze softened as he looked at Akari. "We both knew then that they'd be back for more eventually. But for that moment… we were just two friends who had each other's backs."