It was the weekend. Rai woke up in the afternoon, still lying lazily on her bed. Her hand reached for her phone and checked the time.
"…Late again."
She got up, washed her face, and changed into comfortable clothes. She grabbed her bag with her sketchbook inside, along with her wallet and keys, then hopped on her bike.
Her first stop was a convenience store to grab lunch. She had planned to eat outside, but as soon as she stepped out, the warm, savory aroma of ramen caught her attention.
"…Ramen it is, then."
While waiting for her order, she opened her sketchbook. But no ideas came to mind. She rested her head on the table, staring blankly at the page, before finally laying her head down completely.
Soon, her ramen arrived, steaming and fragrant. While eating, her thoughts wandered back to the quiet place she had discovered before, so she finished quickly and set off.
Before long, she was back at that spot. The place was empty, peaceful as ever. Rai sat down and opened her sketchbook again. Pencil in hand, she began to draw.
Minutes passed in quiet concentration. Then a voice broke the silence.
"Wooo… amazing!"
Rai froze. She looked up to see a girl staring at her drawing. Instinctively, Rai turned her head—and their faces nearly collided.
"…Ahh."
"…Ahh."
Both of them stepped back slightly, startled. The girl quickly bowed a little, embarrassed.
"Sorry! Did I startle you?" she asked nervously.
Rai blinked. "…I'm fine."
The girl's eyes lingered on Rai's face, recognition dawning.
"Ahhh! You're the one I bumped into the other day!"
Rai tilted her head. "…Is that so?"
"I-I'm really sorry about that!" the girl said, bowing again.
Rai shook her head. "No, it's okay."
Taking a proper look now, Rai noticed her carefully. She wore a dress and a hat, carried two bags, and had a camera slung around her neck.
After a moment, the girl smiled brightly, almost bouncing slightly on her heels.
"I'm Kousaki. And you?"
"Rai," she replied calmly.
Something clicked in Rai's mind. Kousaki…? The name sounded familiar. She remembered the art room. The drawings, the paintings, the photographs—all labeled with the same name.
"Kousaki… from the art room?" Rai asked.
Kousaki blinked, confused. "Art room?"
Rai nodded slowly. "You made the drawings, paintings, and photos displayed there?"
Kousaki scratched the back of her head shyly, her bright eyes sparkling. "Ah… those? Yeah."
Rai nodded again. "…Hmm."
After a short pause, she asked, "So… what are you doing here?"
"I passed by here and… I was surprised to see someone. Usually, whenever I go here, no one is around. So… when I saw you and your back seemed familiar, I decided to come closer," Kousaki explained softly, her voice cheerful, her fingers fidgeting with the strap of her bag.
Rai listened quietly. "…Hmm."
She returned to her sketchbook, pencil scratching across the paper once more. The quiet lake returned, the soft rustle of leaves blending with the gentle sound of graphite moving over paper.
Kousaki, meanwhile, had set her camera aside and quietly observed the surroundings. After a few moments, she rested her head on her arms and closed her eyes, perhaps dozing off from the afternoon calm.
Rai finished her drawing and decided to rest a little before heading home. She noticed Kousaki sleeping peacefully nearby. She leaned closer, intending to gently wake her—but as her hand hovered above Kousaki, the girl suddenly opened her eyes and looked up.
"Hmm?"
Rai quickly withdrew. "Sorry… didn't mean to—"
Before she could finish, Kousaki smiled softly, her eyes crinkling in a cheerful arc.
"No, it's okay. You were just trying to wake me up, right?"
Rai nodded, slightly embarrassed. "…Yeah."
Rai began packing her things, ready to leave—but her eyes fell on Kousaki's belongings: two bags and a camera, carefully placed beside her. A soft sigh escaped Rai.
She glanced at the bags beside Kousaki. "…You have a lot of things," Rai said quietly.
Kousaki scratched the back of her head again, chuckling lightly. "Ah… yeah. I went grocery shopping earlier."
Rai looked at her bike for a moment, then pointed to the basket in front.
"…You can put some of them here."
Kousaki blinked in surprise, her cheerful smile widening. "Eh? No, no! It's okay. I can carry them—"
Before she could finish, one of the bags slipped from her hand.
Thud. A few items rolled onto the ground.
Kousaki froze. "…Ah."
Rai stared for a second, then sighed gently. "…Just put them in the basket."
Kousaki laughed awkwardly, a little embarrassed, but still cheerful. "Ah… sorry!"
After picking up the fallen items, they placed some of the bags in Rai's bike basket.
A moment later, Rai asked casually, "…Which way is your house?"
Kousaki pointed toward a road, bouncing lightly on her toes.
Rai blinked slightly. "…That's the same way as mine."
"Oh—really?" Kousaki said, surprised. "Yay! That's fun!" She clasped her hands together, grinning brightly.
Soon, the two of them were riding the same bike. Rai pedaled steadily while Kousaki sat behind her, holding the remaining bags.
The road was quiet.
"Sorry for the trouble," Kousaki said softly, though her smile never faded.
"It's okay," Rai replied.
As they continued riding, they passed by a small river. The sunset reflected on the water, painting everything in shades of orange and gold.
Kousaki's eyes widened. "Wooo… it's beautiful!"
She instinctively gripped the camera in her hands. Rai noticed.
A moment later, she slowly stopped the bike.
"Eh? What's wrong?" Kousaki asked, bouncing slightly in excitement.
Rai looked toward the glowing river. "…It's beautiful, right?"
Kousaki nodded, clapping her hands softly.
Rai glanced at her camera. "…You should take a picture."
Kousaki's face lit up immediately. "Ah—right!"
She quickly stepped down and started taking photos of the sunset.
Click. Click. Click.
After a few minutes, she lowered her camera, satisfied. "Ahh… that was perfect!" She twirled slightly, clearly delighted.
She was about to get back on the bike when suddenly—
Grrr…
Her stomach growled loudly. Kousaki froze. "…Ah." Her face turned slightly red.
Rai quietly opened her bag and pulled out a small snack. She held it out toward Kousaki.
Kousaki blinked in surprise. "Eh? Ah—no, it's okay—"
Before she could finish, her stomach growled again. Grrr…
"…I guess I don't have much choice," she said with an embarrassed laugh, still smiling brightly.
While eating, she asked gently, "…You're not hungry?"
"No," Rai replied calmly.
After a few moments, Kousaki held out half of what she was eating toward Rai. She hesitated at first, but when she saw the hopeful, shy expression on Kousaki's face, Rai slowly took it.
As they ate together, Kousaki couldn't help but glance at Rai's face. Her features were sharp and delicate, with a high nose bridge and eyes the color of the ocean. She tilted her head, curiosity sparkling in her cheerful expression.
"So… where are you from originally?" Kousaki asked, tilting her head slightly.
"From…?" Rai asked, confused.
"Ahh… were you born here?" Kousaki asked, still smiling brightly.
Rai blinked. "…Yes. Why?"
Kousaki grinned, a little mischievously. "Because… you kind of look like a foreigner!"
Rai stayed quiet for a moment, her gaze drifting toward the river. "…I hear that from other people too," she finally said, her voice soft but calm.
"Ahh… maybe your mom or dad is a foreigner?" Kousaki asked casually, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Rai didn't answer. The question hung quietly in the air.
Kousaki blinked, realizing a moment later that Rai hadn't responded. She scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Ah—sorry! I didn't mean to ask something weird!" she said quickly, waving her hand as if brushing the moment away.
Rai kept looking at the river for a second longer. The sunset had begun to fade, the sky slowly turning deeper shades of orange and violet. "…It's fine," Rai said quietly.
Kousaki relaxed immediately, her cheerful smile returning. "Good! I was worried for a second," she laughed lightly.
The two of them finished eating in silence. The cool evening breeze brushed past them, carrying the faint scent of the river.
Kousaki suddenly clapped her hands once. "Alright! Let's go before it gets dark!" she said energetically, bouncing on her toes.
Rai stood up and brushed the dust from her clothes. After throwing away the wrapper, she walked back to her bike.
Kousaki quickly grabbed her bags and followed. Soon, they were riding again—Rai pedaling steadily while Kousaki sat behind her. The sky was slowly dimming as the last light of sunset stretched across the road.
For some reason, neither of them spoke. Yet the silence didn't feel awkward.
A little later…
"Ah… you can stop here," Kousaki said.
Rai stopped her bike. As she prepared to leave, Kousaki shouted, "Thank you!" and waved. Rai waved back.
As Rai rode away, Kousaki smiled, watching her go, hands clasped in delight.
Back home, Rai parked her bike and paused at the door. She glanced at a photo of her grandmother.
"I'm home, Grandma," she said softly.
She went to her room, set down her bag, showered quickly, then went to the piano room. Fingers hovered over the keys before she began to play.
Next door, Suzuki, her female neighbor, heard the familiar melody drifting through the walls. Her eyes lit up, and a small smile spread across her face.
"Rai's playing again!" she whispered to herself, pressing her ear closer to the wall. Every day, she looked forward to Rai's piano music—it made her evenings feel brighter, almost like a little secret happiness shared across the rooms.
The soft notes filled the house, wrapping Rai in calm after a day of unexpected cheer.