The third morning at Shinsei High was buzzing with noise. The school courtyard brimmed with laughter and energy, and Haruki walked in, determined to keep his head clear. He wouldn't let himself think about Aoi Fujimura today. Or so he thought.
But as he rounded the corner toward the school building, he froze.
There, beneath the cherry blossom tree, stood Ren Kurosawa, speaking to Aoi. Ren, with his easy smile and calm voice, seemed to command attention effortlessly. Aoi, who always kept to herself, stood there—smiling softly, nodding, as though the two shared some private world.
Around them, a group of girls, clearly members of Ren's fan club, hovered close. They giggled, complimented Aoi's hair, and invited her to lunch. To Haruki's surprise, Aoi, who had always seemed distant, gave a small smile and agreed to join them.
Haruki felt a pang in his chest—an emotion he couldn't quite name. He told himself it was nothing.
"Yo," Kenta slapped his back. "Stop staring, man. You're gonna drill a hole in the ground."
Haruki gave a forced laugh. "Come on. Let's go."
But the image lingered.
---
Later that day, Haruki found himself standing outside the soccer field. A sign-up sheet flapped in the wind: "Join the Shinsei High Soccer Club!"
"Guess it's worth a shot," Haruki muttered, scribbling his name down.
Practice wasn't easy. He stumbled on his passes and missed a few shots, but he kept pushing. The cool wind, the energy of the team—it felt good to be part of something.
During water break, someone approached.
"You're new, right?" a cheerful voice said.
Haruki turned to see a girl, her short honey-brown hair bouncing lightly as she smiled at him. Her warm hazel eyes met his without hesitation.
"I'm Miyuki Hoshino. First-year, what position are you playing?."
"Haruki Sakamoto," he replied, catching his breath. "Forward. Or... at least trying to be."
She laughed. "You'll get the hang of it. I live near the east train line. You?"
"Same direction," he said, surprised. "Near Midori Street."
"Oh, cool. Maybe we'll walk home together sometime," she said casually, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Soccer's always better with good teammates."
For the first time all day, Haruki felt something lift in his chest. A new friend. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad.
---
After practice, Haruki found Kenta waiting outside the school gate, arms crossed.
"Took you long enough," Kenta yawned.
"Sorry. Soccer practice," Haruki grinned. "Oh, by the way, this is Miyuki."
"Yo," Miyuki waved. "You're Haruki's best friend, right?"
"That's me. Kenta Shibata. I'm the brains of this operation," Kenta joked, puffing his chest.
"What organization?", Haruki asked with a subtle smile
They walked home together, the three of them laughing over dumb jokes and homework complaints. For a while, the thought of Aoi Fujimura faded from Haruki's mind.
But when Haruki got home, and the quiet settled in, her image crept back in.
He sat at his desk, opening his laptop. The group project was finished. He hesitated for a moment, then typed a message to Aoi:
"Hey, I finished the slides. Check them out when you're free."
He hit send and watched the "typing..." notification appear.
Then it stopped.
No reply.
He refreshed the screen. Waited.
Nothing.
His chest tightened. Maybe she was busy. Maybe she forgot.
Or maybe...
"Ugh," Haruki muttered, tossing his phone onto his bed.
He flopped back onto his pillow, staring at the ceiling. His mind wandered to Miyuki's smile, her easy laughter—so different from the cold silence of Aoi Fujimura.
But no matter how hard he tried, it was still Aoi's face that lingered as he drifted into restless sleep, beneath a sky where the sakura petals quietly fell.