As I stood on the bustling street right after Sora and I separated, I paused, contemplating my next move. Now where to? The question hung in the air like a faint echo in my mind. Should I head straight for the bookstore? Or should I grab a bite first? My stomach grumbled in response, so the decision was made.
"Guess I'll have a bite," I muttered under my breath, turning toward a nearby bakery that smelled like heaven. The warm, yeasty aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air, making my mouth water.
As I strolled down the sidewalk, my thoughts drifted to Sora. I couldn't help but wonder if he would want to see the bookstore too. He seemed to enjoy books as much as I did, maybe even more. Yeah, he'd probably like it there. The thought brought a small smile to my face as I picked up my pace, eager to fill my empty stomach while the day continued to unfold around me.
I walked by the familiar bookstore and spotted a few acquaintances. A few casual waves and polite nods were all that passed between us. No need for anything more. It was a quiet sort of interaction, like the kind you have with people you've seen often enough but never really talked to.
The moment I stepped inside, the cool, air-conditioned air embraced me, mingling with the faint scent of aged paper and ink. The smell instantly soothed my mind. It was that particular scent, the one only old bookstores seemed to have, a comforting mixture of nostalgia and mystery. The place was mostly empty, except for a few people quietly browsing the shelves. I couldn't help but wonder: Do people even read physical books nowadays? Or had e-books completely taken over?
Well, I'd always been one for the old ways. I loved the feel of a real book in my hands, the way the pages turned under my fingers, the weight of it. Plus, it helped cut down on my screen time which had gotten out of hand lately. E-books might be convenient, but there was something irreplaceable about the nostalgic sensation of flipping through a paper book.
I wandered deeper into the aisles, considering what to pick up. Romance, maybe? It'd been months since I'd read anything that wasn't action or mystery. I needed a change, something to ease my mind from the relentless pace of thrills and crimes. Romance might be just the thing, a quiet escape, a gentle diversion.
With a small smile, I moved toward the romance section. Time for something a little softer, I thought.
The next day, Sora was nowhere to be found in class.
I sat there, staring blankly at the chalkboard as the lecturer's words washed over me. My mind kept drifting, tugging me back to the question that had been swirling in my thoughts all morning long. Why isn't Sora here? It was only the second day of the semester, and yet the seat beside me remained empty. Is he perhaps a delinquent? No, that's not possible.
I couldn't shake the thought. The lectures felt like background noise as my gaze kept wandering to the door, expecting him to walk in at any moment, as if he'd simply been running late. But the minutes ticked by, and there was no sign of him.
Lunch break arrived, and I still couldn't focus. The usual chatter of my classmates felt distant, almost muffled, as my thoughts stayed fixated on Sora's absence. The more I tried to push it away, the more I thought about it. It was too much.
Before I realized it, I found myself standing at a familiar neighborhood, the one Sora had casually shown me the day before.
It wasn't as if I was curious, right? I wasn't trying to pry into his life or anything like that. Not at all. But, well, I just couldn't stop myself. Maybe I was worried? Maybe I just wanted to know what was going on with him.
I shook my head. What am I even doing here?
I paused at the edge of the street, my sneakers tapping nervously against the pavement. It didn't make sense. We weren't close yet. We hadn't even really talked much. So why did it matter so much that he wasn't in class?
Should I just turn around and go back to the university?
I sighed, running a hand through my hair, conflicted and unsure. Maybe I had crossed some invisible line without realizing it. But before I could make up my mind, my feet had already taken the first step forward.
I found myself wandering aimlessly through the quiet neighborhood, the streets are comfortingly empty. It was the middle of the day, so it made sense, most kids were at school, and the adults were off at work, going about their business. It was the kind of stillness that made everything feel distant, almost dreamlike.
I knew where Sora lived. The address was seared into my mind, but the thought of simply walking up to his door, uninvited, felt wrong. I didn't want to be that person, the one who barges in without warning, an unwelcome guest. So, I turned away, deciding to head towards the local park instead. I had been here plenty of times before, enough to know it like the back of my hand.
As I made my way there, the heat of the afternoon sun was relentless, the air heavy and suffocating. My skin felt like it was roasting, and I cursed under my breath.
But luck seemed to be on my side when I spotted a vending machine right outside the park gates. I hurried over to it and bought myself a cold drink, the chilled can feeling like a small blessing against the heat.
I stepped into the park, hoping the shade of the trees would offer some relief. As I made my way further in, I froze.
There, sitting on a bench just a little ways ahead, was a figure I knew all too well. Sora. I was certain of it, though something about his posture made me hesitate. He was hunched over, his head pressed down against his knees, his whole body curled inward, like he was carrying the weight of something heavy, something unbearable.
My chest tightened. I didn't want to startle him, not when he seemed so vulnerable. So, instead of calling out, I walked toward the bench and quietly sat down beside him. I made sure to leave some space between us, not wanting to intrude too much, but I couldn't ignore the sense that something was wrong.
As I settled down on the bench, I could sense Sora's awareness shifting. He slowly looked up from his knees, his gaze meeting mine, and his expression was one of surprise.
"Yui?" His voice was soft, almost uncertain, as if he couldn't quite understand why I was here.
I swallowed, my heart beating a little faster. The question I'd been holding back all morning finally slipped from my lips.
"W-Why didn't you go to lectures this morning?" My voice wavered.