As I stepped into my room and closed the door behind me, I let out a small sigh and flopped onto the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, I replayed the day in my mind like a movie on loop. It was fun. Way more fun than I'd expected.
But the more I thought about it, the more my feelings became a tangled mess. My actions today were so out of character, and honestly, it left me confused.
See, in my entire life, I've never let anyone other than my family pay for my meals. Never. It's not about pride exactly, but more about how I've always been. Independent. Self-reliant. I've built my own walls and stuck to them. It's just easier that way, you know? No one to let you down if you never expect anything in the first place. As they say, "expect disappointment, and you'll never be disappointed."
But today, today was different.
For the first time, someone who wasn't family treated me to a meal. And it wasn't awkward or uncomfortable like I always imagined it would be. Actually, it felt fine. Natural, even.
That someone was Sora.
It's like he just walked right past my barriers, as if they weren't even there. I didn't feel the usual urge to raise my defenses or push him away. Somehow, with him, everything just flowed so effortlessly.
And that? That surprised me the most.
The very next day, I found myself agreeing to meet up with Anika and Emi.
Last night, they created a group chat just for the three of us, completely excluding the two boys. They even gave it a name. Something like "Girls Only" which made me chuckle a bit. We decided to hang out after classes for some classic "girl talk." I wasn't exactly sure where this is going, but I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a try. After all, they were surprisingly easy to get along with, something I'd somehow overlooked in our three years of high school together.
By the time lectures wrapped up, the day had passed in a blur. Sora and I left the classroom together, chatting casually as we walked toward the university's main entrance.
When we got there, we parted ways. Sora gave a small wave as he headed home, his usual laid-back demeanor making it look effortless. Meanwhile, I stayed behind, standing at the entrance and waiting for Anika and Emi to arrive.
I waited at the entrance for about fifteen minutes before Anika and Emi finally showed up. Apparently, they'd been caught up with some school related matters, so I didn't mind.
"Sorry for the wait, Yui!" Anika called out as she jogged over. "Our professor just wouldn't stop rambling about his life! Ugh, it was so annoying. Did you wait long?"
"It's all good. I just got here, anyway," I said with a smile, brushing it off.
Anika grinned, clearly relieved, and held up her phone like a mission briefing. "Alright, ladies! Here's the plan. First stop, a rooftop garden about forty-five minutes from here."
Emi and I exchanged glances, nodding in agreement. Instead of dealing with the chaos of rush hour on the train, we decided to ride a taxi. It was faster, more comfortable, and honestly, just made everything feel like more of an adventure.
When we arrived, the place was breathtaking. The building itself towered above us, its sleek design standing in stark contrast to the casual hangout spots near the university. This wasn't just a getaway, it felt like a whole other world.
We took the elevator up to the rooftop, and even the ride itself was a treat. The elevator had glass walls, offering a stunning view of the city as we ascended. It was like a preview of what was to come.
And then, we reached the top floor.
It was magical.
Flowers and plants of every kind filled the space, their vibrant colors painting a canvas. Water features dotted the garden, their soft trickling sounds adding a sense of serenity. And beyond all of that, the rooftop offered a sweeping view of the city below.
For a moment, I felt like I'd stepped into a fantasy world.
Anika, Emi, and I wasted no time pulling out our phones. Group photos, solo photos, snapshots of every corner of this magical place, we didn't want to forget a single detail.
As I stood there, momentarily lost in the beauty of it all, a thought hit me like a sudden gust of wind.
"It would be fun to come here with Sora. I bet he'd really like this place."
Before I could second-guess myself, I sent him a few pictures of the garden. I wanted him to see what I was seeing right now.
Not even a few seconds passed before my phone buzzed with his reply.
"That place looks awesome!" Sora texted back almost instantly.
"Yeah! We're having so much fun!" I replied.
"Let's go there sometime! I bet it'll be fun!"
My chest felt warm reading his message. The thought of coming back here with him made me strangely happy. I glanced up from my phone, only to find Anika and Emi staring at me with amused expressions.
"So?" Anika smirked, leaning slightly closer. "Who's on the other side of the phone that's making you smile like that?"
"What? No one," I said quickly, trying to play it cool. "I was just scrolling through social media and came across a funny video."
"Oh, a funny video, huh?" Anika raised an eyebrow but leaned back with a grin. "Well, if you say so, we'll let it slide for now."
It was obvious she didn't buy my excuse, but I didn't press on the issue. Instead, I asked myself a question I wasn't prepared for: Was I really smiling? I hadn't even noticed. But Sora's response just made me happy. I decided to leave it at that, though my heart was already starting to feel complicated.
After wandering around the rooftop garden for a little while longer, we headed down to a cozy café on the floor below. It had the perfect atmosphere for casual chatter, with warm lighting and a faint scent of fresh coffee in the air.
We ordered our drinks and settled into a corner table, talking about random things until Anika suddenly leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table with a mischievous grin.
"So?" she started, her tone obviously with curiosity. "What's going on between you and Sora?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, genuinely confused.
"Oh, come on," she said, waving her hand as if to brush away my obliviousness. "Aren't you two, like, a couple or something? You spent all this time together, and Saku told me he saw you two at the mall yesterday."
"We're—" I paused, not sure what to say at first. "We're friends."
"Friends, huh?" Anika tilted her head, clearly unconvinced.
"Yeah! Just friends. We just get along really well," I insisted.
Emi, who had been quietly sipping her drink, finally chimed in. "We're not trying to pry too much, Yui, but it's just unusual. You don't usually engage with people like this. But honestly, whatever it is, we're happy for you. If it weren't for Sora, we wouldn't be hanging out with you like this. And you know what? You're a lot of fun to be around. You're genuine too."
Her words caught me off guard. "Well, thanks. That means a lot." I smiled faintly. "But seriously, Sora and I are just friends."
The conversation drifted into lighter topics after that, and about an hour and a half later, we decided to call it a day. Anika headed off to her part-time job, while Emi stayed behind to meet up with her brother. As for me, I took another taxi home, the day's events playing in my mind like a movie.
When I got back to my apartment, though, my thoughts finally caught up with me.
What are these feelings?
Was it just the enjoyment of being around Sora? Was it because we were friends? Or was there something more?
I didn't think it was love, at least not yet. But there was definitely something different about how I felt when I was with him. Something I'd never experienced with anyone else before. He made me feel safe, understood, and happy.
Sitting on my bed in a daze, I wondered how Sora felt about all this. Did he see me as just a friend? Or maybe, was I hoping for something more?
I wasn't sure if I was ready for that yet. But one thing I knew for certain, whatever this was, my feelings for Sora were slowly, but surely, growing.