Ryu sat at his desk, staring out the window, lost in thought. He hadn't fully processed the shock of seeing the girl he bumped into earlier that morning. Was it really her?
Ryu snapped his attention back to the front of the classroom as the girl stepped forward. She stood tall, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders, and her soft gaze swept across the room.
I'm Sakiya Mizuno," she said, her voice soft yet clear. "It's nice to meet you all."
A murmur ran through the room, mostly from the boys admiring her beauty.
"Thank you, Mizuno," the teacher said, nodding. He then glanced at Daiki(One of Kento's friend), who sat beside Ryu. "Daiki, would you mind moving to the back? Mizuno you can sit next to Ryu."
Daiki groaned theatrically but stood up with a grin, grabbing his things. "Guess I'm doing you a favor, Ryu."
Ryu shot him a half-hearted glare, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Just go already."
As Daiki moved to his new seat, Sakiya approached and sat down next to Ryu, her movements graceful. She turned to him with a polite smile. "Hello."
"Uh, hi," Ryu replied, his voice a little awkward. He quickly looked away, focusing on his desk as if it held the secrets of the universe.
The lesson began, but Ryu found it impossible to concentrate. He could feel Sakiya's presence beside him, her quiet focus drawing his attention like a magnet. At one point, he risked a glance at her, only for her to catch him in the act.
Her eyes met his, and she tilted her head slightly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Ryu's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away, his ears burning.
"Smooth," Daiki muttered from behind, barely holding back a chuckle.
The awkwardness lingered until the lunch bell rang. As the class dispersed, Ryu hesitated before turning to Sakiya.
"Do you want me to show you around the school?" he asked, his voice quieter than usual.
Sakiya looked up at him in surprise before smiling. "That would be nice. Thank you, Ryu."
They walked through the bustling hallways, Ryu pointing out the important areas. The tour ended in a quieter part of the school grounds, where the noise of the other students faded.
As they walked, a soft breeze swept through, carrying a cluster of cherry blossom petals to the grassy patch ahead. Sakiya paused, her gaze drawn to the delicate blossoms. Without a word, she knelt down, her fingers brushing gently over the petals.
Ryu stopped in his tracks, his breath catching. This moment—her kneeling there, her hand tracing the petals—it felt strangely familiar, as if he had witnessed it somewhere before. The sunlight filtered through the trees, casting a golden glow around her, and the scene stirred something deep in his mind.
"Cherry blossoms," Sakiya murmured, almost to herself. "They're beautiful, don't you think?"
Ryu blinked, trying to shake the feeling of déjà vu. "Yeah," he replied, his voice softer than usual. "They are."
Sakiya looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with the kind of warmth that made his chest tighten. "It's funny," she said with a gentle smile. "Sometimes, moments like this feel timeless, like they've happened before."
Her words sent a shiver through Ryu. He didn't know why, but her presence here, in this moment, seemed to echo something from his dreams—or perhaps his memories.
Before he could dwell on it further, Sakiya stood up, brushing off her skirt. She plucked one of the petals from the ground and held it out to him, her smile playful yet sincere.
"Here," she said. "A little something to remember this moment."
Ryu hesitated, his heart pounding as he reached out to take the petal. When their fingers brushed, he felt a strange warmth that lingered even after she let go.
"Thanks," he said, slipping the petal into his pocket.
As they walked back to the school building, the image of her kneeling among the petals stayed vivid in his mind. It was as if the moment carried a hidden meaning, a thread connecting them to something he couldn't yet understand.