"I'll see you in a bit inside, okay?" she had written.
Arata stared at the message for a moment, a small, nervous smile creeping onto his face. His heart skipped a beat, but he quickly pushed the feeling aside. but for now, all he could do was meet her inside the train, like she asked.
As Arata settled into his seat, he let out a quiet breath and turned his gaze toward the window. The scenery outside blurred into streaks of green and gray as the train gained speed, but his mind wasn't on the passing landscape.
Instinctively, he glanced around the cabin, searching for Nozomi. He expected to spot her familiar figure somewhere among the passengers, but she was nowhere in sight. A small frown formed on his lips.
Pulling out his phone, he typed a quick message:
Arata:"Where'd you disappear to?"
Moments later, his phone buzzed. Nozomi had replied.
Nozomi: "Why? Miss me already?"
Arata rolled his eyes, but before he could respond, another message popped up a photo attachment.
Curious, he opened it.
It was a slightly blurry selfie of Nozomi, pouting playfully at the camera. Behind her, the scenery outside the train window and the patterned seats of a different train car were visible.
Arata stared at the photo for a moment, feeling his cheeks warm as her photo filled the screen. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and the way she seemed to be teasing him, even through a photo, made his heart race a little faster.
As he opened his mouth to respond, Hikari leaned over from the seat next to him, with a somewhat afraid look.
"Arata," Hikari said, his voice filled with confusion, "why are you smiling like a creep?"
Arata froze, his face turning bright red. He quickly closed his phone, trying to hide his embarrassment, but Hikari wasn't letting it go.
"You're not fooling anyone, man," Hikari added with a laugh, clearly enjoying the sight of his cousin flustered.
Arata mumbled something under his breath, trying to brush it off, but his heart was still pounding from the photo.
"No, it's not like that," Arata stammered, but his voice faltered.
Hikari just chuckled, leaning back into his seat, clearly finding Arata's reaction far more amusing than he should have.
Nozomi: "I'm a few cars ahead! My parents wanted different seats, so I ended up here. You should come find me. Or are you too shy?" she typed.
Arata sighed, shaking his head with a small smile.
She always knows how to get on my nerves.
His fingers hovered over the keyboard. A part of him wanted to ignore her teasing, but another part—the part that was still getting used to this warmth in his chest—didn't want the conversation to end.
Arata typed quickly, glancing around to make sure Hikari wasn't still watching him.
Arata: "Won't your parents get suspicious if I come over to your car? Won't they wonder why I'm there?"
A moment later, his phone buzzed again with Nozomi's reply.
Nozomi: "Haha, you're overthinking it. My parents already know who you are, and they'll probably be too distracted by the view outside to notice anyway."
Arata: "Alright, I'll come over. Just don't blame me if they think I'm some weird stalker now."
Nozomi: "Haha, I'm counting on you to keep the 'stalker' vibes low. See you soon, weirdo."
Before Arata could muster the courage to stand up and head toward Nozomi's train car, his mind began to wander. His fingers hovered over his phone, but suddenly, a wave of doubt washed over him.
She's probably just being nice to me, he thought, I mean nothing to her, right? That's why she sent that photo so effortlessly. To her, I'm just a friend nothing more. It's not like she's actually interested in me.
The weight of that thought settled in his chest, making his stomach twist. Maybe he was reading too much into things. After all, she'd always been kind to him, but kindness didn't mean more than that, did it?
He shook his head slightly, trying to push the thoughts away. Stop overthinking it, he told himself. Just go see her. It's not that deep...
As Arata made his way toward Nozomi's car, the familiar hum of the train and the rhythmic swaying seemed to blur in his mind.
What if she's just being friendly? The thought nagged at him again. What if I'm reading too much into this?
Its as if his thoughts was slowing him down.
He adjusted the strap of his bag nervously, glancing down the narrow aisle of the train. He could see the soft glow of the train car lights ahead, where Nozomi was waiting. Her smile from earlier flashed in his mind, and for a brief moment, he almost hesitated.
It's not like I haven't spent time with her before, he reminded himself, But something feels different this time…
He reached the door of her car, and before he could overthink it any further, he took a deep breath and stepped inside. The cool air inside the car mixed with the warmth of his nervous anticipation. His eyes scanned the seats, and there she was sitting near the window, her attention momentarily caught by something outside.
Arata noticed an empty seat next to her, and for a moment, he considered asking if it was available. But before he could, a guy, slightly older than Arata, walked in and immediately took the seat. Arata paused, watching him settle down casually, throwing Nozomi a grin.
"Hey there," the guy said, flashing a confident smile as he leaned back in his seat. "Looks like we're riding together, huh?" said the guy.
Nozomi, seeming unbothered, didn't acknowledge the guy as he sat down beside her. But Arata felt a little wave of jealousy. He had hoped the seat next to her would remain empty. Selfish? , maybe, he thought.
The guy next to her didn't seem to notice Arata standing there, but Nozomi finally looked up, catching Arata's gaze from across the car. Her smile brightened as their eyes met, and she gave a small wave.
"What? Wait, I wasn't done talking to you," he said, his eyes narrowing a bit as he directed the words at Nozomi, his tone carrying a slight edge. He clearly wasn't happy about Nozomi turning her attention away from him.
Nozomi blinked, momentarily caught off guard by his response, but her expression quickly turned neutral. "Sorry," she said, offering a polite but dismissive smile. "But I'm talking to someone important to me now."
Nozomi stood up, surprising both Arata and the guy beside her. Without hesitation, she moved toward Arata, her hand reaching out to lightly grab his arm, her fingers curling around his sleeve.
The action was casual, yet there was something undeniably intimate about it, a sense of reassurance that she was on his side.
"No need to worry about him," Nozomi said with a soft smile, her voice calm but firm. "I'm with you now."
Nozomi's smile turned more playful as she glanced toward the door. "How about we move to another car? A quieter one. I don't think we'll get much peace here."
Arata, still trying to process everything, "Uhm... s-sure."
Nozomi gave him a wink before nodding toward the door. "Let's go."
With that, she led the way, her hand still lightly resting on his arm as they moved through the car toward a new space.
As they walked through the train car, Arata felt the warmth of Nozomi's hand still gently gripping his arm. The closer they got to the door of the next car, the more he became aware of the lingering touch.
Feeling his cheeks flush, he awkwardly cleared his throat. "Uhm… hey… you're still holding me," he said, his voice soft but with a hint of nervousness.
Nozomi glanced at him, blinking in slight surprise as if she hadn't realized. Her grip loosened immediately, and she gave him an embarrassed smile, though there was no real discomfort in her expression. "Oops, sorry about that," she said, her tone light but with a hint of embarrassment.
Nozomi seemed to hesitate, her eyes softening as she glanced at him. "I guess… I just felt safe around you," she added quietly, her voice gentle but sincere. "You don't mind, do you?"
his voice awkward but sincere. "N-No, I don't mind," he said, trying to hide his embarrassment. "It's just… kind of… unexpected, I guess.".
They found an empty section of the car and decided to settle in there.
"You know," she said, looking him directly in the eyes, "you should be more confident." Her voice was warm, but there was a hint of seriousness behind it. "You've got more strength than you realize. You just have to believe it."
Arata blinked, taken aback by her words. He felt a flutter in his chest, but there was also something grounding about what she said. "I... I'll try," he mumbled, a bit unsure, but her steady gaze made him want to do better.
Arata's gaze softened, and for a brief moment, he looked away, unsure how to express the gratitude he felt. His fingers fidgeted slightly before he finally spoke up, his voice quieter than usual.
"Thanks, Nozomi," he said, his tone sincere. "It... it really means a lot. I don't know if I'd be able to see things the way you do without you."
Nozomi blinked, surprised by his words, but her smile only grew warmer. "You don't have to thank me," she replied softly. "I just want you to see what I see. You're stronger than you think."
She looked out the window for a moment before glancing back at Arata, her expression a little flustered.
"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you," she said, her voice softer than usual, as if choosing her words carefully. "You kind of… look like that." She pointed outside the window, where the scenery seemed to blur past.
Arata blinked, confused for a second, but then followed her gaze outside. "Look like what?"
Nozomi's smile was shy, but there was a hint of playfulness in her eyes. "Like the scenery,"
Arata furrowed his brow, still trying to make sense of what Nozomi had said. "Look like the scenery?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion. "I don't get it."
Nozomi's face flushed slightly, and she quickly waved her hand as if to dismiss the comment. "Forget about it," she said, her tone a little rushed, as if trying to cover up her own embarrassment.
But just as she finished speaking, she noticed an elderly couple seated nearby. The old man caught her eye and smiled, while the woman gave her a subtle wink. Nozomi's face turned even redder as she realized that they had most likely overheard everything.
She quickly looked away, sinking into her seat slightly, her heart racing with a mixture of embarrassment. "Oh, great," she muttered under her breath, not meeting Arata's eyes.
Arata, still not fully understanding what she had meant, noticed the couple's knowing smiles. He chuckled awkwardly, unsure whether he should ask or just let it go. "What's going on? Did I miss something?"
Nozomi groaned, pressing her face into her hands for a moment, trying to hide the flush of her cheeks. "It's nothing. Really."
"I'm more curious now," he admitted, his voice tinged with a playful note.
Nozomi, still a bit flustered, waved her hand dismissively, trying to avoid making eye contact.
Arata couldn't resist. With a mischievous grin, he leaned a little closer to Nozomi and, before she could react, lightly tickled her side.
Nozomi's eyes widened in surprise, and she let out a small squeak of laughter. She immediately flinched, trying to pull away, but Arata, quick with his playful move, couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.
"Hey! What was that for?" Nozomi laughed, her face flushed as she tried to swat his hand away.
Arata grinned, holding his hands up in defense. "Just a little payback for making me curious about your 'scenery' comment." He winked, feeling pleased with himself.
Nozomi gave him an exaggerated glare, but there was a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. "You're lucky that I... mumble, or I'd get you back for that."
Arata tilted his head, confused. "What? I couldn't hear you." He leaned in a little, straining to catch her words.
Nozomi's face flushed slightly, and she quickly brushed it off, glancing away. "Nothing. Forget it." She waved a hand dismissively, clearly embarrassed. "You're imagining things."
Arata frowned, still curious but sensing that Nozomi wasn't about to elaborate. "Hmm, alright then," he said, giving her a teasing smile. "I'll take your word for it."
Arata raised his hands again in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I'm done. No more tickling."
Nozomi smiled, the playful tension melting away between them. After a few more moments of lighthearted conversation, she glanced down at her phone, her expression softening. "I guess we should just text each other from here on out," she said, her voice quieter now, a little more serious. "It's almost time to get off anyway."
Arata nodded, feeling the moment shift. "Yeah... I'll text you. See you in a bit."
As they both made their way to their respective seats, the atmosphere between them felt a little lighter, yet there was still a subtle charge of unspoken words lingering in the air. Arata settled back into his seat, glancing out the window for a moment before his phone buzzed in his hand.
It was Nozomi.
He opened the message, and his face immediately softened into a grin. The photo she sent was of her, angry in a playful but exaggerated way, her cheeks puffed out as if she was trying to hold in her frustration. She gave a cute side-eye, looking like she was truly fed up—though the smile tugging at the corners of her lips betrayed how amused she actually was.
Nozomi's text read:
"I can't believe how much you teased me! This is what I get for trusting you with my personal space... 😤"
Arata chuckled softly at the photo, his heart fluttering a little. She really knew how to keep things lighthearted, even when she was pretending to be annoyed.
He quickly typed back:
"What can I say? I'm just irresistible."
Then, realizing how bold that sounded, he immediately added:
"Joking. Sorry, didn't mean to tease you too much 😅"
Nozomi replied almost immediately: "Just you wait. I'll make sure you regret it… but for now, I'll let you off the hook. You're too cute for me to stay mad at for long."
Arata grinned to himself as he set his phone down, feeling his heart race a little. Her teasing always made him feel a little nervous but in the best way. He could already tell that things between them were slowly changing.