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“... Mngh.”
Asahi rose with a groan. He had never been, nor ever would be, a morning person. His phone’s alarm woke him up, yet he remained covered under his futon, hoping to get a few more minutes of shut-eye.
The clutches of drowsiness were too pleasant to overcome, and he found himself drifting off again. Unfortunately, the ringing of the second alarm put an end to his snooze.
“Rise and shine, I guess...”
Asahi managed to remove himself from the warm futon despite the piercing winter cold, which made his body recoil in search of heat. He parted the curtains and basked in the sunlight which poured in through the window.
Making the brain realize it’s morning helps.
With that, he began his standard morning routine.
He performed some light stretching, gave one big yawn, and washed his face. He entered the living room, turned on the TV, and went to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast—a slice of toast with jam. As he ate, he listened to the news in the background. Then it was time to prepare his lunch box for the day. Finally, after making sure he looked presentable, he left his apartment.
All in all, his routine had amounted to about an hour and a half.
Another day, same as ever, he muttered to himself, blowing frosty air out of his mouth as he stepped out the door.
In an act of incredible cosmic coincidence—or perhaps it was the inevitable hand of fate—the neighboring door clicked open the moment Asahi stepped out.
“Ah,” a clear voice squeaked, a puff of warm air punctuating it.
“Morning, Fuyuka.”
“Good morning.”
After exchanging greetings, they began walking side by side. Neither of them spared any special thought to this.
“I haven’t seen you leaving this late before. You sleep in or something?” Asahi asked.
“Nothing like that, no. I just figured I...”
“What?”
“N-No, it’s nothing. Please don’t worry about it.”
They had recently talked about why they’d avoided walking to school together, and one key factor was that their daily rhythms were simply quite different.
Asahi had always assigned himself a strict timeline, one where he’d be able to make it to school just in the nick of time. An honor student like Fuyuka, however, was the type to arrive with ample time to spare until classes.
I got out of the house the same time I always do, so Fuyuka’s the one running late. He glanced at Fuyuka and noticed her dainty nose glow with a hint of red. It was cute enough to inspire him to humor an equally endearing thought. What if she delayed herself on purpose?
“It’s almost February,” she stated, trying to sound natural.
“Yeah, feels like winter is in full swing now.”
“Aren’t you cold with only a coat on?”
“A little, to be honest. But other than my face freezing off, I’m fine,” he said. “What about you? Feeling chilly?”
“I’m well-equipped against the cold, as you can see,” she smiled, peeking at him over her scarf. Asahi, however, wasn’t one bit convinced as he gazed downward.
“I mean, you say that but...” Asahi’s voice trailed off.
He directed his eyes—taking utmost care not to stare fixedly—at Fuyuka’s bottom half. Her skirt flitted just above her knees, which inspired little confidence that it offered her beautiful, slender legs any warmth at all.
“You worry too much, Asahi,” she said with a strained smile. “I have a secret weapon if it gets too cold for me to handle. You can relax.”
“Like what? Is a blue robot gonna hand you a wacky gadget or something?”
Fuyuka paused, then murmured, “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”
“Guess that one flew over your head.”
Fuyuka’s secret weapon, as it would happen, was a pair of tights. Asahi mulled over that piece of information until they arrived at the train station. They both passed the ticket gate and boarded the jam-packed train. Their arrival coincided with the morning rush hour, which meant large crowds of office workers and students, and a lack of available seats.
“I never knew it got so packed at this hour,” Fuyuka said.
“I think it would’ve been less crowded if we came a bit earlier.”
“Yes, we probably could’ve found some seats.”
They quickly secured themselves—Asahi clung to the handle suspended in front of him, while Fuyuka leaned against a corner—before the train departed. The announcer soon read out the next station.
“Say, Fuyuka. Is there anything you’d like to get your hands on?” Asahi inquired.
“What do you mean?”
“Like... something you’ve always wanted, but never got the chance to buy. You know, that sort of thing,” he clarified, trying to bring up the subject in the most natural way he could manage.
This was all an attempt to gather information for February 1st. Ideally, he would’ve preferred to have a general idea of what she liked so he could surprise her. Unfortunately, Asahi wasn’t capable of much subtlety.
I’d rather ask the person what they want, rather than getting them a gift based on what I think they would want. So much less awkward that way.
Regrettably, Asahi’s question didn’t proceed according to plan.
After a good minute of consideration, Fuyuka finally replied, “I can’t really think of anything.”
“Nothing at all?” he probed, eyes wide.
“Nothing comes to mind, no.”
“You’ve never wanted anything ever?”
“That’s not it,” she said, then clarified, “I guess I’m satisfied with what I have right now.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t want stuff.”
“I just mean that my life has been so enjoyable recently, that...”
Of course, her response only complicated things for Asahi, who was hoping to gauge what she wanted for a gift.
Fuyuka, who was unaware of his predicament, bashfully added, “Coming to school with me like this is more than enough.”
“There’s no way that’s true.”
“But it is.”
Fuyuka’s frank words left him a bit embarrassed. He sought refuge in the time-honored tradition of staring out the window. The sun was dazzling in the morning sky—it reminded him of her smile.
I get why she’d feel that way. She’s just stepped into a brand new world after all this time of watching from afar. It makes sense she’s still in the honeymoon period.
He was happy for her as the person who’d encouraged her to take a step forward. Nevertheless, a smidgen of anxiety brewed within him. He couldn’t quite place it. This mysterious emotion’s true form remained indiscernible, just like the clouds out the window.
“Eep!”
A short cry sounded out, followed by a sudden soft sensation on Asahi’s arms.
The train had come to an abrupt stop, and all the passengers had tumbled forward. Asahi, who hung onto the handle, had managed to withstand it without tripping. The same couldn’t be said about Fuyuka, who had just been standing in a corner. She’d lost her footing and plunged toward Asahi. He reacted by inadvertently wrapping his arms around her back.
They both stood in a silent embrace for a moment before Fuyuka said, “I’m sorry.”
“Nah, don’t sweat it,” Asahi replied.
Their accidental hug caused his heart rate to spiral out of control. It was pounding so loudly, in fact, that he had to take a half-step back in fear that she might’ve been able to hear it otherwise.
Fuyuka was much the same. She hung her flushed face down, her heart racing away in secret.
It’s probably for the best to keep some distance between us, Asahi mused as he quietly waited for them to reach the station near the school.