Opening up my book bag, I removed my math notebook and tore out a page.
I looked over at the wall and saw that the butterfly was still fluttering around nearby. Slowly, I walked over to it and gently placed the vase over the butterfly.
“I’m sorry…”
The butterfly flew frantically around inside the vase. It must’ve been scared, suddenly finding itself trapped. I was carefully sliding the piece of notebook paper in my left hand toward the opening of the vase…when I suddenly felt someone watching me from the hallway. I abruptly looked over and saw a girl with black hair standing there. She was staring at me with wide eyes.
It was Ai Mizuno.
We both stared at each other silently for a few seconds.
Reddish-orange sunlight shone through the hallway windows, illuminating her. It almost looked like her silhouette was glowing.
“Wh-what are you doing?” she asked, as if she couldn’t bear the silence anymore.
I suddenly came back to myself and looked down at the vase I was holding. The butterfly was still flying around frantically inside it.
“Oh, this butterfly flew into the classroom.” I remembered what I’d been trying to do and slipped the notebook paper through the gap between the opening of the vase and the wall. Then I carried it over to the window. Leaning out, I pointed the opening away from me and removed the notebook paper. The butterfly flapped its wings and flew back outside.
This time it didn’t try to come back in and flew off freely.
I stared at it, captivated. The tiny butterfly had white wings—it was very beautiful.
After I watched it go, I carefully closed the window again.
“…You let it go?”
“Whoa!” At some point Ai had come into the classroom, and finding her right next to me, I jumped.
“Ah-ha-ha! You don’t need to act so surprised!”
“Oh, uh… Sorry.” My eyes darted around nervously, then I nodded. “As for the butterfly…I felt sorry for it.”
“You felt sorry for it?” She cocked her head to the side. I didn’t think I’d ever seen someone make that gesture in such a pretty way before.
“Yeah. I’m sure it wanted to fly around freely, but it was trapped in here. It looked like it was in trouble.”
“A bug? A bug was in trouble?” Her eyes widened as she looked at me.
I started to feel awkward with such a beautiful girl staring at me like that, but I somehow managed to nod in response. “Yeah.”
She watched me nod, and then a few seconds later she burst out laughing. “That’s so weird!”
“Is it…?”
“It’s totally weird. I’ve never heard someone say they thought a bug was in trouble before.”
“Oh.”
Well, I can’t help it. That’s really what it looked like, I muttered inwardly. She didn’t seem to care about my reaction and turned her gaze out the window.
“It’s gone now, huh?”
“Yeah. I’m sure it flew off to wherever it wanted to go.”
“I guess so. I’m happy for it.” Her face crinkled into a smile.
I felt myself flush as I stared at her profile. I wondered how anyone could be so beautiful. I’d heard rumors about Ai Mizuno before. People said she was way too carefree and that it was a waste because she was so beautiful.
Both boys and girls gossiped about her, and I’d heard the rumors even though she was in another class.
I’d passed by her several times in the hallway, but I’d never had the chance to look at her this closely before. And now that we were talking, I discovered she really was as beautiful and free-spirited as people said.
“Hm?” She turned toward me, and our eyes met.
I realized I’d been staring at her. I quickly looked away and shook my head.
“Sorry, I was staring.”
“It’s okay. What is it?”
“Nothing.” I would have rather died than told her I was staring at her because she was so beautiful. “What are you doing at school at this time of day, Mizuno?” I asked, unsure of what else to say to her.
“Oh,” she murmured, then casually explained, “I was just exploring the school. There’s never anyone here at this time.”
“What?”
“Isn’t the school so nice and quiet when everyone’s gone? I love it.” She cast a sidelong glance at me, a mischievous look on her face. “Plus, sometimes I see interesting things like this happen.”
I guessed the “interesting thing” she was talking about was me freeing the butterfly. I suddenly felt embarrassed and looked away from her again.
“The rumors are right. You really are free-spirited,” I said with a sheepish smile. I saw her flinch briefly. Her soft hair swayed as she moved.
“Ah…” Even though it was my honest opinion, I realized I shouldn’t have said it and instantly felt regret wash over me. “The rumors weren’t anything bad,” I said, but it was obvious I was just trying to make her feel better.
She smiled wryly at me and shook her head. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.” She wore a calm expression, but I thought it looked slightly sad.
Up until now, she’d been smiling cheerfully, and I began to panic that I’d caused her expression to cloud over, even a little.
I wondered what I should do, and then I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “You’re like a butterfly, Mizuno.”
Her eyes slowly widened, like she was shocked. “…What?” was all she said.
I was panicking again. I felt like I’d said something really dumb. “Oh, sorry. I don’t mean you’re like a bug or something…” My eyes darted around as I searched for the right words. “The way they fly around so freely is really beautiful. And they always seem so out of reach… That’s what I mean when I say you’re like a butterfly…”
Ai’s mouth hung open as she stared at me.
Suddenly I realized that it must sound like I was flirting with her, and I started panicking all over again. “Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Pfft! Ah-ha-ha!” Suddenly Ai burst out laughing and doubled over, clutching her stomach. I was completely baffled.
“No one’s ever told me I’m like a butterfly before!” She wiped away the tears in the corners of her eyes and smiled softly at me. “Thanks.”
“Oh, um… Sorry…”
“Why are you apologizing when I thanked you? That’s weird.” She giggled again and then suddenly threw open the window I’d closed. Her hair billowed in the dry autumn breeze that gusted in.
I watched as she narrowed her eyes happily. I was right… She was beautiful.
“You said they were out of reach,” she said.
“What?”
“Butterflies.”
“Oh yeah.”
Her hair swayed in the wind as she stared at me. Her gaze was so warm and intense, it gave me goose bumps.
“But you caught it,” she said, pointing to the vase I still held in my hand.
“Yeah, because I wanted to help it get back outside.”
“Yeah. And I think that’s fine. You caught it, but it became free again because you caught it,” she said, her face lighting up with an unbelievably beautiful smile. “I bet you made it really happy.”
The light of the setting sun illuminated Ai as her hair blew in the breeze. She looked so otherworldly and gorgeous, I couldn’t help but stare.
“I…I hope so.”
“I’m sure of it!” she said cheerfully, grabbing my hand. “Hey, what’s your name?”
“My name?”
“Yeah! Tell me your name!” She looked me right in the eyes, and I felt my heart hammering I my chest.
“Yuzuru…Asada,” I answered.
“Yuzuru… That’s a nice name,” she said in a singsong voice and grinned. “Yuzuru, let’s be friends!”
Let’s be friends.
When was the last time someone said something to me so straightforwardly? I had goose bumps all over my body as I nodded. “Sure. If that’s what you want.”
That was how Ai and I met.
It was also the beginning of our love story.
“You found me, Yuzuru,” she said as she sat on the end of the slide. “I was trapped in the classroom and helpless, and you set me free.”
“But I didn’t…”
I didn’t set you free.
I tried to trap you again.
But before I could speak, she said firmly, “And that’s why I love you.” Her tone was so forceful, I flinched. My heart throbbed painfully.