Days pass.
Not in some big, dramatic way — but in the slow, golden kind of way.Like the world has finally decided to be kind to us for a little while.
Classes, laughter, stupid inside jokes only we understand.Group calls that last way past midnight.Sneaking into convenience stores at 2 a.m. to buy candy and energy drinks.Dumb dares.Secret smiles.
It's easy.
It's too easy.
And I find myself watching Kane more than I should —laughing at her jokes even when they're not funny,getting annoyed when she picks fights with Haru just for fun,feeling weirdly proud whenever she talks about something she's good at, like fixing that old bike of hers with duct tape and hope.
She's reckless.Loud.Messy.Perfect.
I don't know when it happens —Maybe it's when she drapes herself across the cafeteria table, whining about how unfair life is because her favorite pen broke.Maybe it's when she tugs on Sayoko's sleeve to show her a cloud shaped like a cat, grinning like she just won the lottery.Maybe it's when she drops her head onto my shoulder during lunch, mumbling something about being "too lazy to sit up straight," and doesn't move for the whole hour.
But suddenly, I realize:
I don't just like her.
I love her.
Quiet and certain and terrifying.Like it's been growing inside me for years, and I'm only just now seeing it for what it is.
And maybe — maybe I always have.
After school, we end up at the park again.It's not even planned — it just sort of happens, like it always does.
Sayoko finds a shady spot under a big old tree and flops down onto the grass with a dramatic sigh.Haru digs around in his backpack for snacks, tossing a bag of chips at Kane, who catches it one-handed like some kind of smug superhero.
I sit down next to her without thinking, close enough that our knees brush.
The sun is low in the sky, spilling gold everywhere.Everything looks softer. Warmer.Like the whole world is wrapped up in some giant, invisible blanket.
Haru's talking about some dumb horror movie he wants us all to watch — Kane's already protesting ("I'm not sleeping for a week if we do, I swear!") — and Sayoko's just laughing, picking at the grass.
I should be paying attention.I should be teasing Haru, siding with Kane, throwing jokes around like always.
But all I can do is watch her.
The way she tosses her head back when she laughs, hair catching the sunlight.The way her eyes crinkle at the corners when she's trying not to smile.The way she complains with her whole body, hands flailing dramatically like she's putting on a one-person show.
God.
It's so stupid.It's so simple.
I'm in love with her.
I must have been for a long time.
And it hits me —how fragile this all feels.How easy it would be for moments like this to just... disappear.
"Earth to Yuki," Kane says, waving a hand in front of my face."You dead or what?"
I blink, startled, and Kane grins, shoving the open bag of chips against my chest.
"Eat something, idiot," she says. "You're getting that weird sad look again."
I take a chip, pretending to grumble about it.But when our hands brush, I swear the air shifts around us — just for a second.
She doesn't pull away.Neither do I.
And somewhere deep inside me, something quiet and desperate whispers:
Stay.
Please, just stay like this a little longer.
The sun dips lower as we leave the park, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink.
Sayoko and Haru peel off first, shouting promises to meet up again tomorrow.It's just me and Kane now, walking side by side down the quiet, empty streets.
Neither of us says much.
But it doesn't feel awkward.It feels... peaceful.Like the silence between us is its own kind of conversation.
The air is crisp. The last warmth of the day clings to the sidewalks.Somewhere far off, a dog barks. A car hums past.
Kane kicks a stray pebble along the pavement, chasing it every few steps.Her hair catches the light, turning to liquid gold.Every little movement she makes feels precious, important — like I'm seeing it for the first time.
She talks about nothing — a new song she likes, some stupid meme Haru sent her, how Sayoko always falls asleep during movies.
I laugh when I'm supposed to. I throw in a few sarcastic comments.But mostly, I just listen.
Because every word, every laugh, every smile —I want to hold onto it.
I want to remember everything about her.
She glances at me out of the corner of her eye, catching me staring.
"What?" she says, grinning. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
I shake my head, smiling a little too hard."Nothing," I say. "You're just... loud."
She shoves my arm lightly, rolling her eyes.
"Takes one to know one," she says.
We reach her street way too fast.
I don't want this walk to end.Not yet.
Kane slows down, dragging her steps a little, like she feels it too.
She stops at the gate to her house, turning to face me.Her eyes catch the last bit of sunlight, bright and burning and beautiful.
"See you tomorrow, dumbass," she says, soft.
I open my mouth —to say something.Anything.
Something real.
But the words stick in my throat.
I just nod, shoving my hands deeper into my pockets.
"Yeah," I say. "Tomorrow."
Kane hesitates for a heartbeat longer, like she's waiting for something.Like maybe she knows.
Then she flashes me that grin — that stupid, perfect grin — and disappears inside.
I stand there for a long time after the door clicks shut.
The stars blink to life overhead.The street grows quieter.The night settles in around me like a heavy coat.
And all I can think is:
I should have told her.
I should have told her tonight.
Before it's too late.