A few days had passed since that quiet, suffocating night.
The Wind Village was alive again—children running across the bridges, merchants calling out their wares, currents of air carrying laughter from one floating island to another.
And Yumi… had returned.
She walked with her usual composed steps, chin slightly raised, eyes forward. To anyone watching, she looked exactly the same.
But she wasn't.
Her destination was clear.
Kaito.
She found him near the outer cliffs, lying flat on his back atop a wide stone slab, one leg crossed over the other, staring lazily at the sky as if he had all the time in the world.
"…You look stupid."
Kaito didn't even move.
"Mm," he hummed. "You came all the way here just to insult me?"
"I did not!" she snapped, turning her head sharply. "I just happened to be passing by."
"Right."
He shifted slightly, finally cracking one eye open to glance at her.
"So?" he added. "Why are you here, then?"
Yumi stiffened.
"I just said—I was passing by."
"Passing by the outer cliffs?" he said flatly. "Yeah, that makes sense."
"I was," she insisted. "This village isn't that big. People walk around. It's normal."
"Uh-huh."
He closed his eye again.
"Then you can go back to… passing by."
Yumi didn't move.
The wind brushed past them.
Seconds passed.
Kaito opened one eye again.
"…You're still here."
Yumi's fingers tightened slightly against her arms.
"I can stand wherever I want," she said stiffly.
"Sure," he said. "But you're not leaving."
Silence.
He sat up this time, resting his arms on his knees, watching her properly now.
"You've been standing there for like… a full minute," he said. "So either you forgot how to walk—"
"I did not forget how to walk!"
"—or you came to talk to me."
Yumi froze.
"I did not come to talk to you!"
"Then leave."
"I—"
She stopped.
Didn't move.
Kaito raised an eyebrow.
"…Yeah," he said. "That's what I thought."
Yumi turned her head sharply, cheeks faintly red.
"You're making assumptions."
"They're pretty good assumptions."
"They're wrong."
"Then prove it."
Silence.
The wind moved softly again.
Yumi's arms tightened.
Then—
"…Kaito."
"Yeah?"
She hesitated.
"…When you talk to people…"
He turned his head slightly now, glancing at her.
"…What about it?"
"…It's… loud," she muttered. "And disorganized. And inefficient."
Kaito blinked once.
"…Okay?"
"And yet," she continued quickly, "you don't seem completely terrible at it."
Kaito sat up slowly now, a grin already forming.
"Ohhh."
Yumi's eyes narrowed instantly. "Don't 'oh' me."
"You're trying to make friends."
"I am not!" she snapped immediately. "Who told you that?! I was not talking about friends! I was just making an observation! A completely neutral, intellectual observation!"
"Uh-huh."
"And even if I was—which I'm not—it wouldn't matter! I don't need friends! They're loud and annoying and completely unnecessary!"
Kaito stared at her for a second.
Then he laughed.
Not a polite laugh.
A real one.
Yumi's face burned. "What is so funny?!"
"Nothing," he said, still smiling. "You're just really bad at hiding it."
"I am not hiding anything!"
"Sure."
She turned away with a sharp huff, refusing to look at him.
"…So?" she muttered. "If someone hypothetically wanted to talk to people… how would you do it?"
Kaito leaned back on his hands, thinking.
"If you want people to be your friends… you don't try to impress them."
Yumi blinked.
"…What?"
"You just… go up to them," he continued, shrugging. "Say hi. Talk about something dumb. Stay around. Do stuff together."
"That sounds incredibly inefficient."
"It is."
"…And that works?"
"Yeah."
Yumi stared at him.
Simple.
Too simple.
"…So you're saying…" she said slowly, "that I just need to let them understand who I am."
Kaito tilted his head slightly.
"…I mean—"
"I see."
She nodded once, firmly.
"I understand perfectly."
Kaito opened his mouth—
—but she was already standing.
"Wait—"
"I have something to test," she declared, her energy suddenly rising.
Kaito sighed. "…This is gonna go wrong, isn't it?"
She turned away from him, already walking.
After a few steps, she paused.
Without turning back—
"…Don't misunderstand," she said stiffly. "This wasn't helpful or anything. I just… happened to hear something mildly useful."
A small pause.
"…Thank you."
Then she waved—quick, sharp—and walked off.
Kaito watched her go.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "Definitely going wrong."
Yumi walked through the village with renewed purpose.
"So all I have to do… is let them understand who I am."
Her chin lifted slightly higher.
"That's easy."
Her first target was a group of kids near a fruit stall.
They were laughing, sharing slices of fruits, sticky juice running down their fingers.
Yumi approached confidently.
They noticed her immediately.
Their laughter died.
"…"
Yumi stopped in front of them.
"…You may continue," she said. "I'll be joining you."
The kids exchanged glances.
"…Huh?"
"I am Yumi of the Kaze," she said, placing a hand lightly on her chest. "You may consider yourselves fortunate. I will allow you to associate with me."
Silence.
Then—
"…No thanks."
Yumi blinked.
"…What?"
"We're good," one of them said, scooting slightly away. "You don't have to 'allow' anything."
"We're just eating," another added. "You can… go somewhere else."
Yumi's eye twitched.
"…I see."
She turned sharply.
"…I didn't want your fruit anyway."
She walked away.
Her steps were still firm.
Her posture still straight.
"It's fine," she told herself. "That was just one group."
Second attempt.
A group playing with wooden spinning tops.
Yumi approached again.
This time, faster.
"I am Yumi of the Kaze," she said. "If you let me join, I will ensure your victory."
The kids stared at her.
"…Why are you talking like that?" one whispered.
"…That's weird."
"…Is she ordering us?"
"We don't want help," another said. "Just… go away."
Yumi froze.
"…Go away?"
"Yeah."
"…I wasn't even trying," she snapped. "Your game looks childish anyway!"
She turned again.
Faster this time.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Each time—
The same.
Confusion.
Discomfort.
Rejection.
Something started to crack.
By the time she reached the bridge, her patience was gone.
A group of older kids stood there, talking.
Yumi walked straight up to them.
"You," she said sharply. "I will be joining your group."
They turned.
One of them laughed.
"…Who are you supposed to be?"
Yumi's chest tightened.
"…I am Yumi. Of the Kaze."
That got a reaction.
But not the one she wanted.
"…Oh."
"…That explains it."
"…She's one of them."
The tone changed.
Cold.
Mocking.
"Then go hang out with your Kaze friends," one boy said.
"I don't have—" she stopped.
Silence.
They noticed.
"…You don't?" another smirked.
Yumi's face flushed.
"I simply don't need them!"
"Then why are you here?" the boy shot back.
"I—"
"Didn't you say you were 'allowing' people to be around you?"
Laughter.
Sharp.
Cutting.
Yumi's hands trembled.
"You should be grateful!" she snapped. "Do you have any idea who I am?!"
"Yeah," one said flatly. "Someone no one wants to be around."
That hit.
Hard.
Something inside her snapped.
"I am a Kaze!" she shouted. "You should be honored! You should be begging to stand near me!"
The laughter stopped.
Now it wasn't mockery.
It was annoyance.
"…Wow."
"…She's actually serious."
"Let's show her how 'honored' we are."
Before she could react—
A shove.
Yumi stumbled back.
"W-Wait—!"
Another push.
"Stop it!"
Her foot slipped against the stone.
She fell hard.
Laughter again.
But this time—
Cruel.
Someone kicked dust toward her.
"Go back to your big fancy house, Kaze."
"Yeah, no one wants you here."
"Go cry somewhere else."
Her vision blurred.
Her chest hurt.
"Stop it…!" she said, her voice breaking.
Another shove.
That was enough.
She scrambled to her feet and ran.
She didn't stop running until the voices disappeared.
Until the village noise faded.
Until she was alone.
Her legs gave out.
She dropped to her knees.
"…Why…"
Her hands clenched into the dirt.
"…Why…?"
Her voice cracked.
"…Why won't they…?"
Tears spilled, hot and uncontrollable.
"I did what he said…!"
Her breathing broke.
"I talked to them…! I told them who I was…!"
Her voice rose—
"WHY?!"
The wind carried it away.
"WHY?!"
Her fists slammed into the ground.
"WHY WON'T THEY BE MY FRIENDS?!"
Again.
"WHY?!"
Again.
"WHY?!"
Her voice shattered into sobs.
There was no pride left.
No composure.
No mask.
Just a small girl—
Crying alone in the wind.