Morning light slipped through the crack in the window. Arou woke up and stared at the ceiling for a few moments before sitting on the edge of his bed.
The wall clock ticked quietly, moving as usual.
He let out a short sigh and opened the window slightly. Morning air drifted in, carrying faint sounds of the world outside—footsteps, the whir of passing bicycles, and distant chatter.
People were starting their day. Everything seemed normal.
Yet, Arou felt something he couldn't quite explain. Not anxiety—just a strange, lingering sense of unease pressing at his chest.
He went to the bathroom to wash up. Cold water chased away the last traces of sleep. After changing into fresh clothes, he made his way to the living room.
The door opened slowly. He stepped outside and pushed the gate open. For a moment, he paused in front of the house.
The street stretched out before him. Some people walked leisurely, others rode bicycles or stopped at the small shop at the end of the block. Nobody seemed to notice anything unusual.
Arou surveyed his surroundings silently. Then he started walking along the sidewalk. His steps were calm, but his mind wasn't entirely empty.
At a corner, he stopped.
The asphalt was cracked, a jagged line stretching unnaturally. It didn't look like damage from vehicles. The fissure had probably been there for some time but hadn't been fully covered by dust.
He stared at it for a long moment.
"That's… weird," he murmured.
He kept walking. Passing a small shop, the owner was opening the metal gate. Nothing out of the ordinary. The morning carried on as usual.
Arou glanced down at the back of his hand.
A faint scratch was visible.
He frowned.
"I don't remember getting this."
Memories of the previous day flickered, incomplete and fragmented. All that remained was a lingering, hard-to-describe discomfort.
When he looked up, someone was standing a few steps away.
Airi.
Her hair caught the morning breeze, her expression calm, showing no signs of fatigue as if last night had been just another normal day.
"Airi," Arou said.
She turned to him.
"Arou. You're out already."
Her tone was casual, normal.
Arou studied her briefly before replying,
"Yeah. Just taking a short walk."
Airi nodded.
"I thought you'd still be at home."
Arou glanced at the street, then back at her. He wanted to ask so many things, but none of the questions felt right to voice.
"You feeling okay?" Airi asked.
He exhaled slowly.
"I don't know. This morning feels… different."
Airi paused before responding,
"I feel it too. But I don't know why yet."
They stood in the middle of a seemingly ordinary morning. People passed by, life carried on, but that strange sense still lingered.
Arou realized one thing.
This calm wasn't an ending. It was just a pause—before something moved again.
They said nothing for a while. Arou stood beside Airi, watching the street grow busier. People walked by, talked briefly, laughed softly, as if it were any other day.
But for Arou, it felt like a thin veil covering something unseen.
"Where have you been?" he finally asked.
"Nowhere," Airi replied. "I just stepped out for a bit."
Arou nodded. His gaze swept the street again. The crack in the asphalt still lingered in his mind.
"Did you notice anything strange around here?" he asked.
Airi hesitated, then looked around.
"Strange how?"
"I don't know," Arou said. "Something feels off, but I can't describe it."
Airi thought for a moment.
"I haven't seen anything unusual. But… the atmosphere does feel different."
Arou turned to her.
"Different how?"
"Everything seems normal," she said quietly, "but it feels… empty."
Arou frowned slightly. She felt it too—the same odd sensation.
"We didn't talk about yesterday," Airi continued, "about what happened."
Arou nodded.
"I don't even know where to start."
A few moments of silence passed. Then Arou said,
"There's one thing."
He looked at the scratch on his back and spoke quietly,
"Airi… I have this scratch here. I don't remember getting it."
Airi blushed suddenly. She buried her face in her hands without a word.
"What's wrong?" Arou asked, confused.
"My… your underwear… it's pink," she said softly, voice muffled.
Arou froze completely, panic flooding him. His cheeks flamed red, his mouth went dry, his body stiffened for a moment.
"Oh… uh… th-that's… ahhh… w-what?!?" he stammered, almost loudly.
He bent down slightly, flailed his hands awkwardly, and staggered forward. Every word caught in his throat, as if everyone nearby could see his humiliation.
Airi kept her face hidden for a few more moments, catching her breath, then slowly lifted her hands to look at him, still flushed.
"Why did you show your underwear, you idiot," she muttered, cheeks still red.
Arou wanted to disappear into the ground.
"Ahhh… sorry… uh… I… ahhh…" he stammered, trembling.
They started walking side by side along the quiet street. The morning was calm, footsteps, bicycles, and distant chatter faintly audible.
Arou remained flustered, face hot, heart racing, every glance at Airi making him more awkward.
He scratched the back of his neck, looked down briefly, then finally mustered courage to ask,
"Where… where are we going now?" His voice was soft, slightly stuttering.
Airi smiled faintly, eyes on the road ahead.
"Nowhere. I just want to walk a little, enjoy the morning."
Arou nodded, still distracted.
"Ah… okay… I'll come along… uh… not that I'm just tagging along…" he muttered, almost to himself.
Airi raised an eyebrow at him.
"You're talking to yourself?"
Arou blushed, almost tripping over his own feet.
"No… just… trying to… haha… calm myself…"
She suppressed a laugh, still blushing faintly.
"Well, idiot, talking to yourself on the street like that," she said softly.
Arou panicked more, tried to greet her, but words stumbled out.
"Ah… uh… haha… I mean… hehe… yeah…"
They kept walking. The morning seemed longer than usual, but warm. Arou occasionally tried to distract himself by looking at the shops, yet his gaze kept returning to Airi.
At one small shop, he suddenly stopped, staring at the window display stacked with instant noodles.
"Uh… I'm… hungry… maybe get some noodles… uh, I mean… just looking, hehe," he muttered, still red-faced.
Airi chuckled softly, patting his shoulder.
"You're shy… but you're hungry too, huh?"
Arou looked down, trying to hide his face, laughing at himself.
"Ahhh… my pink underwear… still embarrassed… and now hungry… my life's a mess," he muttered under his breath.
Airi laughed quietly, still blushing.
"You're stupid, but funny too."
Arou exhaled deeply, trying to calm down.
"Uh… yeah… okay… let's get noodles… I mean… let's keep walking…"
They continued along the quiet morning street. Awkward, warm, and strangely amusing, each step felt close. And while the world around them went on normally, Arou knew one thing: he'd remember this morning, not for the scenery, but for the ridiculous, embarrassing moments shared with Airi.
They kept walking down the long street, the cool morning air brushing their faces, footsteps and distant activity blending into the soft rhythm of the day.
Arou muttered quietly to himself, trying to organize his thoughts.
"Okay… don't panic… relax… ah, walking's tiring too… hmm…"
Airi glanced at him briefly, smiling faintly.
"Still talking to yourself?"
Arou blushed, almost stumbling.
"Ah… no… just… calming myself… hehe…"
Eventually, they reached the small shop at the end of the street. It was far from Arou's house, but the cool morning made the walk pleasant.
Arou went inside, scanning the noodle shelves. He picked up a few packs, still muttering quietly.
"Okay… three's enough… not too many… don't forget hot water… hmm… yeah… relax…"
Airi held back laughter, walking slowly beside him.
"You're complicated, but cute."
As Arou placed the noodles in the basket, the shop lights flickered briefly, then returned to normal. Soft sounds echoed from the back shelves, even though the shop was empty.
Arou looked around seriously.
"Uh… what was that sound?" he muttered.
Airi leaned slightly, peering at the shelves.
"I heard it too… but it felt… strange. Like something moving out of sight."
Arou forced a quiet laugh, still uneasy.
"Hehe… probably just a shadow… yeah… haha…"
They paid and left the shop. The morning street felt normal again, but Arou still sensed something off—subtle, faint, enough to keep him alert.
"Airi… you feel it too, right?" he asked quietly.
She nodded.
"Yes… but it's unclear. Could be a shadow… or something else."
Arou exhaled deeply.
"This morning's weird… but at least walking with you is more comfortable," he murmured, occasionally glancing at her.
They continued down the street. A morning that should have been ordinary had become slightly strange… yet warm, carrying them toward something neither of them fully understood.