Sayuri hit the ground before she even understood what had happened. The impact made her body freeze for a second, the air trapped in her chest.
Confused, she looked up and saw only a hand extended toward her. The sunlight kept her from seeing his face, but there was something there.
A soft scent… warm… familiar like the pages of an old book forgotten in time, mixed with the comfort of lit candles on a quiet night.
Her heart raced for a moment.
"Be more careful."
His voice was low, soft, and calm.
But when she blinked… he was gone. He disappeared into the crowd as if he had never existed. Sayuri stood there for a few seconds, still dazed, her heart beating faster than it should.
Why…?
She didn't even know him, and yet… something inside her had changed.
The day had begun under a thin curtain of rain. Sayuri woke to the sound of birds, strangely cheerful despite the gray sky. It was the last days of summer.
Still half asleep, she slowly sat up in bed, her thoughts heavy, as if she were carrying something she couldn't quite explain.
In the kitchen, she sat by the window, watching raindrops slide down the glass. She prepared her coffee, adding brown sugar and a bit of cream, just like she always did. Before she could take the first sip, a soft knock on the door broke the silence.
She got up.
On the other side stood a kind-looking elderly woman holding a box of cookies, her neighbor.
"Good morning, dear. Is your mother home?"
"No, ma'am, she already left for work…" Sayuri replied. "Can I help?"
"Oh, that's alright. I just came to drop this off. Ask her to call me later, alright?"
"Of course. Thank you."
When she closed the door, the silence returned. Sayuri placed the box on the counter and, when she glanced at the clock, a small wave of panic hit her.
"I'm late again."
She rushed to her room, got dressed quickly, and left the house with her red umbrella in hand.
At the university, she met Yume.
"Did you finish those sketches?"
"I did… kind of," Yume said with a laugh. "What about you?"
"I think so…"
They talked about classes, books, and the Bibliocafé, as if everything were normal. But deep down… Sayuri felt like something was off.
After class, they stopped by the Bibliocafé. The place was cozy, filled with the scent of old paper and freshly brewed coffee. Sayuri walked between the shelves, running her fingers along the spines of the books.
"I love this smell," she whispered.
It always calmed her. It was like escaping the world for a few minutes… forgetting her responsibilities.
Later, on her way home, she decided to pass through the park. A few rays of sunlight still resisted the end of summer, touching the petals of the flowers along the path.
Sayuri took a few pictures to send to her grandmother, trying to hold on to that moment. That's when she saw her father walking quickly on the other side. Her face lit up.
"Dad!"
She ran toward him.
"I'm so glad I found you!"
But his smile didn't match hers.
"Sorry, Sayuri, I'm in a bit of a hurry. Your mom and I have a meeting, we'll be home late. Don't wait up. There's money in the cabinet, just order something to eat."
Money, always money, never time.
"It's okay…" she said, forcing a smile "Good luck with the meeting."
At home, the loneliness felt bigger… heavier. She should have been used to it by now but she wasn't.
The next morning, she woke up with a small spark of hope. It was Saturday, the day they usually went shopping together. Her parents would be home all day. She got up quickly and rushed to the kitchen.
"Mom?"
Silence.
"Dad?"
Nothing.
Room after room… empty.
Her chest tightened. On the kitchen table, there was only a note, she already knew. Even so… she read it.
The same words as always.
Trip.Work.Money.
Sayuri tore the paper before she could finish. The sound of it ripping echoed louder than it should have.
Still in her pajamas, she grabbed her coat and left. The streets were full, families, friends, everyone together, but she saw no one, she just wanted to get away. She walked without direction until the impact.
She didn't see anything else, just the ground, the hand. Then the scent and that voice, that soft voice.
A few blocks away, Jun walked into the studio in his friend's garage—where the music never stopped.
Instruments scattered everywhere. Laughter, loud music, life and, of course, the girls. That was his world.
"Jun, finally!" Kenji called out.
"I got held up."
Jun grabbed the microphone. When he sang, everything disappeared. He forgot about family conflicts and his father's disappointment. That was the only moment he truly felt something but that day something was different.
A strange feeling, as if, without knowing it… something had already begun to change.