With autumn, Kyoto became increasingly poetic. For Sayuri, it had always been her favorite season, not only because of the colors that painted the city, but also because of Halloween, a time that filled the streets with life and celebration.
She had always loved dressing up this time of year but this time… she couldn't fully enjoy the magic of the season.
There was a shadow over her.
Her parents.
Even though she had achieved the best grades in her class that semester, the pressure at home never eased. Her parents, always demanding, ignored anything that wasn't absolute perfection and to make things worse… they had started blaming Yume.
"Sayuri, your grades still aren't good enough. You need to focus more on your studies and stop wasting time on irrelevant friendships," her father said rigidly, reading the newspaper on the couch.
"But, Dad—"
He raised his hand, cutting her off.
"No 'buts.' I've heard that this Yume spends time with people who have no future outside of college, and she's not even a good student. She's always struggling to pass. How do you expect to succeed with that kind of influence?"
Sayuri took a deep breath. There was no point arguing.
"Yes, sir."
She stood up and went back to her room. She tried to distract herself with a book… then another, but her father's words kept echoing in her mind.
"That's not fair…" she whispered to herself. "Yume has always been there for me… always…"
As she tried to calm down and push away the conflicting thoughts, her phone vibrated.
A message appeared:
"Sayuri, I'm meeting you at the mall tomorrow! Let's pick our Halloween outfits! It's going to be amazing! xoxo Yume"
Sayuri hesitated before replying, she wasn't sure if she should go. After thinking for a while, she walked into the living room.
"I heard there's going to be a Halloween party downtown, Sayuri," her mother said.
"These parties are just excuses for young people to lose themselves—people with no character, useless, no future," her father muttered with disdain.
"I love Halloween…" Sayuri said quietly.
Her father stood up, folded the newspaper, and before leaving, said:
"Halloween is a waste of time… just like certain friendships."
Tired of his disapproval, Sayuri grabbed her phone and, on impulse, replied:
"I'll be there."
The next day, she waited for her parents to leave for work and rushed to the mall. When she arrived, Yume greeted her with a huge smile.
"Sayuri! Thank God you got here before the rain!" she said, hugging her and pulling her along the corridors.
Sayuri tried to enjoy the moment, but something still weighed on her. Yume crossed her arms, watching her.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine… just a little tired. You know… college… my parents…"
"They're pressuring you again, right? I hate when they do that. You're the best in your class—they should be proud of you. But forget that for today. Let's have fun!"
They entered a clothing store, laughing as they picked out outfits to try on. As Sayuri walked past a rack, something caught her eye.
A lilac dress, embroidered with tiny stars. It would match perfectly with the witch hat she had made years ago and without thinking twice, she grabbed it.
"Yume, look at this! It's perfect!"
"It's so you! You're going to look amazing!" Yume said excitedly.
Later, as they left the store and headed toward the food court, the sky darkened and heavy rain began pouring down.
"Damn… I need to get home before my parents!" Sayuri said nervously.
"Are you sure? Now? Let's eat something and wait for the rain to stop."
"I can't risk it, Yume. They're on my case. I really need to go."
Sayuri rushed down the escalator and ran toward the train, facing the pouring rain.
When she got home, completely soaked, she went straight to her room. She placed the shopping bag on her desk and hurried to change before her parents arrived but as she stepped out of the bathroom, her mother walked in.
"Sayuri, we're home… what's this?" she asked, staring at the shopping bag. "Did you go out?"
Sayuri froze.
"I… I had to buy fabric for a sewing project," she improvised, trying to stay calm.
Her mother frowned, but seemed to believe her.
"You could've asked me. You know I have excellent fabrics at the shop."
"I didn't want to bother you…"
"Alright. Have you eaten? We brought shrimp dumplings and soup. Come—it's still warm."
"I'll be there in a minute. I just need to finish my hair."
Sayuri quickly hid the bag inside her wardrobe. The next morning, before leaving for college, her mother handed her a shopping list.
"Don't forget anything, okay? Have a good day."
Sayuri slipped the paper into the back pocket of her jeans, said goodbye, and left. It was cold, with a light drizzle falling. She walked quickly, trying to warm herself, when a car stopped beside her.
"Good morning, Sayuri. Get in—I'll give you a ride."
She turned, it was Kenji.
"Oh… no need, I'm fine."
He insisted.
"It's freezing today. Come on."
She hesitated, she barely knew him.
But it was cold and she gave in.
During the ride, they talked about everyday things. He made her feel comfortable—like an old friend.
"You're actually pretty cool… for Yume's friend."
He laughed.
"I know. Everyone loves me… Yume's friend."
They both laughed.
What had been unfamiliar suddenly felt… easy.
When they arrived at the university, he asked:
"See you at the Halloween party tomorrow?"
"Yes… with Yume, of course," she replied quickly, getting out of the car.
"Good. I'm looking forward to it."
She blushed, thanked him, and hurried inside. During break, Sayuri and Yume sat in the courtyard.
"Yume…"
"What?"
Sayuri hesitated.
"Is Kenji always like that?"
"Like what?"
"Kind… polite… attentive… I mean… is he like that with everyone?"
Yume smiled.
"Yes. He's amazing. Always kind to everyone. I've known him since we were kids—our families are really close. And Jun grew up with us too… but he's not as open as Kenji."
Sayuri nodded slowly.
"I see…"
Yume crossed her arms.
"Why?"
"What?" Sayuri replied.
"Why are you asking about him?" Yume teased. "Are you interested in Kenji?"
Sayuri's eyes widened.
"What? N-no! Of course not!"
She laughed nervously.
"That's ridiculous. I was just curious."
"Sure…" Yume said, taking another bite of her sandwich.
After class, near the market, Sayuri realized she had lost the shopping list, panic hit instantly. She checked her pockets and her bag.
Nothing.
With no choice, she started walking home, already preparing herself for the scolding.
On the other side of the city, Kenji, leaving his English class, got into his car and noticed a piece of paper on the passenger seat.
He picked it up.
"A shopping list…"
Assuming it was Sayuri's, instead of returning it… he decided to buy everything on it, as if he had nothing better to do.
"Potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onions, rice, peanuts, coffee, tea, spices, pepper… and chicken fillet."
"Done," he said, placing the bags in the trunk.
When he arrived at Sayuri's house, he stayed inside the car—it was cold. Suddenly, someone knocked on the window.
"Can I help you?" her mother asked.
Kenji stepped out politely.
"Good afternoon, ma'am. My name is Kenji. I'm a friend of your daughter."
"Friend? From college? She's never mentioned you—"
"Mom?"
Sayuri froze.
"Kenji? What are you doing here?"
"Hey!" he said cheerfully. "I brought your groceries."
He opened the trunk and started taking out the bags.
Her mother looked at Sayuri, serious.
"I can't believe you made someone else take care of your responsibilities."
Sensing the tension, Kenji stepped in:
"No, ma'am. She didn't ask me. I wanted to help. She's been very focused on her studies, and I didn't want to disturb her, so I took care of it myself. I'm sorry if I overstepped."
Her mother seemed impressed. She invited him in, but he politely refused.
"Thank you, ma'am, but I have to go. My mother is waiting for me. It was a pleasure meeting you—and again, I apologize. See you, Sayuri."
He got back into his car and left. Her mother watched, impressed.
"What a polite young man… and handsome. That's the kind of person you should be around."
Sayuri blushed.
"Mom… please. Let's go inside—it's cold."
That night, Sayuri sat by her window, staring at the moon. It was beautiful, bright. High in the sky.
Unable to sleep, she decided to go for a walk. At the park, she sat on her usual bench. The night was quiet. The cold wind sent shivers down her spine.
Her thoughts were tangled, she sighed, not knowing why. Then she heard soft laughter. She slowly turned her head.
There he was, Jun.
Standing there—unfairly handsome—apparently flirting with a tall, beautiful girl.
"She sounds like a hyena…" Sayuri muttered, looking away.
But when Jun ran his hand through the girl's hair, something twisted inside her.
Uncomfortable, she stood up and started walking away, quickening her pace, trying not to be noticed. In her haste, she dropped her necklace, without realizing.
Jun heard footsteps, even from a distance… he recognized her.
He noticed something fall. He looked down and picked it up.
A delicate necklace, a heart-shaped pendant and at its center… a sakura.
He studied it for a moment, then looked ahead. She was gone, disappeared into the darkness.
He closed his hand around the necklace and slipped it into his jacket pocket.
"You coming?" the girl called.
"Yeah."
He kept walking but this time… his thoughts weren't there anymore.
.