—-Ryu—-
The sun shone brightly, casting a warm glow over everything, but the heat wasn't overwhelming, it was just right. The kind of weather that made you want to take a slow walk outside. Yet, something felt off.
I found myself standing in a place that seemed oddly familiar.
Looking ahead, I saw a group of students, my classmates from junior high. But why were they here? More importantly, why was I here? A strange feeling stirred in my chest as I instinctively reached for my phone, pulling it out from the pocket of my black blazer.
Wait… black blazer?
That wasn't right.
Mikami's uniform had a beige vest and maroon polo, not a black blazer. This was my old middle school uniform!
My brows furrowed as I quickly checked my phone's reflection. Staring back at me was a familiar yet unexpected sight, my blond hair, the same color I had dyed back in junior high, I could've sworn I ditched this hair-do back then. I should have my hair styled in my natural brown color and styled in a messy fringe, what's going on?
My heart pounded as I turned on my phone, my eyes immediately darting to the date.
A year ago.
My breath hitched. What…? Had I somehow traveled back in time? That couldn't be possible.
I tried to make sense of it all, but before I could even think, my body moved on its own. If this was truly the past, then that meant-
Without hesitation, I broke into a sprint, pushing past my classmates, who looked at me in shock. The teacher shouted after me, but their voice faded as I ran, my feet carrying me through the school grounds.
I knew exactly where I needed to go.
I rushed past the fountain at the center of the school and turned left. My pulse quickened as I approached a large tree standing tall against the sky. And there, just as I remembered, was the bench.
And her.
She sat there, absorbed in her book, just like that day.
My breathing turned uneven as I slowed my steps, my heart pounding. She was right there, so close I could reach out and touch the moment I had been chasing all this time.
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. Steeling myself, I took a hesitant step forward.
"Umm… excuse me, I—"
The words got stuck. My voice wavered, and my body froze. Why was I so nervous?
And then, as if sensing my presence, she lowered her book.
I should have seen her face.
I should have.
But it was blurred.
What—
Before I could process what was happening, my eyes snapped open.
A blaring alarm filled my ears, and I groggily reached for my phone, fumbling to silence it. The familiar sight of my bedroom greeted me, dimly lit by the early morning light filtering through the curtains.
I stared blankly at the ceiling.
Then, reality sank in.
With an exhausted groan, I grabbed my pillow and pressed it against my face.
"Again?! This is the third time this week!"
My muffled scream into the pillow did little to relieve the frustration bubbling inside me.
These dreams… they felt too real. Every time, it was the same scene, rushing through the school, seeing her on that bench, getting so close, only for her face to be hidden from me at the last second.
Why?
Why couldn't I see her face?
I sighed, rubbing my temples. There was no point in overthinking it. Maybe my brain was just messing with me. Or maybe it was a sign that I should stop obsessing over something that happened a year ago.
But even as I tried to brush it off, a single thought lingered in my mind.
If I had just spoken to her back then… would things be different now?
Later that day, it was our gym class period. Everybody was wearing the same PE uniform, white shirt with maroon shorts. We went outside to the track and field to do some stretches.
I paired up with Taishi as usual as we do our stretches, there was the usual chatter in the air and the sun was shining brighter than usual making us feel sweatier.
"All right! After you are all done with your stretches, run laps across the track." shouted our gym teacher.
We all responded in unison to our teacher. As Taishi and I were done with our stretches, Emilia approached us, her blonde hair now tied into a high ponytail.
"Want to make a bet?~" she says with a little bit of excitement.
Taishi sighed knowing her usual antics. "Again? Do you never get tired Emilia? We just had our Math period before this so everyone is extra tired this class if you haven't noticed."
He responded with the usual feigned annoyance but it was lacking the resolve, but what he said was true, the Math period was grueling so the other students including myself are not really feeling like doing gym period but it's not like we have a choice.
"What kind of bet are you guys putting on the line again?"
Emilia chuckled. "You're also included here, Ryu~"
"...And somehow, I got dragged into this mess." I closed my eyes trying to not get annoyed.
"C'mon don't get so gloomy you two, I know we just have our Math period before this, but Lunch period is after!! Are you guys not excited?"
I sighed giving in "Fine, I am looking forward to lunch, what's the bet?"
Taishi looked annoyed at me "C'mon Ryu, you're really playing along with this idiot?"
"Hey, who are you calling an idiot?!" Emilia pointed at Taishi.
Emilia huffed, crossing her arms. "Rude. Anyway, the bet is simple. Whoever runs the slowest lap has to buy lunch for the other two."
I raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"That's it!" Emilia said with a grin. "Easy, right?"
Taishi groaned. "You say that, but I know you're gonna try and sprint like a madwoman just to make us pay."
Emilia smirked. "What, scared?"
"More like tired.." Taishi muttered and rolled his eyes.
As our gym teacher blew the whistle, signaling the start, the three of us took our places on the track. Other students were already jogging at a steady pace, but Emilia immediately took off like she had something to prove.
"See what I mean?" Taishi muttered beside me as we started running.
"Yeah, she's way too into this," I replied, keeping a decent pace.
"I guess I should leave you now, I don't want to pay for lunch after all" I added giggling as I went a bit faster on my pace.
"Hey! You little!"
I quickened my pace, putting some distance between Taishi and me. He groaned in frustration but picked up his speed, not wanting to fall too far behind.
Emilia, as expected, was already ahead, her high ponytail bouncing with each step. She turned her head slightly, flashing me a smug grin.
"Not bad, Ryu! But you're still too slow!" she taunted before pushing herself even harder.
I rolled my eyes but smirked. "We'll see about that."
The warm sun bore down on us as I focused on my breathing, my legs steadily carrying me across the track. The chatter of our classmates faded into the background as I kept my sights on Emilia, determined not to lose.
Taishi, meanwhile, sounded like he was regretting every decision that led him here. "Damn it, Ryu, why'd you have to take her bet seriously?" he grumbled, barely keeping up.
"You could've just walked, you know," I teased.
"And let you both rob me of my money? No way!"
The race continued, Emilia still in the lead, with me a few paces behind and Taishi struggling to keep up. But just as we neared the final stretch, Emilia suddenly slowed down, her stride becoming uneven.
I frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?"
She placed a hand on her forehead, her breathing heavier than before. "Ugh… I think I went too hard… My head's spinning a bit."
I immediately slowed down beside her. "Seriously?"
Emilia let out a weak laugh.
"Idiot" Taishi muttered as he finally caught up, panting.
The whistle blew again, signaling the end of the laps. Some students had already finished, while others, like us, were still making their way to the end.
"Can you walk?" I asked Emilia, watching as she took slow steps.
She nodded. "Yeah, I just need a sec."
Taishi sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Well, technically, you lost. That means you're buying us lunch."
Emilia groaned dramatically. "Ugh! Why did I even make that bet?!"
"You set yourself up for failure" I chuckled.
She pouted but then smirked. "Fine, a deal's a deal."
Taishi and I exchanged a glance before laughing. Even if she complained, we knew she'd keep her word.
"I'll go get you some water. You look awful."
"Oh, okay… Thanks, Ryu," Emilia replied, her breath still unsteady as she sat down on the grass with some of our classmates.
I headed toward the tap near the gymnasium to fill up our bottles. As I got closer, I could hear the sound of a ball bouncing and sneakers squeaking against the floor. Was there a game going on inside?
Setting the bottles aside, I splashed cold water on my face, letting it wash away some of the exhaustion. After drying off with a towel, I filled both my bottle and Emilia's before turning my attention to the gymnasium.
Curious, I walked toward the entrance, wondering what kind of game was being played. Judging by the sounds, it was probably basketball.
But just as I turned the corner, I caught sight of a familiar figure, a girl sitting quietly, engrossed in a book.
My breath hitched. Could it be… her?
Her long, wavy hair was tied into a low ponytail this time, but there was no mistaking it. She wore the same gym uniform as everyone else, a white shirt and maroon shorts, was this also her gym period?
Even from this distance, even from this side angle, she looked just as stunning as the first time I saw her.
I stood frozen in place, eyes wide in disbelief. After all this time… I had found her again.