Harvey stood at the base of Mount Kiyosumi at 4:42 a.m., clutching a convenience store bag full of snacks and a bottle of water. He stared up at the steep path, wondering if he was the biggest idiot in the country—or just the most tired.
"Harvey!"
The voice came from behind. He turned to see leyah jogging up the path, wearing a hoodie two sizes too big, a camera slung around her neck, and a flashlight strapped to her head like a miner.
"You're late," she said cheerfully.
"It's 4:42 in the morning."
"Exactly. You're supposed to be here at 4:30." She smirked and waved a thermos. "I brought coffee to bribe you."
He sighed but took the cup she offered. "Are you sure you should be doing this? You're sick."
"I'm not dead yet," she replied with a wink. "Come on, slowpoke."
---
They hiked in silence at first. Leyah walked ahead, humming an off-tune song. Harvey trailed behind, watching her from a distance. She didn't walk like someone who was dying. She walked like she didn't have time to waste.
After half an hour, they reached the summit.
Below them, the town still slept, cloaked in fog. Leyah sat on a bench and pointed east. "There," she whispered. "Wait for it."
A few minutes passed. Then—
A sliver of gold peeked over the horizon, painting the clouds in soft orange and pink. The light touched Leyah face, and Harvey saw something in her expression: peace. Like this one moment made everything worth it.
She lifted her camera and snapped a photo.
Then, without turning to him, she asked quietly, "Do you think people remember sunrises after they're gone?"
Harvey shrugged. "I don't know."
"I want to be remembered like one," she whispered. "Warm, beautiful… and gone before you realize how much it mattered."
He looked at her, words stuck in his throat.
She turned and smiled at him.
"You're number one on the list now, you know," she said.
He frowned. "What?"
"My first item," she said, holding up the camera. "Watch the sunrise from a mountain—check. And I did it with you."
Harvey didn't reply.
But as the sun rose higher and the wind danced through the trees, he realized something:
He didn't want this girl to disappear like a sunrise.