Hoshizora High's courtyard buzzed like a hive, full of morning noise and movement. Ren Takahashi sat by the third-floor classroom window, pen resting against his lower lip, trying to drown out the chatter.
But one sound pierced through it all.
That laugh. Again.
High-pitched, twinkling—like wind chimes in a storm. Siya Fujiwara, surrounded by her usual group, crouched beside a stray kitten. The animal purred loudly as she scratched behind its ears, her laughter rising and falling like a cheerful song.
She was the kind of girl who smiled too wide at rainbows and named ants crossing the pavement.
Ren narrowed his eyes.
"Does she ever stop laughing?" he muttered under his breath.
Unfortunately, the window was open—and the courtyard was quieter than usual for a brief second.
Siya looked up. Her eyes met his.
For a second, he froze.
But she didn't look embarrassed or angry. She just smiled that same bright, unreasonable smile.
Then, still petting the kitten, she called up to him, her voice light:
"Would you rather I cry instead, Ren-kun?"
Her friends giggled around her. Not mockingly. Just naturally, like they were used to her turning everything into warmth.
Ren blinked. He hadn't expected that.
He stood up abruptly, muttering something under his breath and grabbing his notebook. As he left the classroom, he didn't look back out the window.
But for the first time that morning, his thoughts weren't on formulas or grades.
They were on a girl who smiled like the sky itself had whispered secrets just to her.
🦋🦋🦋
The last bell rang, and the hallways of Hoshizora High flooded with voices, slamming lockers, and end-of-day sighs. Ren should've felt relief—school was done, and he had zero intention of dealing with anyone until the next morning.
But of course, fate had other plans.
As he turned the corner past the shoe lockers, sliding his bag over his shoulder, someone appeared in his path like a well-timed gust of wind.
Siya.
Still smiling.
Still radiant.
Still so much energy for 3:30 p.m.
She leaned lightly against the wall near the exit, arms crossed, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Her schoolbag dangled from one hand, and her other hand held a small box of cat food—probably for one of her furry "school residents."
"Ren-kun," she said, in that sing-song voice that made him instantly suspicious.
"…What?"
"I came to warn you."
He blinked. "Excuse me?"
She stepped closer, voice dropping into mock-seriousness. "If you ever make fun of my laugh again… I'll tell the whole school that you actually smiled during biology class last month when the model skeleton fell on Mr. Sato."
Ren narrowed his eyes. "That didn't happen."
"I have three witnesses. And a blurry photo." She smiled sweetly. "Justice will be served."
He stared at her for a second, speechless—not out of guilt, but sheer what-the-hell-ness. "You're ridiculous."
Siya tilted her head, a mock-pout forming on her lips. "No, no. I'm warning you because my laugh is sacred. Sacred things must be protected."
"From sarcasm?"
"Especially from sarcasm." She pointed a finger at his chest. "That includes you, Doctor Doom."
Ren looked at the finger, then at her face. She was actually enjoying this.
Before he could answer, she turned and walked past him toward the gate, humming to herself, that stupid flower still tucked behind her ear like she was the lead in some musical.
He stood there, unsure whether to roll his eyes or smirk.
But instead, he just muttered to himself, "…Doctor Doom?"
🦋🦋🦋
Ren Takahashi sat at his desk, the sun dipping low outside his window, painting the sky with orange and gold. His room was simple—neat, quiet, everything in its place. Books stacked perfectly on the shelves, notes organized by color and subject, a calendar with countdowns to his medical entrance exams.
He rubbed his eyes, blinking at the last line of a long chemistry problem. The pen in his hand had run out of ink.
"Great," he muttered. He opened the drawer and checked his usual stash—no extra pens. No highlighters either. Even his sticky notes were finished.
With a sigh, Ren stood up, grabbed his wallet, and left the house. The stationery shop was nearby, just a ten-minute walk. His neighborhood was calm, tucked into a corner of the city, close to the school. Not too noisy, not too quiet.
As he walked, his mind wandered back to school. To the laugh. Her laugh.
Siya Fujiwara.
The way she teased him today. That ridiculous "Doctor Doom" nickname. The way she smiled, even when he had clearly insulted her. Why did she do that?
He pushed the thought away.
The sky was deeper now—hues of purple and rose bleeding into each other. The wind carried a soft chill, and the city lights were starting to flicker on. He reached the stationery shop and was just about to enter when something caught his eye.
Or rather, someone.
Across the street, just a little way off, standing near a patch of small wildflowers by a low wall, was Siya.
She didn't see him.
She was crouched down beside a small orange-and-white street cat, her schoolbag resting beside her. The cat purred and rubbed against her hand as she giggled softly.
Then she leaned closer and whispered something to it—he couldn't hear her, of course. But he could see her lips move and her face light up. A second later, she reached into her bag and took out a small packet of food. Probably something she always carried. The cat meowed in approval.
When the cat happily ate, she turned toward the patch of flowers beside the sidewalk. She knelt by them, gently brushing her fingers across one of the blossoms, talking to it. Smiling like she was greeting an old friend.
The setting sun hit her eyes just right. They gleamed—a soft, warm honey color that somehow looked even brighter than they had in the daylight. Her hair shimmered slightly in the breeze, and for a second, everything around her blurred.
It was too much.
Too bright. Too soft. Too happy.
Ren frowned.
"How much love does she have?" he wondered silently. "Doesn't she ever get bored of smiling at everything? Cats, flowers, random people. Doesn't she have anything else to do? Doesn't she study? How is she always scoring high when she's wandering around like this?"
He shook his head and walked into the stationery shop. The bell above the door rang softly as he entered. Familiar smell—paper, ink, something slightly dusty. He picked up the things he needed: pens, a new highlighter set, sticky notes, and a correction tape. As he paid, the image of her with the cat refused to leave his mind.
He stepped outside, stuffing the small bag of supplies into his backpack. The street had changed.
There was a crowd near where Siya had been standing.
Ren paused. He normally didn't care about such things. Crowds meant noise, attention, drama—all things he avoided.
But today, his legs moved before his mind caught up.
He crossed the street, his brows furrowed. He heard murmurs.
"She just collapsed…"
"Is she okay?"
"Someone call an ambulance!"
He pushed gently through the group of students and locals, and then he saw her.
Siya.
She was lying on the ground.
Her head rested gently on someone's folded blazer. Her eyes were half-closed, her skin pale—a frightening contrast to the vibrant energy she usually carried. One hand still had a piece of food in it. The orange-and-white cat sat beside her, meowing softly, confused.
Ren didn't realize he was holding his breath.
"What happened?" he asked the girl standing next to him.
"We don't know. One second she was fine, petting the cat. Then she stood up, swayed, and just fainted. She didn't even cry out."
Someone was already on a call with the ambulance. A man from a nearby shop brought water. Another girl was fanning her lightly with a notebook.
Ren stood there, frozen. The noise faded in his ears.
Siya—the girl who laughed at everything, who fed stray animals, who talked to flowers like they could hear her—was lying unconscious.
He didn't understand why his chest felt tight. Why his fingers curled slightly into fists.
All he knew was that something about seeing her like this didn't feel right. Didn't feel fair.
And it made the world feel suddenly colder.....