The plum blossoms were just beginning to bloom.
A breeze swept softly through Komori Town, scattering pale petals onto the narrow streets. The sun rose slowly behind low apartment blocks and power lines, casting long golden shadows on sidewalks still damp from last night's rain. Spring was here—reluctant but unmistakable.
Kazuki Nakamura, fifteen and in his second year of junior high, walked down the hill from his house, school bag slung over one shoulder. His blazer was neat, tie a bit crooked, and his hair as unruly as ever despite his mother's attempt to flatten it with water at breakfast.
It was a typical morning. Or, almost.
---
He hadn't mentioned it to anyone, but Kazuki had a strange dream the night before.
It wasn't a nightmare, not exactly—but it lingered in his mind with the weight of something real. A feeling of drowning in light. Voices calling out from a distance. And a girl who looked just like him, standing in the middle of a burning field, her eyes glowing pale violet.
He had awoken sweating, heart pounding. But the memory was already slipping, like sand through fingers.
---
"Kazu-niiii~! Wait for me!"
Kazuki turned as the familiar voice of Yui, his ten-year-old sister, bounced down the steps behind him. Her schoolbag clattered as she ran to catch up, twin tails bobbing.
"You're not even going the same way," Kazuki said, falling into step with her.
"I know, but I like walking together until the turn!" she beamed, slipping her hand into his.
Kazuki chuckled. "You're getting big."
"Nope! Gotta stay small so I can protect you properly!" she chirped.
He blinked. "Huh?"
"I mean—so I can still do this!" She swung their arms, laughing.
Kazuki smiled, but something in her words stuck with him. Protect him? From what?
They reached the corner, where Yui took her usual path to elementary school.
"Don't forget Mama's making curry," she called, waving.
"Got it."
She waved again, but this time she looked strangely serious for just a moment—eyes narrowing slightly, scanning the rooftops beyond. Then she was gone.
---
Kazuki continued on to school, passing the same landmarks: the Takamura shrine, the vending machines by the tobacco shop, the little bakery with its ever-sweet scent. Yet… something was off.
For a moment, the streets were completely silent. No cars, no wind, no birds. Time itself seemed to hesitate. Even the petals in the air stopped mid-fall.
Kazuki froze, blinking. Then, all at once, everything resumed—sound rushing back like a wave. The clock on his phone showed the same time. No skipped seconds.
He rubbed his eyes. "Weird."
---
The rest of the school day passed normally. Mr. Kirishima grumbled through his math lecture. Jun and Souta joked at lunch. Miyu doodled in her notebook and offered half a rice ball.
Kazuki tried to ignore the uneasy feeling lingering in his chest.
---
After school, he wandered through the park with his old camera, snapping a few photos—petals drifting over the pond, a bird landing on the swing set, the shadow of a figure that wasn't there when he looked up.
He paused, heart skipping.
There was no one. Just the empty swing, gently swaying.
---
That night, dinner was warm and loud. Ayumi served curry, and Takeshi came home early for once. Yui chattered on about her class's drawing contest, but her eyes occasionally flicked toward Kazuki when no one was looking.
Later, she stood at his bedroom door, peeking in.
"What's up?" he asked, setting his camera on the desk.
She hesitated. "Nothing. Just… don't forget to close your window tonight, okay?"
He nodded, confused.
She smiled and walked away—but not before whispering something too quiet to hear.
---
In bed, Kazuki stared at the ceiling. The dream still tugged at his thoughts, even if he couldn't remember the details. The light. The fire. The girl who looked like him.
And that strange moment in the street.
He didn't know it yet, but time was beginning to bend around him. The past, future, and truth of who he really was were already starting to unravel.
And Yui, the cheerful little sister he thought needed protecting—had been his guardian all along.