"Ryo, will you always be by my side?" "Hm? Maybe I will." "Eh?"
The little girl let out a small squeal—partly because of his answer, partly because the boy had just dug up a centipede over seven centimeters long.
"Can you get rid of it, please?"
Realizing the girl was genuinely upset, the boy quickly scooped dirt back over the confused centipede and stomped on it twice to make amends.
He stood awkwardly next to the still-pouting girl, wanting to hold her hand but finding his own hands covered in mud.
"Why won't Ryo always stay with me?" "Because nobody can stay together forever."
Kitagawa Ryo answered matter-of-factly.
"But I want you to always be with me."
She pulled a clean handkerchief from her pocket and wiped his hands.
"A girl in my class moved to Hokkaido today. We were just having lunch together a few days ago, and now I won't see her again."
Kitagawa Ryo understood what she meant. He fumbled in his pocket—which, as expected of boys his age, was filled with strange things: a star-shaped stone, a dead cicada, a perfect maple leaf. Finally, he pulled out a small wooden stick.
"Here."
He handed it to Ichinose Honami.
She took it and held it up to the light, reading the four characters carved on it:
"Try—Again—One—More"
"It's from a popsicle I had at lunch. I won a free one."
The kind of soda-flavored ice pop that cost only 60 yen at the dagashi shop in front of their elementary school—no fancy packaging, very mild flavor, but wildly popular because of the chance to win.
"Why are you giving it to me?"
Ichinose Honami blinked in confusion. It was just a plain stick.
"Because you said you want me to always be with you, so I'm giving this to you."
Kitagawa Ryo looked quite proud of his idea.
"If one day we stop playing together, and we're both mad and won't talk, and neither of us wants to apologize, then this stick will come in handy."
"Because then I'll come find you and say, 'Hey, Honami, give me back my stick—I need it to get a free popsicle.' Then we'll have to see each other."
He looked into her eyes and said:
"As long as we meet, we won't be apart."
"Why's that?"
Kitagawa Ryo turned his head shyly, no longer as fearless as he'd been when facing the centipede earlier.
"Because I won't want to leave."
He glanced around, leaned close to Ichinose Honami's ear, and whispered like he was sharing his most precious treasure:
"When I see you, I can't bear to leave."
RIIIIIIING!
Kitagawa Ryo instinctively smacked his alarm clock off. He could hear the low hum of the air conditioner still running—it hadn't been set to auto-off last night. He shut it off and lay there for a while longer, reaching for the blanket he'd kicked to the edge of the bed.
It had been nearly a full year since he moved out of the apartment building where the Ichinose family lived.
He stared at the seam between the wallpaper and ceiling until the remnants of sleep finally faded, then got up.
Was it eight years ago? Or seven?
He pulled open the curtains and rubbed his chin as he recalled the dream. The sunlight glinted off the prayer bead bracelet on his wrist. Just like the weather forecast predicted—it was going to be a nice day.
After washing up, he warmed a big bottle of milk and sat on the couch. He didn't feel like cooking, so he grabbed a box of chocolate-filled biscuits from the cupboard.
Might as well clean up a little, he thought, remembering how messy he used to be as a kid. He dawdled another half hour before finally heading out.
When Kitagawa Ryo arrived downstairs at Ichinose's place, it was about five minutes to their agreed time—a perfectly punctual arrival. After all, arriving too early could put unnecessary pressure on the other person.
"Ryo, wait a sec! I'm coming down now!"
Honami leaned out from the fourth-floor window and waved. Ryo nodded.
Sure enough, within a minute he saw her descending the stairs. As she reached the second-floor landing, he finally got a clear look at her outfit.
As usual, Ichinose Honami didn't wear headbands or clips. Her golden-pink hair flowed freely. The white blouse with rolled-up sleeves revealed her slender, pale wrists. A soft curve stretched her chest in a way that didn't quite match her age. The light blue pleated skirt fell just above her knees. Her long legs were hugged by white thigh-high socks, ending in dainty white shoes.
A breeze lifted her skirt slightly as she hurried down the stairs, making Ryo awkwardly avert his eyes.
"Morning, Ryo."
Same energetic greeting as always.
Realizing she was already beside him, Ryo finally looked back.
"Morning, Honami."
"Sorry—I woke up and couldn't find Maki anywhere. I called her and found out she went hiking with a friend. Took a while."
She explained softly. But Ryo wasn't really listening—his attention was completely on the girl beside him.
The irises blooming along the sidewalk, the cool morning air—all of it lifted his mood.
"So why did you pick the route bus today?"
Onboard the first bus that arrived, Honami pulled out her thermos of lemon blossom tea.
"For the surprise. Life needs a few pleasant surprises."
He leaned closer, brushing against her citrus-scented hair, watching the scenery outside.
"And sometimes it's fun to just stop and watch other people."
They began making up stories about the people they saw. Honami guessed the cheerful bald man had just been promoted. Ryo guessed he'd gotten a surprise day off. She thought the gloomy schoolboy had forgotten to finish homework—Ryo suspected a failed confession.
They continued their childish game until they decided to get off at a park.
At the station, they spotted a huge stone sign with the park's name in red paint. Even though it was early, there were already many tourists and locals. The lush greenery stretched endlessly, and the air begged to be breathed in deeply.
"Want to hold hands? There are a lot of people here."
Back then, they used to hold hands without hesitation. Now, Ryo had to find a clumsy excuse to offer his stiff right hand.
"Let's have a fun day."
Honami took his hand without hesitation. Her hand was much smaller, easily wrapped by his. His palm was cool—hers was warm. He could feel her warmth soaking into his blood.
"Mm. It will be fun."
Ryo gripped her hand a little tighter.
"Crossing the street."
From a distance, the stone sign didn't look so big—but up close, it was massive. Other tourists were taking photos, so Honami wanted one too. A volunteer photographer took their picture: the two simply holding hands, frozen at the peak of a shared smile.
Inside the park, they climbed a winding stone path through a bamboo grove. Though the slope was steep, they made it to the halfway rest stop easily—Ryo was captain of the soccer club, and Honami kept herself fit.
The rest area was lined with souvenir shops selling snacks, clothes, and local crafts. Thanks to the upcoming fireworks festival, there were lots of yukata and summer-themed items.
Ryo stopped at a shop run by an elderly man. The shelves were full of perfumes and essential oils—lily, lavender, rose, frangipani—each beautifully packaged. He almost bought a few as gifts.
"Want ice cream?"
Honami, unlike Ryo, had already picked a nearby stall selling simple ice cream in large tubs.
"I'll take chocolate."
"I'll have mint."
The middle-aged woman behind the stall scooped the ice cream into paper cups. Soon, Honami came over with both flavors, spoon in hand. She scooped a small bite and offered it to Ryo:
"Ahh—"
Still talking to the perfume vendor, Ryo instinctively leaned in and accepted it. The cool, bittersweet flavor delighted him. He put the perfume down and, following her lead, scooped a bite of mint and offered it back.
The spoon twirled twice before he withdrew it—completely clean.
There was something oddly bittersweet about feeding each other ice cream at such close range.
They continued feeding each other until the cups were empty.
When Honami went to throw away the trash, Ryo quietly asked the vendor to wrap a rose-scented perfume. By the time she returned, he'd already left the shop, pretending the price was too high.
"Should we find a place to eat or keep climbing? There might be restaurants at the summit."
Ryo opened a tourist map and asked Honami, who looked distracted.
"Huh? I'm fine with either."
She looked around, then leaned in and whispered:
"Maki just posted something on Instagram… It looks like the same place as us."
Ryo pulled out his phone, even though he'd planned to keep it silent all day.
Before he could find her profile, a new post popped up from Ichinose Maki.
She stood holding a white cat, dressed in simple summer clothes. Behind her was the same massive stone sign Ryo and Honami had photographed that morning.
Next to her stood another girl wearing a round sunhat, a frilly collared blue-and-white short-sleeved blouse, and denim shorts. Her long, fair legs were bare, and she wore cute sandals, flashing a peace sign at the camera.
Karuizawa Kei.