Lunch Was Announced Soon After. The Dining Hall Buzzed With Movement As Students Filed In, Filling The Long Tables In Clusters. Plates Clattered, Chairs Scraped, And Conversations Spilled Over One Another.
Ren Sat With His Group—Vicky, Mahito, Kaito, Chika, And Miyu—Tucked At A Corner Table. The Food Was Simple, But Warm: Rice, Soup, Grilled Vegetables, And A Side Of Something Sweet.
"Not Bad," Kaito Said Between Mouthfuls.
Chika Nodded. "Better Than Cafeteria Food At Least."
Vicky Leaned Back, Watching Them With Amusement. "This Already Feels Like A Sleepover Camp."
"Except With Stricter Teachers," Mahito Added.
Miyu Ate Quietly Beside Chika, Listening More Than She Spoke. Every Now And Then, She Joined In Briefly—A Small Comment About The Food, Or A Quiet Agreement With Chika. Ren Noticed How Her Voice Always Seemed Softer In The Noise, Yet Somehow Clearer To Him.
At One Point, Their Teacher Passed By To Remind Everyone About Afternoon Activities—Some Light Group Exercises, Then Time In The Library Or Garden Before Evening. Groans Erupted, But Quickly Died Down As Plates Refocused Attention.
Ren Found Himself Glancing At Miyu's Plate. She Hadn't Touched The Sweet Side Dish Yet, Even As Chika Finished Hers. Almost As If She Felt His Gaze, Miyu Looked At Him And Tilted Her Head Slightly.
"You Don't Like It?" He Asked Quietly.
"It's Not That," She Said, Pausing. "I… Just Save Sweet Things For Last."
Ren Blinked Once. Then Nodded. "Makes Sense."
She Smiled Lightly, And Took A Small Bite.
It Was Nothing, Just A Simple Exchange In The Middle Of A Noisy Lunch. Yet For Ren, It Felt Like One Of Those Small Moments He'd Written About That Morning—The Kind Worth Keeping.
—
When Lunch Ended And Everyone Began Clearing Their Plates, Chika Stretched With A Groan. "Afternoon Activities, Huh? Wonder If It'll Be Fun Or Torture."
Kaito Grinned. "Probably Both."
Vicky Looked Toward The Teachers. "Well, Guess We'll Find Out Soon."
Ren Stood With Them, Following The Flow Of Students Back Toward The Courtyard. The Day Still Stretched Ahead, And Though He Didn't Know Exactly What It Would Hold, He Found Himself Strangely—Quietly—Looking Forward To It.
The Teachers Gathered Everyone Back Into The Courtyard After Lunch, Their Voices Carrying Over The Chatter.
"Alright, Third-Years—Before Free Time, We'll Have Some Group Activities. Think Of It As A Way To Loosen Up After Traveling. Nothing Too Intense."
Groans Rippled Across The Students, But The Teachers Only Smiled, Unmoved.
—
They Were Split Into Teams For A Series Of Short Challenges. Simple Things: Passing A Ball Without Dropping It, Building The Tallest Tower Out Of Random Materials, A Quick Relay Run Around The Courtyard.
"Why Do I Feel Like We're Back In Middle School?" Mahito Muttered As He Stared At The Pile Of Sticks And String Their Team Was Supposed To Turn Into A Tower.
"Because We Are," Vicky Said Calmly, Knotting Two Sticks Together With Surprising Skill.
"Hey, Don't Look Down On Middle School!" Chika Protested, Balancing A Stick Upright. "This Is Basically Architecture!"
Kaito Crossed His Arms. "If This Falls, I'm Blaming Mahito."
"It Hasn't Even Started Yet!" Mahito Shot Back.
Ren Found Himself Helping Quietly, Securing Knots While The Others Argued. Miyu Worked Beside Him, Focused, Her Fingers Steady On The String.
Their Hands Brushed Once, Briefly, When Both Reached For The Same Piece Of String. Neither Said Anything, But The Moment Hung Softly Between Them.
—
The Relay Run Came Next.
Kaito Immediately Volunteered. "I'll Go First. Watch My Speed."
"You Mean Watch You Trip," Mahito Said Flatly.
"Confidence Is Key!" Kaito Declared, Taking The Starting Position.
The Whistle Blew. True To Form, Kaito Shot Forward With All The Energy Of Someone Who'd Just Eaten Two Plates Of Lunch. He Didn't Trip—But He Did Almost Overshoot The Turn.
Chika Burst Out Laughing. "That's Not Running, That's Flying Sideways!"
By The Time The Baton Reached Ren, The Team Was Already Half-Collapsed From Laughter. He Ran At His Own Pace, Steady, Not Fast, But Consistent. When He Passed It To Miyu, She Took Off With Quiet Determination, Her Strides Clean And Controlled.
Chika Cheered Loudest. "Go, Miyu! Show Them How It's Done!"
Even Kaito, Still Catching His Breath, Grinned. "Okay, That's Graceful."
Their Team Didn't Win—But They Didn't Care Much Either.
—
The Final Activity Was A Simple Circle Toss: Keep A Ball In The Air As Long As Possible Without Letting It Drop.
Mahito Groaned Loudly. "This Is Just Volleyball Without The Net."
"Exactly!" Chika Said. "That Means We Can Actually Win This One!"
The Ball Flew Back And Forth, Students Laughing Every Time Someone Nearly Missed. At One Point, Ren Stretched To Keep It From Hitting The Ground, Accidentally Sending It Higher Than Expected. Miyu Adjusted Instantly, Catching It Cleanly And Sending It Back Smoothly.
For A Moment, Their Eyes Met Across The Circle—Just A Flicker—Before The Ball Drew Them Back In.
The Game Ended In A Cheer When The Teachers Called Time, Applauding Both Effort And Energy.
—
By The Time The Activities Wrapped Up, The Sun Had Tilted Slightly Lower, Painting The Courtyard In Softer Light. Students Scattered, Some Toward The Garden Paths, Others Toward The Library, A Few Back To The Lounge.
Kaito Collapsed Dramatically Onto A Bench. "I'm Retiring From Sports Forever."
"You Didn't Even Run Twice," Mahito Pointed Out.
"Exactly. I've Peaked."
Chika Shook Her Head, Laughing. "Come On, Let's Go Explore Before Dinner. Library Or Garden?"
"Garden," Kaito Said Immediately. "Fresh Air."
"I Vote Library," Mahito Countered. "Air-Conditioning."
"Library Sounds Nice," Miyu Said Quietly, Gathering Her Bag.
Ren Looked At Her, Then Nodded. "Library."
Vicky Smiled At Their Back-And-Forth. "Split Up Then. Some To The Garden, Some To The Library. We'll Meet Later For Dinner."
Chika Pointed At Ren And Miyu. "Fine, You Two Go Library. We'll Cover Garden Duty."
She Winked Before Skipping Off With Kaito In Tow, Leaving Mahito And Vicky To Debate Whether To Follow Or Not.
Ren Glanced At Miyu, Unsure If She Noticed Chika's Wink. Her Expression Stayed Calm As Always.
"Library?" She Asked.
"Yeah," He Answered.
And Together, They Turned Down The Path Leading Toward The Quiet Building At The Edge Of The Grounds.
The Library Was Cool And Still, A Welcome Contrast To The Buzz Of The Courtyard. The Tall Windows Let In Slanted Afternoon Light, Dust Particles Hanging Like Quiet Stars In The Air.
Not Many Students Had Come. A Few Sat At The Tables Near The Entrance, Flipping Through Reference Books Or Pretending To Study While Whispering.
Miyu Stepped Inside First, Her Pace Slowing Naturally To Match The Quiet. Ren Followed Just Behind, Hands In His Pockets.
Toward The Far Table, Two Familiar Faces Lifted Their Heads—Miyu And Chika's Roommates.
Aya, With Her Round Glasses And Always-Neat Handwriting, Gave A Small Smile And Wave. Beside Her, Haruka—More Energetic But Equally Kind—Raised Her Voice In A Whisper-Laugh. "Hey, You Two Made It Here Too."
"Hello," Miyu Said Softly, Returning The Smile.
Ren Nodded Slightly, Offering The Bare Minimum Of A Greeting. It Was Enough.
Aya Tilted Her Head Toward Them. "We're Just Looking Through Some Old Journals They Keep Here. Some Of The Writing's Beautiful."
Miyu's Eyes Lit Almost Imperceptibly At That. "I Might Take A Look Later."
Haruka Smirked. "Don't Steal All The Wisdom Before Evening."
With That, The Two Roommates Returned To Their Own Table, Lowering Their Voices Again. Their Presence Filled The Library Just Enough To Keep It From Feeling Empty, Yet Far Enough Not To Disturb.
—
Ren And Miyu Settled Near The Window, Where The Afternoon Sun Pooled In A Soft Glow Over The Wooden Table. She Chose A Seat First, And He Sat Across From Her Without Thinking Too Hard About It.
For A While, Neither Spoke. Ren Picked Up A Random Book Left Behind—Something About Travel Sketches—And Flipped Through Slowly. Miyu Pulled Out A Notebook, Her Pen Resting Against The Paper As If She Were Unsure Whether To Write.
The Quiet Didn't Feel Heavy. It Felt… Gentle.
Finally, Ren Glanced At Her Notebook. "Notes Already?"
"Not Exactly," She Said, Looking At The Page Where Only A Single Line Sat. "Sometimes I Just Write Whatever I Don't Want To Forget."
Ren Considered That. "Like A Journal?"
"Something Like That." She Paused, Then Tilted Her Head Slightly. "Do You Ever Keep One?"
Ren Shook His Head. "I'd Probably Forget To Open It."
That Earned Him A Small Laugh—Quiet, But Real.
—
Minutes Passed In The Rhythm Of Pages Turning, Pens Moving, And The Subtle Sounds Of Their Roommates A Few Tables Away.
Ren Rested His Chin On His Hand, Looking Toward The Window. Beyond The Glass, The Garden Trees Swayed In The Breeze.
"You Always Look Like You're Somewhere Else," Miyu Said Suddenly.
He Turned His Eyes Back To Her, Surprised. "Do I?"
"Yes." Her Expression Softened, Almost Like She Was Apologizing For Pointing It Out. "But… It Doesn't Feel Like A Bad Thing."
Ren Didn't Know How To Answer At First. He Let Out A Breath. "Maybe It's Because I Don't Know Where To Be Sometimes."
Miyu Looked At Him Quietly For A Moment. Then She Closed Her Notebook Gently. "Sometimes Just Being Here Is Enough."
Her Words Hung In The Warm Light Between Them, Simple Yet Steady.
Ren Lowered His Eyes Briefly, Feeling Something Settle Inside Him. "…Yeah."
—
For A While, Neither Spoke Again. The Afternoon Felt Suspended In A Kind Of Stillness, Only The Scratch Of Aya's Pen And Haruka's Suppressed Giggles In The Background.
Then Miyu's Voice Broke The Quiet Again, Softer This Time. "Do You Like Places Like This?"
Ren Blinked. "The Library?"
She Nodded.
He Looked Around. The High Windows, The Quiet Tables, The Smell Of Old Paper. "Yeah. I Think… It Feels Safe. No One Expects Much From You Here."
Miyu Smiled Faintly At That. "I Like Them Because People Leave Each Other Alone, But… Somehow You Still Don't Feel Lonely."
Ren Met Her Eyes For A Brief Moment. "…That Makes Sense."
The Silence That Followed Wasn't Heavy At All—It Felt Almost Like An Agreement.
—
From The Other Table, Haruka Whispered Something That Made Aya Laugh Behind Her Hand. The Sound Carried Softly Across The Library—A Reminder That The World Still Existed Around Them.
But At Their Table By The Window, Time Moved Differently.
And For That Quiet Hour, Surrounded By Books And Afternoon Sun, Ren And Miyu Found Themselves Sharing A Space That Felt Like It Belonged Only To Them.
The Library Slowly Emptied As Afternoon Faded Into Evening. Aya And Haruka Packed Up First, Waving A Quick Goodbye Before Heading Out Together. Their Laughter Echoed Softly In The Hall Before Dimming Away.
Ren And Miyu Remained A Little Longer, Neither In A Hurry To Break The Stillness They Had Found. Eventually, Miyu Closed Her Notebook And Slid It Into Her Bag.
"It's Getting Late," She Said Gently.
Ren Nodded, Standing And Stretching His Shoulders. "Yeah."
They Walked Out Together, The Wooden Door Closing Quietly Behind Them.
To Be Continued….