The first day of the new semester always felt louder than it needed to be. Students rushed in with half-zipped bags, talking about things Hikari Aoyama didn't care enough to follow. New haircuts, new teachers, new gossip — it all blurred together like background noise.
Hikari slipped through the classroom door quietly, the way someone slips into a movie theater after the film already started.
No one noticed him.
That was normal.
He walked straight to the seating chart taped on the board.
Aoyama Hikari — Seat 14.
Back row. By the window.
That was fine. The window was familiar. Safe. You could look outside if class got too heavy. You could pretend to be thinking when you were really just breathing.
Then he checked the name next to his.
Tachibana Mina — Seat 13.
He knew the name vaguely. Not loud or popular, not invisible either. He had seen her before, but only in passing — a girl with a bright smile who walked fast, like she was always running a little late.
Hikari went to his seat. He placed his bag under the desk and pulled out a pen, tapping it lightly against his notebook. He didn't look around much. The less attention he got, the better.
A few minutes later, the door slid open again.
"I made it… I think," Mina whispered to herself as she stepped inside, holding her bag like she'd been sprinting with it.
She scanned the room, found her seat, and paused when she saw him.
Her eyes widened a little.
Then she smiled — simple, warm, not too much.
"Oh! You're Aoyama-kun," she said, walking over. Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a lightness to it. "Looks like we're seatmates."
"…Yeah," he said.
"I'm Tachibana Mina," she added, resting her bag on her desk. "Nice to meet you."
He nodded. "Nice to meet you."
There wasn't much else to say, and she didn't force it. She sat beside him, humming softly as she pulled out her pencil case. A small melody, nothing he recognized.
Class started without anything special happening.
Mina listened with both elbows on her desk.
Hikari pretended to focus but mostly stared at the corner of his textbook.
Every now and then, he felt her glance sideways — not in a weird way, more like she was making sure he existed.
When the teacher asked the class to introduce themselves, Mina stood up straight, bowed, and spoke with a clear voice.
"I'm Tachibana Mina. I like reading short stories and eating cold watermelon. Please take care of me this year!"
People laughed softly. Her energy wasn't too much — it just made the room feel a little lighter.
When it was Hikari's turn, he stood slowly.
"…Aoyama Hikari. I like drawing. That's all."
A few students murmured a polite "nice to meet you," but nothing more. When he sat down, Mina gave him a small thumbs up under the desk.
He blinked at her.
She grinned.
Lunch came faster than he expected. Students jumped up immediately, forming small groups. Hikari stayed seated, staring at his empty desk. He had forgotten to pack lunch again. Or maybe he remembered but didn't care enough.
Mina opened her bento and paused when she noticed him sitting still.
"You're not eating?" she asked gently.
"…Forgot my lunch."
"Oh." She thought for exactly one second.
Then she split hers in half and placed a portion on his desk without hesitation.
"Here."
Hikari tensed. "You don't have to—"
"I know," she said simply. "But it's okay. I always make too much."
He looked at the food. It wasn't fancy — simple rice, tamagoyaki, a few pieces of chicken. But it smelled warm.
"…Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said, and smiled as she took a bite of her own food. "Besides, it's boring to eat alone."
They ate quietly, but it wasn't awkward. Mina swung her legs a little under the desk, humming again. Hikari found himself listening to the rhythm of her movements — light, steady, not rushed.
When lunch ended, she closed her bento box with a small snap and turned to him.
"Hey, Aoyama-kun."
He looked at her.
"Do you walk home alone?"
"…Yeah."
"Me too," she said, shrugging. "Wanna walk together today?"
Hikari blinked. "Why?"
She tilted her head, thinking.
"Because… walking alone feels long," she said softly. "And we sit next to each other anyway, so it's not weird."
It wasn't a dramatic request.
It wasn't forced.
She just asked like it was the most natural thing.
"…Okay," he said.
Mina smiled — not bright, not exaggerated. Just warm.
It surprised him how easy that smile felt close-up.
The final bell rang an hour later. They packed their bags and stepped outside together. The school gate buzzed with noisy conversations, but their pace was slower, quieter.
For most of the walk, they didn't talk. But the silence wasn't uncomfortable. It felt like they were simply getting used to the idea of someone being beside them.
Halfway down the street, Mina spoke.
"Aoyama-kun."
"…Yeah?"
"You talk quietly."
"…Sorry."
"No, no," she said quickly. "I like it. It makes me feel calm."
Calm.
No one had ever said he made them feel anything, let alone something good.
They reached the point where their paths split — her way to the right, his to the left.
Mina tightened her grip on her bag and looked at him.
"Same time tomorrow?" she asked.
"…Okay."
She nodded, stepping back with a small bounce.
"See you tomorrow, Aoyama-kun."
"…See you."
She turned the corner and disappeared behind a hedged wall, leaving the quiet street behind her.
Hikari stood there for a moment longer, letting the breeze brush past his sleeve. He didn't fully understand the feeling settling quietly in his chest, but he didn't push it away.
It was small.
Simple.
A beginning he didn't expect.
And as he walked home, the world didn't feel much different than usual —
but his day did.