Yuna stood on the balcony of her new house, her hands gripping the cool railing. The city below buzzed with unfamiliar energy—cars passing, distant voices, waves crashing somewhere far off. It wasn't her town. It wasn't home.
But the sky—
The sky was the same.
She tilted her head back, letting the sunlight warm her face. If Ren was outside right now, he would be under this exact same stretch of blue. That thought made the distance feel smaller.
Her phone buzzed.
A picture.
From Aio.
It was Ren, clearly unaware, sitting on the edge of the pier back home. His shoulders were relaxed for once, the ocean behind him glowing in the afternoon light.
Aio: He finally stopped moping. You're welcome.
Yuna smiled despite herself.
Back home, Ren squinted at the water, the wind brushing through his hair. He didn't know Aio had taken the photo. He was too busy thinking.
"She sounds okay," Mio said gently, sitting beside him.
"She is," Ren replied. "But okay isn't the same as happy."
Mio watched the waves roll in. "Give her time."
He nodded, though patience had never been his strength.
Aio kicked at the wooden planks. "You two are dramatic. She's adjusting. That's normal."
Ren shot him a look. "You act like you don't care."
Aio shrugged. "I care. I just don't drown in it."
That stuck with Ren.
Meanwhile, Yuna's new room still felt half-packed and temporary. Boxes lined the walls like silent witnesses. She walked back inside and picked up the small photo frame she'd brought with her—one of the four of them at the beach last summer.
Ren wasn't smiling fully in it. Mio's hair had been a mess. Aio had sand on his face.
She traced the edge of the frame.
"I won't let this fade," she whispered.
Her phone buzzed again.
Ren: Look up.
Her heart skipped.
She stepped back onto the balcony.
Across the ocean? Impossible.
But then she realized what he meant.
She looked up at the sky.
Clear. Endless. Bright.
Her phone buzzed once more.
Ren: Same sky. Don't forget that.
Tears pricked her eyes, but she laughed softly instead.
Yuna: I won't.
Back at the pier, Ren lowered his phone, staring upward himself. The summer wind carried salt and warmth, but it didn't feel suffocating anymore.
Distance was real.
But so was connection.
Aio stood up suddenly. "Race you back," he said, already jogging away.
Mio followed with a small shake of her head.
Ren lingered one second longer.
Under the same sky.
Under the same sun.
Summertimes were coming.
And maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't face them alone.