Some moments refuse to pass… until you learn to accept them.
Time moved like always, steady and indifferent, yet some seconds carried a weight Akira could not yet understand. Morning light filtered through the curtains, soft and quiet, as if the world itself waited for him to notice. He woke with a faint smile lingering from a dream, small fragments of laughter and warmth still clinging to his mind. For a moment, he remembered being a child again, sitting on the living room floor with his mother, sharing books and baking, her voice echoing softly in his memory.
Morning light filtered through the curtains as he swung his legs off the bed. The apartment was quiet. His routine followed automatically. Shower, breakfast, the hum of his day.
As he packed his bag, he realized he had forgotten his assignments. Frustration pricked briefly.
He opened the drawer in search of his notebook, and there it lay, a small watch gleaming faintly in the morning light. Seeing it, a memory surfaced. His mother, holding the gift in her hands on his birthday, smiling.
"Happy birthday, Akira. This is for you," her voice echoed softly in his mind. "Always remember, time is precious."
He picked up the watch, holding it for a moment as the memory washed over him. Seeing the broken watch, he decided to get it fixed without hesitation. He slipped it into his bag, a fragile connection to happiness long gone.
Outside, the streets were awake. Akira admired the sunrise, but never felt the warmth. Light touched his skin, yet nothing stirred inside him. His chest stayed empty.
Confusion filled his mind. Others felt comfort in moments like this. He only observed. A quiet desire stayed with him. He wanted to know emotion. He lacked it.
With no answers, Akira continued on his way to school.
On his way, he saw a girl who seemed troubled. She stood still, eyes unfocused.
He walked toward her and asked, "Excuse me, you seemed confused. Can I help you?"
The girl stayed silent, distracted by her confusion. Akira asked again, "Excuse me?"
She was shocked as she removed her earphones. With a shaken face, she finally spoke, "Who are you?"
"Sorry for startling you, but you seemed confused, and I wondered if I could help."
"I was going to school, but I forgot which way it is," she admitted, embarrassed.
Noticing his uniform had the same school logo as hers, she asked excitedly, "Are you perhaps a student at Kayatama High School?"
Akira replied, "Well, yeah. I'm headed there now."
The girl suddenly grabbed his hand. "Can I come with you?"
"Are you sure? If you're ok with it, go ahead," he said.
A sign of relief passed across her face. "Let's go!"
As they walked, Akira said, "You know, you really shouldn't trust someone you just met. I might be a bad person, you know?"
She replied, "I know, but my intuition says you're not a bad person. Maybe?" She smiled.
Akira felt a small flicker of relief, though he kept his face neutral.
They arrived at school. Voices echoed through the halls, footsteps lingered in his ears. Laughter spread across rooms. Gossip whispered behind backs.
"Why are people like this? Talking behind each other's backs, hurting feelings, faking generosity… it makes me sick," he thought. His conscience spoke with anger and disgust.
The girl suddenly asked, "Where is the bathroom?"
"Just go straight through that hall and take a right turn," he said.
She dashed through the halls without saying a word. She must have been holding it for quite a while, he thought.
The bell rang.
"Is she going to be fine on her own?" Akira wondered silently.
He went inside his classroom, sat down, and stared out the window. The sky looked flat. He knew it had color, but he could not see it.
Moments passed. Voices faded as the teacher entered. The room settled into silence.
"Everyone, rise. Bow. You may now take your seats."
"Good morning, everyone!" the teacher said, her voice bright and cheerful. To Akira, it sounded flat and lifeless. "I have an announcement. We have a transfer student joining us today."
Whispers spread across the room.
Akira stayed in his seat, arms folded on the desk, staring out the window at the sky he still could not feel.
The announcement continued, but Akira barely heard it. The words drifted past him. His eyes traced the dull classroom walls, the same faces, the endless chatter. Everything was repetitive. Everything felt empty.
Then, the door opened. A student stepped in. Whispers started immediately.
"Is that… a boy or a girl?" someone muttered.
"She looks like a girl, right? I hope she doesn't have a boyfriend," another whispered, hushed but excited.
"Please introduce yourself," the teacher said.
The new student stood, adjusted her bag, and spoke clearly, her posture composed.
"Hello everyone. My name is Sachi Akebono. I am a transfer student from Shizuoka High School. I look forward to being friends with all of you."
The teacher nodded. "Thank you, Sachi. You may take the empty seat by the window, next to Takahashi."
Sachi walked down the aisle and slid into the desk beside him. Akira barely registered her presence, his gaze drifting toward the window instead. The teacher's voice continued, but it blended into background noise.
"Before we begin class, please pass your assignments to the front."
Akira reached into his bag to grab his notebook. His fingers brushed something small and cold. Pulling it out, he saw the watch, once broken, now ticking steadily in his palm. Tick. Tick. The rhythm felt strange, almost alive. For a fleeting moment, he thought he could sense something nearby, a presence he couldn't explain.
He stared at it, lost in thought. The classroom blurred around him. Words from the teacher, whispers from students, even Sachi's quiet movements none of it registered. Only the ticking mattered, steady and deliberate.
The bell rang. Chairs scraped across the floor. Students began to move about.
Sachi hesitated beside him, as if about to speak. Their eyes met for the first time, briefly, and something unnameable stirred inside Akira. He felt a flicker of warmth he hadn't known before.
"Um… thank you," Sachi said softly, her voice barely reaching him. Before Akira could lean closer to hear, another voice called out.
"Sachi?"
A boy ran toward her from the back of the classroom, eyes wide, disbelief written across his face.
"Haruto?" she said, recognition flashing in her expression.
"It's really you! I didn't think I'd ever see you again after all these years!" Haruto said.
Meanwhile, Sachi began talking with Haruto, catching up and sharing memories. A few of her classmates gathered nearby, curious and smiling, asking questions and joining the conversation.
"Wow, you really grew up! It's been ages," one of the classmates said, nudging Haruto playfully.
Seriously, I didn't expect to see you here," another added, eyes wide with curiosity.
Haruto laughed and shook his head. "I know, right? It's like the past caught up with us."
Sachi's attention drifted for a moment. She glanced at the empty desk by the window. "By the window… who was that boy sitting there?" she asked quietly.
A few classmates murmured to each other, trying to remember. "Hmm… wasn't it…?"
"No, wait… what was his name again?"
Finally, Haruto spoke up, smiling faintly. "Takahashi… Takahashi Akira."
Sachi repeated the name softly, letting it linger in her mind. Something about him felt familiar, though she could not explain why.
Akira, meanwhile, had already slipped out of the classroom, pushing his chair back quietly. He walked down the empty hallway toward the bathroom, his thoughts heavy and distant. When he reached the sink, he splashed cold water on his face, staring at his reflection.
The classroom behind him buzzed with laughter and chatter as Sachi and her friends continued talking. Akira's presence had faded from their world for now, but the watch's ticking pulsed faintly in his bag, quietly tethered to someone he had yet to fully understand.