After that… we walked home.
Each of us went our own way — me, Shin, and Emi.
But something about the hill stayed with us, like the breeze still clinging to our sleeves… even after the sky had turned gold.
When I got home, I kicked off my shoes and rushed inside.
"Mama! Mama!" I called, already halfway into the room.
She turned from the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel. "Yes, sweetheart?"
I froze for a second.
I had so much to tell her… I didn't know where to start.
There was so much.
So instead, I took a deep breath and said everything — from the very beginning.
"So Mama… this morning, me and Shin made paper planes again. Just like always."
She smiled and listened, her eyes warm and patient.
"But this time, we wanted to draw on them. And color them too," I said proudly. "But we messed up. We drew on the wrong parts."
Mama let out a gentle "Ohhh…" like she was seeing it in her mind.
I kept going. "But then — someone came to our table. A girl."
Mama's eyebrow lifted just a little. "Oohh? A girl? Who is she?"
I paused, trying to remember.
"Her name is Emi… Emi Harusaki."
Mama nodded softly, her smile growing.
"She told us to fold the plane first, then draw on it. That way, the colors and shapes end up in the right place. She was… really kind."
I looked down at my hands.
"She seemed like a good girl, Mama. So I asked Shin if we could invite her to our secret playground."
Mama's smile turned into something wider — something I couldn't quite name.
"Sweetheart," she said, crouching beside me, "look at you… making new friends and inviting them to a place that's special to you. That's really kind of you."
I nodded quickly, a little proud.
"After school, we all went to the hill," I continued. "At first, Emi's plane didn't fly very far. It landed just a few steps away."
I giggled remembering it.
"But Shin helped her. He showed her how to throw it better. And then… we each took a turn."
Mama tilted her head, listening so closely.
"And then," I said, eyes shining, "we flew our planes together. All at once. Side by side. Like real airplanes in the sky."
"They flew, Mama. Really flew. Higher than before. Like they were reaching the clouds…"
Mama stood quietly for a moment.
Then knelt down and hugged me.
Her arms were soft and warm.
Her voice, even softer.
"I'm so happy for you, sweetheart," she whispered. "What a beautiful day you had."
I nodded into her shoulder.
It really was.
And in my heart…
I hoped tomorrow could be just as beautiful.
After Mama hugged me, I looked up at her with a small smile.
"I want to tell Tama-chan and Shiba too," I said.
She giggled softly. "Alright, sweetheart. I'm sure they'll love to hear it."
I gave her one more quick hug, then ran to my room.
The moment I opened the door, I saw them — just where they always are.
"Tama-chaaaaan… Shibaaa…" I said in a sing-song voice.
Tama-chan gave me a soft meow from her corner pillow, still curled up. Her belly looked… even bigger than before.
I knelt beside her and gently ran my hand along her side.
"Your tummy's getting huge," I whispered, eyes wide. "I hope it's okay."
Then I sat down on the floor, Shiba-inu's quiet button eyes watching me like always.
And I began to tell them.
"Today, me and Shin flew paper planes again," I said, my voice light. "But this time, Emi came too. We all drew on our planes. Mine was blue. Shin's was red. And Emi's had flowers on the wings."
I grinned.
"They flew together, side by side. It was like magic, Tama-chan. Like a story in the sky."
Then an idea popped into my head — quick and bright.
"I don't want to forget this."
So I got up, grabbed my crayon box, and a clean sheet of paper.
And right there on the floor, I began to draw.
I hummed quietly as I worked, colors gliding beneath my fingers.
I drew us — me, Shin, and Emi — standing on the hill. The three paper planes above us, caught in the sky.
Hope. Next Time. Together.
Blue. Red. Flowers.
When I finished, I sat back and looked at it.
Then, at the top of the page, I began to write.
Letter by letter.
H-O-P-E
N-E-X-T T-I-M-E
T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R
I read it out loud. Slowly.
"Hope… Next Time… Together…"
I smiled first. But then—
Something inside me… paused.
"Hope next time together…?"
I whispered the words again.
But my smile faded.
My chest felt… strange. Like my heart was pulling at something far away.
Something I didn't mean to forget.
"What is it?" I murmured, staring at the page.
"Why does it feel… heavy?"
I lay down on my back, staring up at the ceiling. My drawing still in my hand.
I imagined the sky from earlier.
The wind. The sun. The planes soaring side by side.
Friends.
I whispered the word to myself.
And then it hit me.
Friend…?
My eyes widened. My body sat up fast — like something inside had suddenly woken up.
And my gaze turned.
Not by accident.
It went straight to the shelf.
The one in the corner of my room.
I knew what was there.
Yui's memory box.
I stood slowly and walked toward it.
My hands trembled a little as I picked it up.
I opened the lid.
Inside…
My drawing of her.
The tiny photo of us smiling, taken on that warm spring day.
The lyrics I wrote, folded carefully.
The flash drive — the one holding the very first song I ever made… for her.
I touched each one.
And just like that…
My heart felt full.
And broken.
And warm.
And heavy.
All at once.
Because I remembered.
I remembered her.
My best friend.
Yui.