I always preferred silence.
Not the awkward kind that fills a room when someone forgets their lines in a play. No, I mean the comfortable silence that comes when no one expects anything from you. That was the kind of life I had built for myself—a quiet one, tucked neatly behind the third row, next to the window seat in Class 2-B.
The sun always hit that seat just right during second period.
It was warm. Peaceful. Predictable.
Perfect.
Or at least, it used to be—until she showed up.
---
It was a Monday morning in late April. Sakura season had ended, and now the school grounds looked more like a boring old concrete jungle than the pink wonderland they'd been just weeks ago. My classmates were already loud by the time I entered the classroom, chattering about club activities and the latest episode of some drama. I passed by them like a shadow, not making eye contact.
That was how I always started my day.
Quietly.
Routine.
I reached my desk, pulled out a volume of Chronicles of Luna Witch, and sank into it like it was my only oxygen source. I had just gotten to the part where Reina-chan confesses her feelings to the dense protagonist (finally, after seven volumes!) when—
"Good morning!"
I flinched.
Someone was standing in front of my desk. A girl.
With a smile so bright it practically shattered my peaceful atmosphere.
I blinked once. Twice.
"Um… good morning?" I mumbled, unsure if she was even talking to me.
"I'm Ayato Yamada! I just transferred here today. Mind if I sit here?"
She pointed to the empty seat beside me.
Wait, what?
The empty seat had always been empty. For the entire school year. It was like my shield, my invisible barrier that kept people from invading my space. And now she wanted to sit there?
I stared at her, hoping she'd take the hint. But instead of backing off, she tilted her head and smiled even brighter.
Like a golden retriever.
"Uhh… sure," I muttered, eyes darting back to my light novel.
"Thanks! I hope we can be friends, Ichikawa-kun!"
I froze.
She knew my name.
How?
Was I being stalked? No, that was ridiculous. More likely, she had just checked the seating chart.
Still… this was not part of the plan.
---
The first two periods passed in a blur. I couldn't focus at all. Not on ancient literature. Not on math. Not even on Reina-chan's confession when I tried to sneak in a few more pages under my desk. Every few minutes, I'd feel a gaze from my right.
I'd glance over.
She'd be staring out the window.
Or doodling in the margin of her notes.
But sometimes—just sometimes—I'd catch her looking at me.
And when our eyes met, she'd smile.
I didn't know what to do with that.
---
Lunchtime came quicker than I expected. I usually ate in silence, alone at my desk. But today, as I pulled out my convenience store onigiri, Ayato turned to me with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Did you bring lunch from home?" she asked.
"Uh… no. Just grabbed this from the konbini."
"Perfect! That means you won't mind sharing, right?"
Wait, what?
Before I could react, she opened her bento box—a beautifully packed one, with neatly cut tamagoyaki, pickled vegetables, and heart-shaped rice balls.
Heart-shaped.
Is this girl real?
"You can have the karaage," she said, picking up a piece and holding it out with her chopsticks.
I stared at it. Then at her.
Was this… some sort of anime moment?
I awkwardly leaned forward, trying not to die from embarrassment, and took the piece.
"…Thanks," I muttered.
"It's my mom's recipe! But I helped her pack it. So it's kinda my cooking too."
"It's… good."
"It's really good, right?" she beamed.
I nodded, chewing slowly. I had no idea how to act in this situation. Girls didn't usually talk to me, let alone feed me. This had to be a dream.
Maybe I fell asleep during math class again.
But the taste of the karaage was real.
Too real.
---
The next few days… were strange.
Ayato kept sitting next to me, of course. But it wasn't just that.
She'd wave at me in the hallway.
She'd ask me about my favorite anime (I tried to keep my answer brief: "All of them.").
She even laughed when I accidentally dropped my notebook during a sudden sneeze attack.
I thought she would get bored eventually. Everyone does.
But she didn't.
Instead, she kept showing up. Every day. Like she belonged there.
And I didn't know what to do with that.
---
Friday came, and I was on my way out of school when I felt someone tug gently at my sleeve.
It was her.
Ayato.
She looked a little nervous. For the first time.
"Hey… Izumi-kun," she said, her tone quieter than usual. "Can I walk with you?"
I hesitated. I usually went straight home. Alone. That was my thing.
But somehow… the words slipped out.
"…Okay."
She grinned.
We walked in silence at first. But not the uncomfortable kind.
Just the quiet, gentle silence that comes when the air is just warm enough, and the wind isn't too strong, and the world doesn't seem like it's rushing anywhere.
Then she spoke.
"I like how calm you are."
"…Huh?"
"You're not trying to be cool or funny or popular. You're just you."
I didn't know how to respond to that.
No one ever said something like that to me before.
She looked at me, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"That's why I… um, never mind!"
She waved her hands quickly. "Just talking to myself!"
Then she laughed. Loud and carefree.
I looked away.
But for the first time, I noticed something strange.
My heart was beating a little faster than usual.
---
That night, I stared at my ceiling in bed, eyes wide open.
Ayato Yamada.
Transfer student.
Bento sharer.
Umbrella lender.
Sudden walker-home-with.
What did she want from me?
I wasn't special. I wasn't even normal by most standards. I was just… a background character in everyone else's story.
But now she was acting like I was part of hers.
And I didn't know what that meant.
Not yet.