A week passed. The weather turned colder, and the leaves in Kamakura began to fall like slow-motion memories.
Yui stood by the same spot near the school exit. Today, she wasn't just gonna watch.
Her heart pounded as she saw Akira walking alone, like always. She took a breath. Her shoes scraped the pavement as she stepped into his path.
"Hey," she said, unsure.
Akira stopped. He looked up, confused. "...Do I know you?"
"No," she answered quickly. "Not really. But... I remember you."
He blinked. "What?"
Yui smiled, small but real. "You were at the beach that day. Last winter. Standing by the rocks. I saw you."
His eyes narrowed. He looked away for a second, then back at her.
"I don't remember anyone being there."
"I was just passing by. You looked like... you were waiting for the ocean to answer something."
Akira didn't reply. For a second, she thought he was gonna walk away.
But he didn't.
Instead, he said quietly,
"Maybe I was."
That was it. Nothing more. But something had shifted.
A small thread had been tied between them.
Yui didn't push more. She just smiled again. "I'll see you around, Akira."
He stared at her for a moment.
"…How do you know my name?"
She turned her head slightly, grinning.
"I listen better than people think."
And just like that, she walked away.