"Y-You… hello?" Chihaya Anon stammered slightly as she greeted the girl who had suddenly appeared behind her.
When did she get there? Did she see how I got completely ignored just now?
"Hm-hmm, hello." The girl gave a soft smile while keeping a comfortable social distance—not too close, not too far—easing Anon out of her startled overthinking. Relaxing, she returned the greeting with an enthusiastic smile of her own.
As she smiled, Anon discreetly observed the mysterious girl who had appeared so suddenly.
The summer uniform of Haneoka consisted of a short-sleeved white blouse paired with a beige vest and a light green plaid skirt. But this girl, whether due to the heat or some other reason, had taken off her vest and was carrying it between her arm and body, leaving only the blouse on.
Even so, she still seemed quite warm. From this distance, Anon could already see a fine sheen of sweat forming on her forehead.
Something else caught Anon's attention—this girl was standing in a small puddle left over from the rain, seemingly unbothered by the fact that her shoes were soaking in the water, leaving visible damp marks.
It wasn't as if the puddle was right in the middle of the path, forcing her to step into it. It was at the edge, easily avoidable. Yet she was standing in it anyway, as if deliberately.
She's kinda… unique. Just like that girl picking up stones earlier.
Could they be acquainted? Is that why she asked if I knew her?
"I'm Chihaya Anon, a first-year student at Haneoka. I saw that girl searching for something in the bushes just now, so I thought I'd ask if she needed help."
Anon took the initiative to introduce herself and clarify that she didn't actually know the other girl.
"Chihaya Anon… both your surname and first name are quite lovely." The girl complimented her lightly. "I'm Kukikawa Kyo. You can call me Kukikawa or just Kyo, whichever you prefer."
"Then… I'll call you Kyo." Being naturally outgoing, Anon immediately used the girl's first name to bridge the gap between them. "You can call me Anon too, Kyo-chan."
Hearing the name Kyo, Anon immediately thought of "Rainy Lady," someone she frequently kept in touch with while in London.
But…
Could this Kukikawa Kyo, a girl her age, really be that Rainy Lady—the one with an extensive knowledge of tea, coffee, and all kinds of beverages?
In Anon's mind, she had always imagined Rainy Lady as an elegant lady from an esteemed family.
And the odds of it being her seemed slim. Japan wasn't that big, but to coincidentally end up at the same school? Even in the same grade? That would be too much of a coincidence.
On the other hand, the moment Kukikawa Kyo laid eyes on Anon, she recognized her instantly. After all, back when Anon was active on Instagram, she had frequently posted selfies alongside her London updates.
So she's been silent on Insta because she left London? She's back in Japan now, huh?
Did something beyond her control force her to return? Or was it the stress of being in a foreign country that made her decide to come back?
Either way, Kyo wasn't about to ask outright. Despite the many conversations they'd already had on LINE, in real life, they were just two students who had only just met. Digging into someone's personal history like that was something only enemies did.
Just like when she first joined CRYCHIC—before she got to know the other members well, she wasn't as casual with them as she was now.
"Well then, Anon."
Kyo lifted her left foot and gently tapped her toe against the water's surface, as if enjoying the way the ripples spread out in circles.
"You don't seem too energetic today. Did you get too excited about the first day of school and end up not sleeping well?"
"Eh, you could tell?" Anon felt a bit embarrassed, brushing her bangs as if that could somehow hide the drowsiness in her eyes. "Is it that obvious?"
"It's not too bad. Actually, I'm feeling a little sleepy myself, so I might understand your state of mind pretty well."
Kukikawa Kyo lightly hopped forward, effortlessly stepping out of the puddle she had been standing in. The still water barely rippled, as if she had glided over it rather than jumped.
With that one movement, the distance between them suddenly shrank. Anon had the strange sensation that the air around her had become more humid. It was almost as if the girl before her—whose eyes were as clear as water—wasn't a person at all, but rather a fragment of last night's rain, slipping free from the constraints of logic and taking human form.
Anon was sure of one thing: Kukikawa Kyo was the kind of person who would be incredibly popular. She had a fresh, effortless charm, a playful quirkiness to her actions, and—perhaps most captivating of all—an air of mystery that made it impossible not to be drawn to her.
Did I just unknowingly befriend someone amazing?
"Kyo-chan, you said you're sleepy, but you look really energetic to me. Do you have some kind of secret trick?"
"Fufu~" As if she had been waiting for that exact question, Kyo grinned and finally revealed the hand she had been hiding behind her back. In it, she held a thermos.
"Want to try some? It's not like coffee—it won't forcefully wake you up."
Drinking something from someone I just met… is that okay?
Anon hesitated for a brief moment, though she didn't let it show on her face. Kyo seemed genuinely eager to share whatever was inside that thermos, and if she flat-out refused, she'd probably leave a bad impression.
She's just a student like me, and we're at school… it should be fine, right?
"Can I ask what's inside? I'm curious," Anon responded instead, sidestepping an outright rejection and showing interest in what Kyo was offering. It felt like a reasonable compromise.
"I'll pour a little for you so you can smell it first. Try guessing what it is," Kyo said playfully. Then, as if sensing Anon's concerns, she reassured her, "If you don't want to drink it afterward, that's totally fine. I'll just finish it myself."
Anon nodded, genuinely intrigued now.
Kyo unscrewed the thermos lid, which doubled as a small cup, and poured out half a serving before handing it to Anon.
The moment Anon took the cup, a familiar aroma drifted up to her nose—a gentle sweetness of dried longan, lotus seeds, and red dates.
It's… lotus seed soup?
She swallowed instinctively. The liquid was crystal-clear, almost like an elixir, and the fragrance had been teasing her senses since the moment the lid came off.
By now, Anon had completely forgotten her initial hesitation about accepting a drink from someone she had just met. She glanced at Kyo, who gave her a small gesture of encouragement—Go ahead.
Slowly, Anon took a sip.
"This is so good! Did you make it yourself, Kyo-chan?"
The soup was smooth, mildly sweet, and carried the lingering warmth of red dates, longan, and lotus seeds. As she drank, her tense body seemed to relax, as if she had been transported to a peaceful lotus pond. The fatigue weighing on her lifted ever so slightly.
"Yup, I made it myself. Lotus seed soup is great for calming the heart and mind… though it might make you even sleepier in class. Good thing today's just the first-day orientation—no real lessons yet—so you don't have to worry about that."
As Kyo spoke, Anon suddenly remembered—classroom assembly was starting soon!
"Kyo-chan, we need to hurry to the main building! We're almost out of time!"
There was no way Anon, the diligent student, was going to be late on her first day.