"Hello."
Amari Isao's voice was gentle despite its low, gravelly tone.
Yui Himitsu looked up from her seat on the bench, her gaze traveling upward until it finally met his. He was tall, and it took a moment for her eyes to settle on his face.
"Hi," she greeted him with a soft smile.
They lingered in silence, watching each other as if waiting for the other to speak first. After a moment, Yui shifted, sliding over slightly to make room for him. A quiet invitation.
Amari accepted, sitting down as his friends watched in quiet disbelief. Just moments ago, he had been with them under the tree, yet the moment he spotted Yui, he had gotten up without hesitation.
"Umm."
Amari hesitated, sneaking a glance at Yui beside him. What if he was wrong? What if she wasn't the same girl who had given him the drink? His uncertainty shook in his eyes as silence settled between them.
Yui didn't mind. She simply waited, her gaze drifting upward as a few sparrows passed overhead. Even without looking, she could feel his eyes glancing toward her, shifting with hesitation.
Finally, he spoke again.
"If I'm wrong, you can just ignore this, but..." He trailed off, reaching into his pocket.
Yui remained focused on the sky as he pulled out a small yellow sticky note shaped like a lemon.
"Thank you for this."
At last, Yui looked down, humming in thought. Amari watched her expectantly, waiting for a response, but none came.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he reached into his lunch bag and pulled out a can.
"And for this."
Yui's eyes lit up before she let out a soft sigh.
"I gave it to you so you could drink it."
Amari froze.
It was her.
Before he could react, Yui took the can from his hands, popping it open with a quiet fizz. The carbonation hissed softly as she handed it back, a sweet smile present on her lips. Amari simply watched in curiosity.
"It's my favorite flavor." She leaned back, tilting her head to watch the sky again. "I never expected someone else to start drinking it too."
Before he could stop himself, he asked, "Why?"
"Well, not many people like it. Don't know why, though."
Her tone was genuinely puzzled, as if the thought had never quite made sense to her. Reaching for the Yakisoba Pan beside her, she unwrapped it and took a bite, seeming entirely at ease.
Amari, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to say next. He had come over with a vague idea of thanking her, yet now he sat beside her, unsure of what to do.
For a moment, he simply watched her, taking in how naturally she carried on, until she suddenly stopped and nodded toward his lap.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
Oh.
Without thinking, he started unpacking his lunch, opening his bento, and picking up his chopsticks. As he placed a piece of tamagoyaki into his mouth, it struck him how easily he had fallen into step with her. He had only meant to approach her for a second before returning to his friends, yet here he was, eating beside her without a second thought.
He blinked, looking toward Ryo and Hotaka, who were still watching him. Their reactions were immediate, staring at him in utter confusion, watching as if he had just done something completely out of character.
Because he had.
Ryo's eyes bore into him with silent questions. Feeling uneasy under his friend's gaze, Amari turned back to his bento, deciding that maybe it was better if he stayed here for now.
He placed another piece of tamagoyaki into his mouth, sitting in comfortable silence beside Yui.
Beside him, the now-open Blue Raspberry Lemonade soda fizzled softly. Setting his chopsticks down, he picked up the can and took a sip. The flavor coated his tongue: sweet, slightly tart, with a distinct crispness. He couldn't imagine why people wouldn't like it. Yui's earlier words echoed in his mind.
"It's my favorite."
Amari found himself wondering how she had discovered it, how long it had been her favorite. Did she always carry those blue raspberry candies, too?
Before he even realized it, the words slipped out.
"Me too."
Yui turned to him, her brown eyes gleaming.
There was no context, no lead-in to what he was thinking, yet she understood immediately.
A soft giggle escaped her; the idea that he had been silently thinking about her words for this long amused her.
Heat crept up Amari's ears.
Yui noticed immediately, catching the faint pink coloring of the tips. Her amusement grew. She didn't know much about Amari, but even she could tell he wasn't the most expressive person.
So, to see even the smallest reaction from him...
She was pleased.