Yume Miko

They say first impressions go a long way. They can make or break a friendship or a relationship. You never want to be seen as "boring" or "lazy" to most people when you first meet them. That is unless you are trying to make sure they never talk to you again. But even so, first impressions mean a lot when trying to build up any kind of relationship from the ground up.

As I rinsed myself off in my shower, I thought back to my meeting with Ai. There haven't really been many points in my life where I got lost in thought, but I couldn't help but think about what had transpired.

"She really is cute…" I muttered as I thought back to her standing in front of the window. Then my brain remembered the softness and sweet aroma from when she had leaned on me. I stood under the hot water for a few minutes.

I have a feeling that the other meetings are gonna get me feeling the same way.

After trying to clear my mind while I dried myself off, I walked to my closet and looked upon my small assortment of clothes. As a guy who rarely went out, I didn't have a huge selection to work with. I've never had to worry about my appearance before now, because all I did was go to school and occasionally go to some stargazing spots late at night. Stargazing was really nice on the island because they have designated spots where the light pollution was at its lowest so people could look up and see lots of stars. It's a very niche hobby so it's extremely rare to run into someone at those spots.

I grabbed a casual grey t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Considering the options I've given myself, I felt like it was the best thing I could come up with. I walked to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror.

Maybe a white shirt would be better.

I swapped shirts and cleaned my face up.

I grabbed an apple from my fridge and turned on my TV. We got a broad selection of channels to watch from, but it was mostly American shows. I picked a documentary about space because I always found those super interesting. I mean there's so much out there that we've never seen or explored, pretty neat if you ask me.

I got a message on my phone, it's Jay:

"Hey Kousei! How'd your first meeting go? Was she what you were expecting? Noeri and I just had our official first date! Here's a picture of the two of us enjoying a couple's shake!"

Below the message was a picture of them sharing a shake. They were both taking a sip from their ends of the straw. It's the straws that twisted around each other then went into two opposite directions so the two people could look into each other's eyes when they drank… pretty cliche if you ask me. I don't think I could ever do that. Jay looked extremely happy in the picture while Noeri looked very… emotionless.

I tilted and scratched my head. "Maybe she's just really nervous?" I said to myself, trying to be optimistic like Jay. "Who am I kidding, she doesn't look like she's having a good time." I thought it'd just be better to act like the picture didn't exist and to not engage in a conversation about it. So instead, I told him about my first meeting and how it went without going too much into the specific details.

Jay responded:

"That's awesome dude! Well, I wish you the best on your next meeting! I'll ask you about it tomorrow! Oh, would you mind if Noeri could listen as well? Only if it's okay with you."

I wondered what she would want to listen for. Maybe she was the type that liked gossip? Or she could be one who liked listening and giving advice or input when asked. Either way, I didn't really see it as an issue. I gave him the okay and checked the time once more.

It was still about an hour before the meeting time, but I didn't really have anything else to do. I checked myself out one more time in the bathroom, then headed to the It was like a ten-minute walk, give or take.

The sun was setting, giving the sky a nice orange to purple fade color palette. There were some seagulls in the sky, but it was mostly empty with a few clouds overhead. The sound of the wind that soothed the soul as it ran between my hair and cooled the air around me.

The park I'm walking to was a pretty normal sized one. There's a walkway that goes around a pond that's full of turtles and fish. There's also a playground for kids to go play on with plenty of benches for parents to sit on while they let their kids' battery run dry. A few vending machines are also scattered along the park with a restroom on opposite ends.

Unsurprisingly, the park had a few people walking around, but no kids at this time of hour. Knowing I was still a little early, I decided to walk over to the swing set. No matter how old you were, you were never too old to swing. I didn't know how to describe it, but if I came across an unoccupied swing, I would fully commit to swinging to my heart's desire. I sat on the swing and started swinging, letting my inner child loose.

As I swung, I could get a good glimpse of everyone around the playground and a majority of the park. There were a few couples on the far side and one short looking girl sitting on a bench nearby.

She looks awfully familiar...

The more I looked at her, the closer I came to the realization that I knew exactly who that was.

I stopped swinging and walked over to the bench she was sitting at. I plopped down next to her. "Fancy seeing you here Miss Shorty," I teased with a smirk.

She turned and looked at me with annoyance in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting for my meeting time with my selected partner, I'm supposed to meet them in a few minutes." I checked the time on my phone. "Actually, she should be here around now."

The girl flipped her hair and smirked. "Oh really? As a matter of fact, I am also supposed to meet my partner here." She looked at me for a moment as if her brain was putting the puzzle pieces together. "Wait..."

What are the chances that all three of my potential partners are girls I met on the day of the test? Fate had a really weird way of doing things, but I honestly would rather the girl be someone I had met before or at least talked to at some point.

"Well, seems like you don't have to wait for him to arrive." I leaned over and looked at her phone. "Yeah, you're looking for a guy named Kousei Shimazaki, and luckily for you he's the person right in front of you," I said, giving her the finger guns.

She had the most blank expression and proceeded to turn her head so she was looking directly in front of where she was sitting. "But I don't see anyone in front of me?" she said, sounding confused. "I think there may be a mistake cause there's no way it's you," she asserted with a disgusted expression. "Oh, I got it! You are actually friends with the guy and are just playing a prank on me!"

Did she really have to deny the idea of me being her soulmate that hard? It kind of hurt my already small self-esteem. "Even you can assume I'm not someone who would pull off a prank like that to someone I barely know."

She scooted down the bench while leaning away from me. "Are you really Kousei Shimazaki?"

I pulled out my ID from my wallet and held it in front of her. "That is indeed the birth name I was given, just as yours is Yume Miko."

Letting out a sigh, she hung her head. "You've got to be kidding me. Really? You are my soulmate? And not only that, but you got matched with two other girls besides me? I won't believe this!" she yelled as she threw her arms in the air in frustration. "How can someone like you have three potential partners?!"

I pulled my legs up to my chest and hugged them close. "Do you really hate me that much? I'm sorry, I'll just bury myself in the sandbox and we can call off our partnership..." I whimpered as I rocked back and forth.

"Look at you! You're literally rocking back and forth like a child! I look like a child to some people and somehow I feel like if someone walked by us, they'd call you the child here!"

"Poor guy, I wonder what that middle schooler said that made him look like that," a couple whispered as they walked by.

Both of us heard them and I slowly looked over at the "middle schooler" next to me. "As you were saying?"

Her cheeks are puffed up and red. She looked over at me with tears starting to form in her eyes. "I-I don't wanna hear it!"

I put my legs back down and laughed. "I'm sorry, I can't help it."

She got up and stood in front of me. "Don't laugh! You know I'm insecure about that..." she muttered as she firmly grasped the short skirt she was currently wearing.

Now that she was standing right in front of me, I finally got a clear picture of her outfit. It was a white blouse that was tucked into her short red skirt. It's quite simple, but ridiculously cute.

"Cute..." my inner thoughts slipped out. Her face flushed red, but she had the same happy expression she had back on the bus. "Uhh..." the air around us tensed us and we got surrounded in awkwardness.

"Do you really still think I'm cute?" she whispered with her head down, trying to hide her face.

I smiled. "Of course, you are. My opinion from back on the bus hasn't changed in the slightest. Actually, I'd say the outfit you're wearing today only makes your cuteness that much more apparent." I'm spewing some really cringy stuff, but girls like to hear stuff like that right?

There were some people who didn't know how to react when they got complimented, and she looked to be one of those people. I also don't get complimented that often so I could relate to her quite a bit.

Yume reset her hair, but kept her head down to hide her face. "How come you are the only one who seems to think that?" she whispered in a quiet tone. "At least you're the only one who could say it to my face. No other guy I've ever talked to has ever called me cute..."

I looked over at her and she looked happy, but also lonely. Maybe we're more alike than I thought. Compliments are wonderful things, but if someone wasn't used to them or didn't have that much self-confidence, it could often have the opposite effect.

"I'm sorry to make our first official meeting sad like this. I didn't want it to be this way, I'm just a little more on the sensitive side," she sniffled.

"There isn't anything wrong with being sensitive. I tend to be more on the sensitive side too." I looked around at the playground. "All it shows is that we have more feelings and a bigger heart. We can connect with people and see things with a more open mind, making sympathizing and empathizing with people a bit easier for us."

"Whoa, didn't expect you to go deep with that," Yume said as she wiped her nose. "But that is true, I do tend to be able to put myself in other people's shoes very easily."

"Oh, yeah? I bet you are a big reader then," I inferred.

I could see her cheeks move up to show she was smiling. "That's a pretty good guess. I got a whole bookshelf full of light novels and manga in my apartment."

"Really? What are some of your favorite ones? I'm also a pretty big reader who just so happens to own a bookshelf or two full of light novels and manga." She finally lifted her head and was able to look me in the eyes. Her eyes were glistening in excitement and her smile immediately brightened up.

"Oh, there's one novel called Wandering Witch Elaina that I really enjoy. I really like the main protagonist because she's funny, but also very blunt. Plus, each little story or arc has some kind of message behind it which I think is cool!" she praised.

We talked about novels and books for a little bit. Going back and forth with some of our favorite ones and giving our input. For some books, it turned more into a sales pitch as we tried to convince each other to read what we had recommended. I haven't met someone who has enjoyed reading as much as me before, but I'm glad I finally did.

"Y'know, you don't really strike me as someone who reads a lot," Yume leaned back on the bench. "Sorry, didn't mean that in a mean way."

I laughed as I leaned forward. "Don't worry, I know. I definitely seem like a guy who plays video games all the time and does nothing else with my free time," I joked. I do like playing video games though, I just don't have anyone to play with most of the time.

Yume got up and walked in front of me. "I'm gonna get myself something to drink. You want anything?"

I smiled and stood up next to her. "I gotta see what they have first. They change out some of the drinks every other week, so you never quite know what's in them without looking." As we walked along the pathway I noticed Yume was walking a little bit behind me. "What are you walking back there for? Are you too embarrassed to be seen walking with me?" I hung my head and arms down. "Guess I'm just not good enough for you..."

Yume timidly sped up and walked up next to me. "That's not it and you know it! It's normal to get embarrassed walking next to someone you like," she said nonchalantly.

My cheeks flushed red as I covered my mouth. "Yeah? I guess that makes sense..."

We continued walking for a moment before Yume stopped. I turned around and she was squatting and covering her face with her hands. I stopped walking and slowly turned to face her. I could see her looking at me between her fingers. "Forget that, you didn't hear anything."

"I don't quite think that's how ears work," I provoked.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Yume yelled. "Why did I say that?! There was no reason for me to blurt it out! I mean it isn't a lie... but that's beside the point!" She pointed at me with tears welling in her eyes. "You are supposed to act like you didn't hear me!"

I smirked, "Yeah, but what's the fun in that? Seeing you all flustered like this is way more enjoyable," I teased. "Now come on, my throat is getting drier by the minute." I turned back around and continued walking toward the vending machine.

"Hey, wait for me! You can't just leave a crying girl by herself!" she shouted as she ran up to me.

I wondered if she had shown this side of her to any other guys before she met me. It was completely different from the more composed side she tried to give off, but her childish nature was really fun to be around. If any other guy saw her like this and didn't have a big smile on their face, they needed to get their brain and heart checked.

Yume ended up getting a warm coffee while I got myself a cold coffee. These vending machines were great since you could have a hot or cold drink, extremely convenient if you ask me.

"Why cold coffee over hot coffee?" Yume asked as we sat down next to tree.

"My tongue is pretty sensitive so I'm not a fan of many hot drinks. Though I do drink a cup of hot tea a day," I answered, leaning back on the tree. "How about you? You like warm things over cold things?"

"Not everything, and it really depends on my mood. I usually don't drink coffee at night because it keeps me up a lot later than I want, but tonight felt like a good coffee night, y'know?" she remarked after she took a sip from her coffee.

I nodded my head in acknowledgement as we sat there and enjoyed our drinks. The night was still young and we got clear skies overhead. The nice breeze and the Sprites made it the perfect evening to go stargazing, but I didn't want to keep Yume out for much longer. I was sure she's got some plans at home.

"Hey, so how about we end our first meet up here? I don't want to keep you out for too long," I insisted.

She took the final sips of her coffee. "I guess we can, not like we have to do everything in one night. We're gonna be going on plenty of dates anyways so no need to rush it," she accepted as she got up and stretched. "Oh, before we split, let's exchange contact info."

Just as I had with Ai, I let Yume put her contact info in herself as I did the same on her phone.

"Alright, well I guess I'll see you later? Let me know what days you're free or if you ever want to hang out. My schedule is pretty free right now, but I do plan on getting a job soon," I stated as I stood up.

"Yeah, I'll message you."

Yume and I waved goodbye and walked off in opposite directions.

Now that our date was over, I want to run by a convenience store and grab some snacks and some water. We had hung out for a good hour or so, so everyone was either at home or on their way home. On a weekday, there's rarely anyone out past 9 and where I'm going, there's guaranteed to be no one.

My favorite stargazing spot was about an hour or so walk away from my apartment, but since I was already out and about, I figured I might as well stay out and enjoy the night. The walk to the spot was really quiet and was surrounded by nature. The path was wide enough to fit two people walking side by side, and trees outlined the path as it climbed up a hill. Once at the top of the hill, the trees dissipated and all that was above me were the stars and moon.

I picked a spot in the middle since no one else was here. I laid down, opened a bag of chips I bought at the convenience store, and soaked it all in.

"Nothing beats a night like this," I said to myself as I sat my things down on the ground. There's something therapeutic about forgetting all of life's stresses and letting nature envelop you in its peacefulness. The gentle breeze was like a mother's touch and the stars and moon was the world's natural nightlight. I took a sip of water as I gazed up at the stars.

I took some deep breaths and closed my eyes as I tried and relax myself. My consciousness was slowly fading but it immediately came back at the sound of footsteps.

"Kousei, is that you?" a voice called out to me.

I sat up and looked back at the path I just came from, and standing there was someone I wasn't expected to see again today. "Yume?" I called out in response. "What are you doing here? I thought you went home. Wait..." I grabbed my chips and water and pulled out my phone. "You're not stalking me now, are you?"

"You seriously believe you are worth stalking?" Yume fired back.

"Okay, that one hurt... kind of. I don't think I want a stalker now that I think about it." I laid back down and opened up my bag of chips.

Yume trotted up next to me and sat down. This definitely wasn't what I was expecting today. Like seriously, who would expect someone like her to be into stargazing... though I guess I didn't really know her well enough to assume that.

I reached over to my side and grabbed one of the extra bags of chips I bought. "Want one?" I asked, holding the bag out to her.

She gently took the bag, "Thanks." She laid down after opening the bag. "You stargaze often?"

"Sometimes, whenever the weather is right, and I have nothing else to do." I glanced over at her. "How about you? Didn't imagine you being into stargazing."

She shuffled around, trying to get comfortable. "Yeah, I usually stargaze once a week if I can. I really got into it when I first moved here." She stretched her hand out in front of her. "I had some things on my mind and decided to go on a walk one night. The sky was clear just like today and I just happened to stumble across this spot. I've been hooked ever since."

Smiling, I copied her and stretched out my hand. "I get that. When you come across a sight like this, it kind of engraves itself in your mind and makes it easy to remember."

Yume pulled her hand back and rolled over to face me. "I just remembered another favorite book of mine. I don't know if you've heard it, but it's called Night on the Galactic Railroad. It's a relatively quick read if you've never read it."

"Yeah, I've read it before. That's my favorite short story actually." I rolled over to face her but I didn't realize she had rolled over beforehand, so our faces were only inches apart. Our noses were almost touching as we stared into each other's eyes. "Uhh..."

She smiled and poked me on the nose. "You've got some good taste."

My heart was beating at a mile a minute. I wanted to look away, but her passionate, childish gaze kept my focus. Her amber eyes were like another star, glistening in the reflection of my own. Despite her more modest stature, she had quite the charm.

I tried to say something, but I was too flustered and mesmerized to get anything out. So instead, I accepted the defeat of her charms and rolled over to the other side.

Yume giggled as she proceeded to poke my back like a younger sibling trying to get one's attention. "Why'd you roll over? Are you too embarrassed to look at me this closely?" she teased.

If this were anyone else, I would find the poking to be extremely annoying, but when it came to her, I felt more comfortable. It's strange how comfortable I felt around her despite only really knowing her for less than a day. Maybe it was because when I looked at her, I felt the immediate need to protect her with every fiber of my body.

I sighed with a smile. "Perhaps if I was talking to a women instead of little girl," I joked back.

Her pokes immediately turned into soft punches. "Why do you always attack my size..." she pouted. Very childish, but unbelievably cute.

There was a brief moment of silence before it was interrupted by the hoot of an owl. Yume quickly sat up and looked around. "Did you hear that? I didn't know there were owls here on Eden!" she said enthusiastically, her eyes beaming with excitement.

"Yeah, I heard there are some species here, but I've never seen one up close," I responded as I looked back at her. "You a fan of owls?"

Yume looked like she could barely hold her excitement back. "I love owls! They are so cute and majestic! I especially love barn owls though! They look so soft and wise, like they hold the wisdom of the entire world."

Seeing other people talk about things they were interested in and passionate about was always fun. And from the way she talked about owls, it's clear that she was passionate about them.

"Owls are pretty cool, I do find it kind of weird how they can turn their head around 180 degrees though."

"But wouldn't it be cool if you could turn your head completely around?! You could see everything around you!" she argued.

The image of seeing people with their heads completely turned around sent shivers down my spine. "I don't know about that, probably creepy more than anything."

I guess she had just pictured it herself because I saw her body shiver too. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

She laid back down and turned her attention back to the stars. She laid a little closer to me and her hand grazed mine, causing me to pull my hand back. "Oh, sorry. I'll give you some room if you need some..." I slowly scooted away from her, but she stopped me by grabbing my hand.

"No, it's okay..." she shyly uttered. Her small hand gently tightened her grip as if to tell me not to move away.

"You're more forward than I thought you'd be," I admitted.

As we silently gazed at the stars above us, a shooting star crossed directly in front of us.

"Quick, make a wish!" Yume cheerfully yelled as she clasped her hands together. "And make sure not to say it out loud. We don't want the wish to not come true."

"That's just a myth, nothing is going to happen if we say our wishes out loud," I laughed. "Besides, wishes are like miracles, they are really only worth something when you make them happen," I asserted, looking over at her.

She turned her to face me and smiled. "Alright then, I'll say my wish after you say yours."

I smirked, "Aww come on, I don't really have anything worth wishing for right now."

Yume nudged me with her elbow. "Are you sure? You got three women who were chosen to be your soulmate and you can't think of a single wish? Why not make a wish to end up with a certain one of us three? Who knows, maybe the one you wish to be with right here and now is who you will pick in the end."

I reached over and playfully ruffled up her hair. "As if, no way that happens. That's only in books you know. You've gotta learn to separate fiction and reality."

She giggled as she fixed her hair. "Only time will tell. On the other hand, you can tell me your wish right now!" Yume playfully shouted as she shook me back and forth like I was a vending machine that just stole her money without dispensing anything.

"Oi, oi, okay. I've gotta think of one." I furrowed my brows as I rubbed my chin with my hand. "Just so you know, I'm extremely indecisive so it may take me a minute."

"You really can't think of anything off the top of your head?" she muttered in a slightly disappointed tone.

There were a few ideas that came to my mind like a new Pop Tart flavor or for a new book series to be adapted into a new anime, but as a guy who has been single for the past 21 years of his life, there was one thing I wished had happened by now, as innocent as it was.

"I wish I could kiss a girl..." I muttered without even realizing it.

Yume's eyes opened wide and was immediately followed by a smirk. "You've never had your first kiss yet, Kousei?" she smugly teased.

I looked away in embarrassment. "What do you mean?! I bet you haven't had your first kiss either!" I retorted like a child.

"You're right, I haven't..." Yume quietly said with her head down. I turned around to see her expression and just as I turned, "Yet..."

Catching me off guard, she grabbed my shoulders and pulled me in. A soft sensation was pressed on my lips before I could react. The comforting smell of nature surrounded me as I got enveloped by her actions.

She peeled back after a moment, her arms now wrapped around my neck, and her amber eyes fluttering foxily inches away from my own. "That was for your wish." She then gently kissed me again, this time holding it a bit longer, so I closed my eyes in return as a sign of accepting her feelings. She unwrapped her arms around me, quickly got up, and took a few paces away from me. "And that was because I wanted to."

I laid there frozen, not knowing how to react. My mouth opened, attempting to get any kind of word out, but just as I was about to say something, Yume swiftly came forward, squatted down, and placed her hand over my mouth.

"My wish is to the one you love at the end of all of this," she said as winks. "You better be ready because it's now proven that wishing on a shooting star works."

I was still stunned by the events that had just unfolded, but I collected myself. I stood up and took a couple of steps away to hide my face. "You know, I've wished on plenty of shooting stars and nothing happened. Plus the wish I made just kinda slipped out."

"Doesn't matter, you still said 'I wish,' which makes it valid." She began walking toward me and I took a couple of steps back out of caution for another surprise attack. "I imagined you would act a lot happier after our kisses, unless they weren't good?" She turned around and rested her finger on her lips. "We could always keep going if you wanted..." she whispered.

"What was that? I didn't catch the last bit," I asked out of curiosity.

Yume turned around and stuck her tongue out at me. "Wouldn't you like to know, Weather Boy!" She ran to the nearby trash can and threw her trash away. "How much longer do you plan on staying here? It's getting pretty late."

I checked the time on my phone. "Yeah, you're right, it's almost midnight." I grabbed and threw all my trash away in the same one she used. "You stay somewhere close by? I'll walk you home."

Yume happily grabbed a hold of my arm. "By all means Mr. Escort."

"Please do go around in public calling me that," I pleaded. Yume laughed in response as we left the stargazing spot.

The stars and moon lit the path we had walked to get here. The streets and sidewalks were quiet and empty. The calming sound of the waves hitting the nearby shore covered the sounds of our steps. I let Yume guide me since I obviously didn't know where she lived, but as we walked I notice something.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" I asked her.

"Yeah, why are you asking?" she responded, still holding onto my arm.

"No reason..." my voice trailed off.

As we continued walking, I started getting nervous.

This is the way back to my apartment!

In a lot of the books I've read, there was sometimes a trope where one of the potential love interests lived next door unbeknownst to the main protagonist.

"Yeah, this checks out..." I muttered as I looked at the entrance to the apartment building I lived at.

Yume tilted her head in confusion. "What? Do you live here too by chance?"

I remained silent as we walked to the elevator. "What floor do you live on?" Yume pushed the number 8. "Interesting..." I muttered quietly.

The same floor...

We exited the elevator and walked down the hallway. We eventually stopped in front of a room, the room after mine in fact.

"Alright, well thank you for walking back," she smiled in appreciation. "Do you live far from here?"

I laughed nervously and put one of my arms behind my head. "Yeah, it's gonna be a little bit of a walk," I answered sarcastically. I walked to the room to her right of hers and stood in front of door. "And here I am."

"You're kidding?! We've been next door neighbors this whole time?!" Yume inquired.

"I never took the time to check the nameplate of my neighbors, so I guess we have been."

Yume ran up and hugged me. "Do you mind if I pop my head in from time to time?" she begged with puppy dog eyes.

I let out a sigh. "I guess that's fine, but don't make it an everyday thing. I do like my alone time," I compromised.

Yume smirked, "Alone time? If you ever have any urges, you can come knock on my door."

I unlocked my door. "That will not be necessary, but thank you for the offer," I said sarcastically just to try and get away from her teasing.

But before I closed my door, "Thanks for today Kousei! I had a lot of fun!" I heard her call out.

I quickly turned back around and poked my head out of the doorway, "There's no need to shout!" I whispered loudly. "I don't need the entire apartment complex knowing our relationship."

"Why? There's no reason to be embarrassed or to hide it..." she pouted. But she immediately shifted to laughter. "Anyways, thanks again. You have a goodnight, next door neighbor."

I couldn't help but smile in return. "You have a goodnight as well, Yume."

We waved bye to each other and closed our doors.

I took a quick shower and immediately headed to bed.

Today was draining...

I thought back to the kiss. My cheeks flushed red and I stuffed my face in my pillow like a little schoolgirl.

Draining, yet a lot of fun and very memorable...

The image of the shooting star filled my thoughts as I remembered the wish Yume made. I couldn't help but smile at the possibility of her wish coming true.

Let's see if the god's of fate see that wish through.

Two partner meetings down, one Yunasa left to go.