A Place to Return To

The aftermath of the festival still lingered in Kozakura's mind. The warmth of the lantern lights, the gentle sound of Hiyori's laughter, and the way the fireworks painted the sky in dazzling colors—it had all felt like something out of a dream. But the most vivid part of the night had been the way she had leaned against him, the way her presence had felt so natural, so… right.

It had been a few days since then, yet the memory refused to fade.

As he walked through the school gates that morning, he spotted Hiyori almost immediately. She was standing near their classroom window, chatting animatedly with a friend, her smile as bright as ever. He hesitated for just a moment before making his way over.

The moment she noticed him, her expression lit up. "Morning, Kozakura! You're here early."

"Not really. You're just late," he teased.

She gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "How dare you?! I'll have you know I am always punctual."

"Mhm. Sure."

She stuck her tongue out at him before nudging his arm playfully. "Anyway, we should hang out again soon. The festival was way too fun, and I refuse to let you go back to your boring life of studying and being a brooding loner."

Kozakura sighed. "I don't brood."

Hiyori gasped again, this time even more dramatically. "Oh no, have you been lying to me this whole time?! I thought you were secretly some tragic prince who only smiles under fireworks."

"You really are ridiculous."

She grinned. "And yet, you keep talking to me."

Before he could respond, the morning bell rang, signaling the start of homeroom. Hiyori shot him one last mischievous look before heading to her seat, leaving Kozakura with an exasperated—but not entirely annoyed—smile.

That afternoon, Hiyori appeared at Kozakura's side without warning, as if she had been waiting for the perfect moment to ambush him. "So, I was thinking."

"That's never a good sign."

She smacked his arm lightly. "Rude! But no, listen. I was thinking we should go to the bookstore today. You like books, and I need something new to read. Win-win, right?"

Kozakura considered it for a moment. He hadn't been planning on doing much after school, and a trip to the bookstore didn't sound bad. Especially not if it meant more time with her.

"Fine," he said. "But if you drag me into another weird section like last time, I'm leaving."

Hiyori beamed. "No promises!"

The bookstore was nestled on a quiet street corner, a cozy little shop with shelves packed from floor to ceiling. The moment they stepped inside, Hiyori took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of books and old paper with a happy sigh.

"Ahh, this place always smells so nice," she murmured.

Kozakura shook his head fondly. "You say that every time."

"Because it's true." She spun around on her heel, grinning. "Okay! Let's split up and find something interesting. Meet back here in fifteen minutes."

Without waiting for a response, she disappeared between the shelves, leaving Kozakura to his own devices.

He wandered through the aisles, running his fingers over the spines of books, occasionally flipping through a page or two. It was peaceful. Familiar. But even as he browsed, his thoughts kept drifting back to Hiyori—her excitement, her warmth, the way she made even the most ordinary moments feel special.

Fifteen minutes passed, then twenty. Eventually, he made his way back to their meeting spot, only to find Hiyori sitting cross-legged on the floor, completely absorbed in a book.

He sighed, crouching down beside her. "Did you forget about our meeting time?"

She jolted, looking up at him with wide eyes. "Oh. Oops."

Kozakura shook his head. "What are you reading?"

She held up the book, her eyes shining. "It's a story about childhood friends who slowly fall in love without realizing it. Isn't that sweet?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Sounds predictable."

Hiyori pouted. "It's romantic. The slow build-up, the small moments that mean everything, the realization that the person who's always been by your side is actually the most important to you… It's beautiful."

Something in her voice made Kozakura pause. There was a softness to her words, an unspoken sincerity that lingered in the air between them.

She blinked, then laughed awkwardly. "Ah, sorry, that was weirdly sentimental, huh? I just really love stories like this."

Kozakura glanced away, pretending to inspect the books on the shelf beside them. "It's not weird."

Hiyori smiled, her gaze lingering on him for a moment longer before she closed the book. "Come on, let's check out."

As they walked home together, the sky painted in warm hues of pink and gold, Hiyori suddenly spoke up. "Hey, Kozakura."

"Hm?"

"What kind of story do you want your life to be?"

He frowned, caught off guard by the question. "What do you mean?"

She kicked at a pebble on the ground. "Like… if your life was a book, what kind of story would you want it to be?"

Kozakura thought for a moment. "I don't know. Something simple, I guess."

"Simple?"

"Yeah. Just… a life where I don't have to worry about the past. Where I have people I can trust, a place to come back to. Something peaceful."

Hiyori was quiet for a while before she said, softly, "That sounds nice."

The gentle breeze of the evening carried the scent of summer grass, the distant sound of cicadas humming in the background. And for a moment, as they walked side by side, Kozakura thought that maybe—just maybe—he was already starting to live the kind of story he wanted.