Arashi woke up suddenly — breath unsteady, heart still lost somewhere between dream and reality. For a moment, he didn't understand why his face felt warm… then he realized.
Tears were streaming down his cheeks.
He quickly brought a hand to his eyes, trying to stop them — but they kept falling on their own, silent and uncontrollable. Yet strangely… the tears didn't hurt.
Instead, a soft relief washed through him, like a heavy weight he had been carrying for days had finally disappeared. His chest felt lighter. His breathing calmer. As if someone had gently removed the chains around his heart.
He sat up slowly, staring at the ceiling as a faint, unexpected smile touched his lips.
Why do I feel… okay? Like all that pain had finally been given a place to rest.
Just then — his phone began to ring.
The sound cut through the quiet morning, sharp and sudden. Arashi frowned, glancing at the clock.
"This early…? Who could it be?"
He picked up his phone — and the moment he saw the caller ID, his eyes widened slightly.
Dad.
Arashi cleared his throat and answered the call.
"Hello? Dad?"
A familiar, tired voice responded from the other side — but even through the static, Arashi could hear the relief in it.
"Arashi! How are you, son? Did you sleep well? We just reached."
Arashi leaned back against his pillow, his voice calm. "That's good. How was the flight? Did you both arrive safely?"
His father sighed softly. "Yes, we're fine. And… I'm sorry, Arashi."
Arashi blinked. "Sorry? For what?"
"Well…" his father continued, "The plane had to land mid-flight for a while. The weather was getting worse, turbulence was bad, and we lost signal for hours. I couldn't call you at all. "His voice lowered, heavy with guilt. "I know you must have been worried."
Arashi shook his head instinctively, even though his father couldn't see him.
"No, Dad. It's okay. Really. "A faint smile appeared on his face. "I saw it on the news, so I figured something like that happened. I wasn't worried."
A small pause. Then his father chuckled with relief. "That's my boy. Strong as always."
Arashi nodded, though his father couldn't see. "Just get some rest now. You must be exhausted."
"We will," his father replied warmly. "You take care too. We'll talk later today."
"Okay, Dad. Talk later."
"Goodbye, son."
"Goodbye."
The call ended. Arashi set the phone down, letting out a quiet breath.
Arashi dragged himself out of bed and headed straight to the bathroom. The moment he looked into the mirror, he let out a tired laugh.
"Wow… what's even going on with my face? "His hair was a mess, eyes still a little puffy from sleep — and from tears he didn't plan on shedding.
He washed up, splashing the cold water on his face until he finally felt alive again. Once freshened up, he stepped out of the bathroom and walked toward the kitchen.
But the moment he entered, a memory hit him harder than any nightmare.
He could almost see his mother standing there — humming softly, preparing breakfast… filling the house with warmth.
And now — the place felt empty. Silent. Colorless.
He stared at the still, lonely kitchen and sighed quietly.
I'll manage, he told himself. Mom needs this time to heal. She'll return when she's okay again — with Dad by her side. Until then… I can take care of myself.
He grabbed an egg from the fridge and cracked it into the frying pan. The oil sizzled. Breakfast had officially begun.
But soon, his mind drifted away — back into that dream world he didn't want to admit he missed so soon.
Idiot… what did I even say to her? I was so embarrassing! How am I supposed to face her again? I literally told her "I love you. "WHAT WAS I EVEN THINKING!?
He groaned and covered his face with both hands. I must have looked like such an idiot…
Suddenly —
sssssshhhhhhh…
A burning smell hit his nose.
Arashi's eyes widened. He snapped back to reality and turned to the stove.
"What—!!!"
The egg was completely black. Not a single spot of yellow remained. It looked like a charcoal rock disguised as breakfast.
He stared at it for a solid two seconds… then sighed like a defeated old man.
"…Yep. That's me. Absolute cooking genius."
He grabbed the pan, dumped the burnt egg straight into the trash.
He still felt guilty about the burned egg. "There are people who don't even get to eat for days… and here I am wasting food like an idiot."
He sighed. "Alright, punishment accepted. Just milk for today."
He started drinking milk quietly, each drop pulling his mind back to last night.
"Did she really look at me? Was she even real? And I… I told her I love you… What the hell was I thinking…"
Suddenly, his phone started ringing.
Takumi Calling
Arashi dragged a deep breath and answered.
"Hello…"
"ARASHI!" Takumi yelled. "You forgot about me, didn't you? We used to be best friends, and now you don't even bother to check on me!"
Arashi forced a tiny smile. "Just tell me what you want. Must be something important."
"It is!" Takumi replied, excitement rising in his voice. "We're all going out today — to the aquarium. Remember the plan?"
Arashi replied.
"No man. I'm not coming—"
A sudden shout from the background:
"GIVE ME THE PHONE YOU IDIOT!"
Miyu snatched the phone.
"Listen here, dumbass. We're coming to your place in two hours. Be ready. If you even think about running away— we'll beat the life out of you together."
"There's no escaping you people, is there?" he muttered. "Okay, tell me something— what are you and Takumi even doing together?"
"Oh, this idiot?" Miyu scoffed. "I was just heading to the store and ran into him. I didn't have internet, so I used his phone to call you. I even tried last night but you didn't pick up!"
Arashi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, alright. Just come then. I'll deal with all of you alone. And no, I'm not going."
Miyu's voice sharpened instantly.
"Oh? Really ?Stay right there. I'm coming — and you're dead."
She hung up without waiting for a reply.
Arashi stared at his silent phone."…she's absolutely insane."
Arashi cleaned up quickly and got ready — a light T-shirt and casual jeans, something comfortable for the heat.Exactly two hours later, the doorbell rang.
He opened the door — only to be immediately charged at by his friends.
Satoru, Miyu, Takumi, and Hina all jumped forward like a squad prepared to drag him outside… but froze when they saw him already dressed and wearing sneakers.
"You're… actually ready to go?" Hina asked, surprised.
Arashi nodded casually. "Yep. Totally ready."
Miyu stared at him like he committed a crime.
"I literally brought a compass, hammer, and other stuff to beat you into coming if you resisted — and you're telling me I carried all that in this heat for NOTHING?"
Arashi squinted at her. "You do realize that sounds 100% like something a psycho would say, right?"
Satoru laughed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Let's just go before we melt. And besides… isn't this your first time going out with us like this?"
Arashi paused."…Yeah. I think so."
Takumi grinned. "Then let's make today unforgettable."
As they all stepped outside, the warm summer breeze brushed past them. Laughter echoed as Takumi cracked another joke, and Miyu rolled her eyes at him.
But then — Arashi froze.
Just beyond the gate stood a familiar figure. A girl.
His chest tightened the moment his eyes met hers. Ayane.
She was standing beside an older woman — her mother — holding a small paper bag in her hands. When her mother noticed Arashi, her face lit up instantly.
"Arashi? Oh my, it's been so long! How are you, dear?"
Arashi blinked, still processing. "I—I'm fine, ma'am. How about you?"
Her smile softened. "I'm doing alright… though I heard about your grandfather. I'm truly sorry for your loss."
Arashi lowered his gaze slightly. "Thank you… that means a lot."
He hesitated, then asked, "But… what are you doing here, do you need something?"
Her expression brightened again. "Actually, I've been looking for your house all morning."
That made everyone exchange confused glances.
She continued, her tone cheerful — almost too casual for what she said next.
"I wanted to tell you that from today onward, you and Ayane will be living together — in this very house."
The entire group went silent.
Even the sound of the wind seemed to stop.
Arashi turned toward her, his own voice shaking. "W–wait… what?"
Her mother smiled gently, as if she'd expected Arashi's reaction. "Yes, it's exactly as I said," she replied. "I already spoke with your mother about it — she's the one who suggested it, in fact. Here, listen."
She scrolled through her phone and played a voice message. It was unmistakably Arashi's mother's voice.
"You can leave Ayane with Arashi. You've seen how responsible he is. He'll take care of her, and they can both manage together. I'll explain everything to Arashi myself."
Arashi listened quietly, unsure what to say. The message left no room for doubt.
He finally asked, "Alright… but why is Ayane staying here?"
Ayane's mother adjusted the strap of her purse. "I'm actually moving out of the country tomorrow," she explained. "And I heard the schools here are quite good, so I thought it would be better for her to continue studying here. I wanted to leave her at Ren's place, but they're out of the city for a month. Since I'm leaving in the morning, I don't have any other option."
Arashi nodded slowly. "I see… alright then. No problem. I can take good care of her. We have separate rooms — she can stay in my mom's room."
Her mother chuckled lightly. "Oh, that's sweet of you — but honestly, I wouldn't mind even if she slept in your room. I trust you, Arashi."
Arashi nearly choked on his words. "N–no, I think separate rooms would be best."
She smiled. "Alright, if you say so."
The air hung awkwardly for a moment — Ayane quiet, Arashi trying not to meet anyone's eyes, and his friends standing frozen in disbelief behind him.
Arashi broke the silence first. "Alright then, I was just heading out with my friends anyway," he said, trying to sound casual. "Ayane, why don't you come with us?"
Ayane stiffened instantly. "N–no, I–I'll just stay h–here," she stammered, her fingers tightening around her bag. "Y–you guys g–go. I'll be fine."
Arashi sighed softly. "You'll get bored. You might as well come along. I'll introduce you to my friends."
Before she could reply, Takumi jumped in. "Yeah, he's right! You should come with us. It'll be fun!"
Satoru nodded. "Exactly. It's your first day here — you'll make friends faster this way."
Ayane's mother smiled warmly. "He's right, Ayane. You just got here, and you already have the chance to make new friends. Go on, it'll be good for you."
Ayane hesitated for a moment — then finally gave a small nod. "O–okay…"
As Arashi took the bags from her mother, something crossed his mind. "By the way, ma'am," he asked, "which school did you get her into?"
Her mother smiled. "It's called Hoshikawa Academy. It's not far from here."
Arashi blinked. "Hoshikawa? We go there too."
"Really?" she said, looking pleasantly surprised. "Well, that makes me feel even more relieved."
Arashi nodded. "Yeah, that makes things easier. Alright then."
He and Satoru carried the bags inside. When they came back out, Ayane hugged her mother tightly.
"Take care of yourself, okay?" her mother whispered.
Ayane nodded quietly. "I will."
The rest of the group waved. "Goodbye, ma'am!" Takumi said with a grin.
"Nice meeting you!" Hina added.
Her mother smiled one last time. "Thank you, everyone. And Arashi…" she looked at him meaningfully, "take care of her."
Arashi gave a small nod. "I will."
As her mother's car pulled away, Ayane stood silently at the gate, watching until it disappeared down the street.
Then Arashi spoke gently, "Alright, let's go?"
Ayane glanced at him nervously, but this time she didn't refuse. She just nodded and followed.
Arashi turned toward Ayane with a faint grin. "Alright, before we head out— let me introduce everyone properly."
He pointed to the tall boy beside him. "This is Satoru — he pretends to be serious but ends up laughing at every dumb joke Takumi makes."
Satoru sighed. "You make it sound like I have no dignity. "Arashi smirked. "You don't."
The group chuckled. Then Arashi motioned to the boy wearing a cap backwards. "And that's Takumi — our professional troublemaker and self-proclaimed genius."
Takumi grinned proudly. "Finally, someone gets it. "Satoru muttered, "No one does."
Arashi moved on before they could start bickering. "That's Hina — she's just... emotional. Starts crying over the smallest things.."
Hina gave a polite smile. "Nice to meet you, Ayane. Don't mind these idiots too much."
Ayane smiled nervously, "A–ah, n–nice to meet you too…"
Arashi then pointed at Miyu. "And this," he said, "is Miyu — she looks scary, but she's actually… well, still scary, but nice once you get used to her."
Miyu narrowed her eyes. "Keep talking, and I'll prove the first part right. "Everyone laughed again, even Ayane, who quickly covered her mouth.
Finally, Arashi smiled and said, "And this is Ayane — she just moved here today. Be nice to her, got it?"
"Alright, everyone ready? Let's go before Miyu finds something sharp again."
Miyu smirked. "Too late."
The group started walking down the bright summer street — voices overlapping, laughter echoing lightly through the air — and Ayane followed, a quiet smile forming as her new beginning truly started.