The sound of waves filled my ears.
Not loud. Not quiet either.
Just steady, like something that had always been there, long before I arrived.
Seagulls cried above me as I sat on the sandy shore, watching the sun sink toward the horizon. Its fading light reflected on the surface of the sea, turning the water into molten gold.
I liked moments like this.
Moments where nothing demanded anything from me.
While I was staring blankly at the horizon, a sudden commotion broke the calm.
Laughter. Applause. Music.
At first, I planned to ignore it.
Crowds weren't really my thing.
But curiosity won.
I stood up and followed the sound, stopping a short distance away.
A street concert.
A group of girls stood near the roadside, singing into borrowed microphones. There were more people than I expected, enough that I couldn't see them clearly, let alone hear the lyrics properly.
Still… something about the melody felt familiar.
Like a song I'd heard before.
Somewhere far away.
Or maybe long ago.
I tried to focus, but the noise swallowed the details. Whatever they were singing, it wasn't reaching me.
…Well, that's enough.
I turned away and headed to the convenience store nearby.
Inside, the shelves were almost empty. Probably because of the event.
As I scanned the food aisle, I noticed it.
Only one onigiri left.
Just as I reached out-
Another hand stopped inches away from mine.
I looked up.
A girl stood there, frozen in place, clearly surprised.
"…Ah."
For a brief moment, neither of us moved.
I pulled my hand back.
"You can have it."
"E-eh? N-No, it's fine! There's plenty of other food here besides onigiri," she said hurriedly, waving her hands.
I glanced around the shelf.
There really wasn't.
"It's okay," I replied. "I'll just get something else."
"T-Thank you!"
She bowed slightly, clutching the onigiri like it was something precious.
…Girls are really like this sometimes, huh?
In the end, I picked up a dorayaki and a couple of nutrient jellies.
Cheap. Filling enough.
I had to be careful with money.
I lived alone in a small apartment. My uncle supported me, but even then, it was just enough to get by. Overspending wasn't an option.
I returned to the beach.
The sky had darkened into shades of orange and violet. A cool breeze brushed against my skin, carrying the scent of salt.
I sat down again, unwrapping my dorayaki.
"…Excuse me."
I looked up.
It was the same girl from the convenience store.
She stood a few steps away, hesitating.
"Is something wrong?" I asked. "You can sit if you want."
She nodded and sat beside me, leaving a small, careful distance.
"B-Before that… um, let me introduce myself. My name is Aoyama Rika. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Hayashi Kaito. Nice to meet you too."
She fidgeted with her hands, clearly nervous.
"Ah… thank you again for earlier, Hayashi-san. For the onigiri."
"It's fine. I still got food."
"…Etto, I've seen you around here recently. Did you just move?"
"Yeah. About a week ago."
"I see… Why here?"
I took a moment before answering.
"Because I wanted to leave the city," I said. "I don't really feel comfortable there. Living near the sea felt… easier."
I didn't mention school.
Didn't mention the real reason.
Some things didn't need to be said.
"…Fun?" she asked. "What makes it fun?"
I looked at the ocean again.
"The view," I replied. "It doesn't change, no matter who's watching it."
Rika smiled softly.
"…I think that's nice."
We talked for a while after that. Nothing important. Just small things.
Still, it felt… comfortable.
Eventually, someone called her name from a distance, apparently, her friend was calling her.
"I should go," she said, standing up. "Thank you for today, Hayashi-san. I really enjoyed it."
"Me too," I replied. "Let's meet again sometime."
She nodded, waved, and disappeared into the night.
I watched her go.
Perhaps… this wasn't such a bad place to start over.
The waves continued to crash gently against the shore, as if quietly agreeing.