Autumn arrived without asking permission. The leaves began to fall, golden and silent, but for Sayuri, there was nothing poetic about it. Midterm exams were getting closer and, with them, the pressure — especially from her parents. She needed to be perfect.
Perfect grades, perfect behavior, a perfect future, and somewhere in the middle of all that… she was losing herself.
Mornings were no longer gentle. The alarm would ring, but her body refused to respond. Coffee turned cold and forgotten on the table while she raced against time.
That morning was no different — or rather… it was worse.
As she turned the corner near the university, her foot stepped straight into a hole in the sidewalk. The impact was so strong that her books slipped from her arms, scattering across the ground while a sharp pain shot through her knee.
"Damn…"
But she didn't stop. Ignoring the pain, she gathered everything in a hurry and kept running, leaving a few papers behind.
When she entered the classroom, she let out a relieved breath, but quickly realized:
"Where's Yume?"
She looked around and found nothing. She asked a few classmates, but nobody knew.
Without thinking twice, she stood up and left the room.
The hallways were crowded, but she could only focus on what was ahead. Hurried, anxious, limping slightly, she made her way toward the gates.
A white car stopped in front of her, and the door opened.
Yume stepped out calmly, as if she weren't late at all. Right behind her came someone tall, elegant, and far too handsome to go unnoticed.
Blond, wearing a leather jacket over a moss-green sweater. His face was flawless, perfectly matching the attractive yet dangerous smile on his lips.
"Yume!" Sayuri approached her. "You're late!"
"Hi, Say!" Yume replied cheerfully. "This is Kenji, my childhood friend."
He stepped forward and kissed Sayuri's hand.
"So you're Sayuri…" he said lightly. "I've heard a lot about you."
"I hope good things…" she answered shyly.
He smiled.
"Only the best."
Then he crouched down, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and tying it carefully around her injured knee.
"There. Better now."
"Thank you…"
He winked at her, and a brief, strange silence settled between them.
"Speaking of good things…" He tilted his head slightly while looking at her. "Would you like to come to our show tonight?"
Sayuri blinked in surprise.
"A show?"
"His band, Say," Yume explained. "They're performing downtown."
"They?"
"Oh, him and our other friend, the vocalist. You'll see, he sings really well."
"He's cool, but lately he's been kind of lost in his thoughts because of some girl whose name he doesn't even know."
"He's still stuck on that?" Yume asked.
Kenji shrugged.
"What can I do? You know how he is when he gets obsessed with something… but anyway, you'll come, right, Sayuri?"
She hesitated. She had never gone to an event like that before, and convincing her father would definitely be difficult.
It sounded reckless, but at the same time… interesting. Especially for someone as proper as her.
"I'll think about it," she replied.
Kenji smiled teasingly.
"I'll be there. I promise you won't regret it."
He winked once more before getting back into the car and speeding away.
By the end of class, Sayuri was still thinking about the event.
"I don't know if I should go…" she murmured.
"Stop overthinking everything," Yume said. "It'll be fun, and you seriously need a break from your routine."
Sayuri sighed. It wasn't an easy decision for her.
When she got home, she sat on the balcony for a few minutes, watching the sun disappear along the horizon and, as usual, took a few photos.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of water hitting leaves. It was her neighbor, Mrs. Midori, watering her plants. Sayuri adored her. She reminded her of her grandmother, and she baked the most wonderful cookies.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Midori. Your garden looks beautiful."
The elderly woman smiled warmly.
"My dear… you're always so kind."
As Sayuri helped her move a few flower pots, the scent of cake drifted through the breeze.
"Mmm… that smells amazing. Is it cake?"
"Walnut cake," Mrs. Midori replied with a laugh. "Come have some."
Sayuri entered without hesitation. The house felt like an old museum: antique furniture, photographs, and books everywhere.
She slowly approached the bookshelf, enchanted by the rows of novels.
"Don't you ever feel lonely?"
Midori smiled while pouring tea.
"Never. Especially now that my grandson is living with me."
Sayuri turned toward her curiously.
"Grandson? I've never seen him around."
"He only moved here recently. He went through a difficult time with his father, but he's a good boy."
She paused briefly.
"I'm sure you'll like him."
Sayuri smiled.
"I'm sure I will too… Wow, this cake is delicious." She took another bite. "I love your desserts."
"Haha, thank you. I'll send some cookies to your family someday. Your mother adores them."
"I know. She says they're the best."
Sayuri took another bite, practically in heaven, until she glanced through the window and noticed the lights on in her house.
"Mrs. Midori, I should go. My parents must be home."
"Wait, dear, take some cake with you."
Sayuri accepted the small package and said goodbye. But the moment she stepped inside her own house, reality was waiting for her.
"Where were you?" her mother asked coldly.
"At Mrs. Midori's house…"
"Sit down and eat dinner."
"I'm not hungry. I had cake with her."
"Cake is not dinner."
Silence.
"I'll eat later…"
Her mother sighed.
"It seems this girl has no common sense…"
Back in her room, Sayuri stood in front of the mirror for several seconds. She still didn't know if going to the show with Yume was the right thing to do. Her parents would definitely disapprove.
"I should probably forget about it… it's obviously not meant for me," she whispered.
She opened the bedroom door to get some water and froze when she overheard her parents discussing her grades.
"But that's not a grade," her father complained.
Sayuri quietly stepped toward the kitchen, hoping to avoid him.
"Sayuri, come here."
"Yes, sir?"
"You got a 9.5?"
Her father slowly closed the folder in front of him.
"Where were the other 0.5 points?"
She lowered her head.
"I'm sorry…"
"Apologizing won't improve your future," he replied coldly.
Her mother sighed.
"You need to stop wasting time on useless things. Cafés and romance books won't take you anywhere."
"She needs to focus on university," her father added.
No matter what she did — not even being the top student in class was enough.
After hearing that, she returned to her room irritated and made a decision.
"I'm going. I'm tired of following these stupid rules."
She opened her closet and chose a black pleated dress she had made herself but never worn, along with tights and sneakers.
She tied a purple ribbon in her hair. The look was simple, but she felt beautiful.
Waiting until her parents were distracted, she slipped out of the house and headed to meet Yume.
The bar was crowded, filled with dim lights, loud music, and alternative-looking people everywhere. Sayuri had never seen anything like it before. She couldn't stop staring around; she was completely mesmerized.
"Come on, closer to the stage," Yume said, pulling her friend forward.
Then the stage lights slowly came on, and the screams began. When Kenji appeared, Yume became even more excited.
And then… him.
A dark-haired boy stepped onto the stage slowly, holding the microphone in one hand. A red bandana kept part of his messy hair out of his face while blue lights crossed his features in an almost surreal way.
And then… he started singing, and the world around her disappeared.
That voice…
"Who is that?" Sayuri asked quietly.
"That's Jun, the friend I told you about."
Sayuri was enchanted. His voice was different. It wasn't just beautiful — it was hypnotic… and strangely familiar.
After the show, the girls sat at a table waiting for the boys.
"Wow, Yume… you were right, I loved it. And the vocalist… his voice is amazing…"
Before she could finish the sentence, Sayuri smelled it.
Vanilla and old books.
Her body reacted before her mind could process it. She stood up too quickly, twisting her ankle in the process, and for a second she was sure she was about to fall.
Then someone caught her firmly by the waist.
The moment she looked up, the air disappeared from her lungs.
The same voice. The same scent that had haunted her thoughts night after night.
Jun froze too.
His expression changed almost imperceptibly, as though he had also recognized something impossible.
Because he had.
The girl he couldn't forget. The girl he had searched for in every street since that day… was finally there, in his arms.
But unlike her, Jun recovered quickly. He looked away and smirked as if none of it had affected him.
"Close one this time," he murmured.
Sayuri couldn't even answer. Her heart was beating too fast.
As he helped her sit back down, she tried to connect the dots, still dizzy from the realization.
The mysterious boy who had taken over her thoughts and stolen her sleep… was one of Yume's best friends.
It felt unreal.
Conversations continued around them, but Sayuri couldn't stop looking at him.
Jun noticed the way she held her breath every time she stared at him, as though she was trying to confirm he was real. And that unsettled him.
This girl was too different.
She seemed gentle, sweet, perfect… like someone who definitely didn't belong in his messy world.
Maybe it would be better to keep his distance. And now that he finally knew who she was—
"You really like staring at people, huh?"
His voice came out calm… almost teasing.
"I'm just observing… I don't really know anything about music," she replied softly.
"But you're in a music bar," he teased, resting his cheek against his hand while watching her.
Kenji, already understanding where this was going, joined the conversation.
"She likes books."
Jun let out a quiet laugh.
"Books, huh?"
His eyes slowly returned to her. Then, almost as if testing himself, he pushed further.
"I have plenty at home… want to come over tonight?"
"Jun!" Kenji cut in immediately.
"What? It was just a suggestion…" Jun said before taking another sip of his drink.
The atmosphere changed instantly, making Sayuri uncomfortable.
"Well… I think we should go, Say. It's getting late," Yume said, standing up.
"I'll drive you," Kenji offered.
"No need, I already called a car," Yume replied. "See you guys later."
Kenji smiled politely at the girls.
"Take care… and come around more often, Sayuri."
"I will…" she answered quietly, glancing at Jun.
But he merely shrugged as though none of it mattered.
As though she hadn't completely turned his thoughts upside down.
That same night, after putting away the instruments, the boys ended up going to Kenji's house, where their rehearsal studio was located.
The show had been exhausting, and Jun was so tired he simply threw himself onto the couch and passed out.
The next morning, still half asleep, he grabbed his phone to scroll through photos from the event. As usual, he flipped through them without much interest.
People.
Lights.
Drinks.
Stage.
The usual.
Until he stopped on a picture of Sayuri.
She was smiling — a soft, beautiful smile.
Jun stared at the screen, feeling something strange growing inside his chest. An uncomfortable feeling… but good at the same time.
And naturally, it irritated him.
Because she looked exactly like the kind of girl that shouldn't exist in his world.
So why was he so interested in her?
"JUUUN!" Kenji shouted from the kitchen, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I made pancakes!"
He quickly locked his phone and walked downstairs.
"Who's Sayuri?" he asked casually while grabbing a pancake.
Kenji raised an eyebrow.
"You're kidding, right? Yume's friend… the cute one."
"Hm… the book girl."
"Exactly. Why? Interested?"
Jun let out a nasal laugh and stuffed another pancake into his mouth.
"No way… she's not my type."