Evening.
The room was quiet.
A soft orange glow from the setting sun slipped through the curtains, casting long shadows across the walls.
Kentarou lay on his bed—
Staring at the ceiling.
Silent.
Thinking.
"…Love… imagination… horror… mystery….
The words echoed in his mind.
His story.
His idea.
Still rough.
Still incomplete.
But real.
He slowly turned his head, looking at his phone lying beside him.
A small pause.
Then—
"…Let's do it."
He grabbed it.
Unlocked it.
And without giving himself time to hesitate—
He started typing.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Words began to form.
Sentences followed.
A story—
His story—
Started to take shape.
—
[Earlier that day—morning at school]
The classroom was lively as always.
Kentarou stood near the window with Lyoid.
"…I have an idea," Kentarou said.
Lyoid looked at him.
"…Oh?"
"For the storyline."
A small silence.
Then—
Lyoid nodded slightly.
"Let's hear it."
Kentarou explained briefly.
Love.
Imagination.
Horror.
Mystery.
A mix of everything he felt.
When he finished—
Lyoid didn't respond immediately.
"…Interesting," he said after a moment. "It's unusual."
"…Is that bad?"
"No," Lyoid shook his head. "It just means it depends on how you write it."
Kentarou nodded.
"…There's one more thing."
"What?"
"…I don't know where to write and upload it."
Lyoid sighed lightly.
"…I thought so."
Then—
"Use the webnovel app."
Kentarou blinked.
"…Webnovel?"
"Yeah," Lyoid said. "It's simple. You can write, upload, and reach readers easily."
Senku, who had been listening nearby, leaned in.
"Ohhh, so our Kentarou is becoming an author now?"
"…Stop."
Lyoid ignored him.
"Start there. Don't overthink it."
Kentarou looked at him for a second.
Then nodded.
"…Okay."
—
[Back to the present]
Night had quietly settled in.
The sky outside was dark now.
Inside—
Only the faint light from Kentarou's phone illuminated his face.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Time passed.
He didn't notice.
Didn't stop.
Didn't think about anything else.
Just—
Writing.
Scene after scene.
Emotion after emotion.
His thoughts flowed directly into words.
Until finally—
He stopped.
A small pause.
He looked at the screen.
"…Done."
Six chapters.
He had written six chapters.
Kentarou stared at it.
Silently.
Then—
A faint smile appeared.
Small.
But real.
"…I actually did it."
For someone like him—
Who never spoke much—
Who never expressed much—
This was different.
A long breath escaped Kentarou's lips.
"…I need a break."
He placed his phone beside him and sat up slowly. His mind felt heavy after writing for so long, filled with scenes, emotions, and words that still lingered.
"…Something to drink."
Without wasting time, he grabbed his jacket and stepped out.
—
The night air was cool.
The streets were quieter than usual, with only a few people passing by under the dim streetlights. Kentarou walked calmly, hands in his pockets, heading toward the familiar place—
The supermarket.
The soft chime rang as he entered.
Bright lights.
Neatly arranged shelves.
A calm, almost empty atmosphere.
Kentarou walked through the aisles slowly, scanning the rows of drinks without much interest.
"…What should I get…"
His eyes moved lazily from one shelf to another.
Then—
He stopped.
"…!"
A figure.
Not far from him.
A girl.
Standing quietly, looking at the drinks section just like him.
Yui Takamura.
His classmate.
Cute.
Beautiful.
And someone he didn't talk to much—
But definitely knew.
Kentarou blinked once.
"…Why is she here…"
His thoughts paused for a second.
And just like that—
A memory surfaced.
—
[Earlier—at school]
Senku leaned back in his chair, grinning like he had just thought of something interesting.
"Alright, Kentarou," he said. "Let me ask you something."
"…What?"
"If you had to choose a girl from our class to be your girlfriend—who would it be?"
Kentarou frowned slightly.
"…Why are you asking that?"
"Just answer."
"…That's pointless."
"It's not. It's important research."
"…For what?"
"My future," Senku replied confidently.
Kentarou sighed.
"…You're hopeless."
"Just answer already."
A short silence followed.
Kentarou actually thought about it.
Not seriously—
But enough.
His eyes shifted slightly as he scanned the classroom in his mind.
Then—
"…I think…"
He paused.
"…Yui Takamura."
Senku's eyes widened.
"Ohhh?! Interesting choice."
"…It's just a random answer."
"Yeah, sure," Senku smirked. "Totally random."
Kentarou didn't argue.
Because to him—
It really was.
Or at least—
That's what he thought.
—
[Back to the present]
Kentarou stood still.
Looking at her.
Yui hadn't noticed him yet.
She was focused on the shelves, trying to pick something.
"…What a coincidence…"
For a moment—
He didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Just watched quietly.
Kentarou blinked once.
His gaze still on her.
"…Yui Takamura…"
He repeated her name quietly in his mind.
And somehow—
That "random answer" from the past…
Didn't feel so random anymore.
Kentarou stood still.
"…I should just leave…"
The thought came naturally.
Quietly.
Without making a sound, he turned away—
Ready to walk out.
Kentarou?"
His steps stopped instantly.
"…!"
He froze.
Slowly—
He closed his eyes for a second.
…I shouldn't have come here today.
He turned back.
And there she was.
Yui Takamura.
Looking right at him.
She walked toward him—
Calmly.
Naturally.
But before he could react—
She was already close.
Too close.
"…!"
For a brief moment—
They were almost touching.
Kentarou instinctively stepped back.
His heart suddenly started beating faster.
Loud.
Clear.
"…What is this…"
He forced himself to stay calm.
"…What are you doing here… at this time?" he asked.
Trying to sound normal.
Yui blinked once.
Then smiled slightly.
"I was thirsty," she said casually.
"So I came to get a drink."
Simple.
Honest
Just like that.
Kentarou nodded slowly.
"…I see."
Then—
She suddenly extended her hand.
"…Here."
A bottle.
Cold coffee.
Kentarou blinked.
"…For me?"
"Yeah," she said. "Just a small treat."
He looked at the bottle.
Then—
At her.
And that's when he noticed—
She was holding the same drink.
Another bottle of cold coffee.
"…You got one for yourself too."
"Of course," she smiled lightly. "It would be weird if I didn't."
A small silence followed.
Then—
"…Thanks," Kentarou said quietly, taking it.
"No problem."
—
A few minutes later—
They walked out of the supermarket together.
Side by side.
The night air felt cooler now.
Neither of them spoke immediately.
Just the sound of their footsteps—
And the faint noise of the city around them.
Kentarou glanced at the bottle in his hand.
Still cold.
Just like the moment.
But his thoughts—
Were anything but calm.
_________________________
They walked quietly under the dim streetlights.
The sound of their footsteps echoed softly against the road.
Then—
Yui Takamura broke the silence.
"…Hey."
Kentarou looked at her.
"…Do you have a girlfriend?"
The question came suddenly.
Direct.
Kentarou blinked once.
"…No."
A simple answer.
"I'm single."
Yui nodded slightly.
"…I see."
A short pause.
Then—
Kentarou spoke.
"…What about you?"
She looked ahead, hands in her pockets.
"…Same."
"I'm single too."
Her voice was calm.
Natural.
As if it didn't matter much.
But somehow—
That answer stayed in Kentarou's mind.
They walked a few more steps.
Then—
"I go this way," Yui Takamura said, pointing to the left.
Kentarou stopped.
"…Okay."
She gave a small smile.
"See you tomorrow."
"…Yeah."
And just like that—
She turned.
And walked away.
—
Kentarou stood there for a moment.
Watching her disappear into the night.
Then—
He turned.
And continued toward his home.
Step by step.
Quietly.
But as he walked—
His eyes caught something.
The park.
The same one from before.
He slowed down.
"…Just for a bit."
—
He sat on the bench.
The night was calm.
Cool breeze.
Soft silence.
Kentarou opened the bottle of cold coffee.
Click.
He took a slow sip.
Cold.
Refreshing.
But his thoughts—
Were restless.
Yui Takamura.
Violet.
His story.
Everything mixed together.
He closed his eyes for a second.
Then—
"…I shouldn't get distracted."
His voice was quiet.
But firm.
"…Focus, Kentarou."
Another sip.
"…Only on one thing."
The decision felt clear.
At least for now.
—
Later that night.
His room was dimly lit.
Only the light from his phone illuminated his face.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Time passed again.
Faster this time.
Words flowed more easily.
Scenes connected.
Emotions deepened.
And before he realized—
He stopped.
"…Done."
He looked at the screen.
Twelve chapters.
He had written six more.
A total of twelve.
His novel—
Completed.
Kentarou stared at it.
Silently.
"…What should I do now…"
A small thought.
Then—
He opened the settings.
Two options appeared on the screen.
Pause.
Completed.
His thumb hovered for a second.
No hesitation.
Tap.
He selected—
Completed.
A quiet breath escaped him.
"…It's finished."
For the first time—
He felt something different.
Not just satisfaction.
But a strange calm.
He placed his phone beside him.
Turned off the light.
And lay down.
His eyes slowly closed.
And just like that—
Kentarou drifted into sleep.
__________________________
Sunday, 12th April.
The day had finally come.
The day—
Violet would come to his house.
—
Morning.
Kentarou woke up earlier than usual.
No alarm.
No hesitation.
His eyes opened naturally.
"…Today."
He sat up slowly, his mind already awake.
There was no turning back now.
—
A few minutes later—
The sound of running water echoed through the house.
Kentarou stood under the shower, letting the water fall over him.
Calm.
But inside—
Something felt different.
A quiet anticipation.
—
After getting ready—
He wore a simple t-shirt.
Normal.
But neat.
Carefully chosen.
"…This should be fine."
—
Downstairs—
His father was already in the kitchen.
Preparing the meal.
"I'll help," Kentarou said.
His father looked slightly surprised.
"…That's new."
Kentarou didn't reply.
He simply started helping.
Cutting.
Arranging.
Doing small tasks without being asked.
Time passed.
Slowly.
But steadily.
—
By the time everything was ready—
It was 12:30 PM.
The table was set.
The house was clean.
Everything was prepared.
—
Kentarou walked into the living room.
Sat down on the sofa.
And turned on his phone.
He chose a romantic movie to watch.
"…Perfect timing."
He leaned back.
Watching.
But not fully focused.
His mind drifted.
Every now and then—
To one person.
—
Time passed.
One hour.
Then another
—
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang.
Kentarou stood up instantly.
Kenta rushed beside him.
"I'll open it!" Kenta said.
"No, we both will," Kentarou replied.
They walked to the door.
Opened it.
—
"Ah, hello," Mrs. Kubo stood there with a gentle smile.
"…Hello," Kentarou said.
"You came early," Kenta added.
She laughed lightly.
"My husband and daughters are on the way. They'll be here in a few minutes."
"Please come in," Kentarou said.
She stepped inside.
The house filled with a calm, welcoming atmosphere again.
—
Kentarou returned to the living room.
Sat down.
And continued watching the movie.
But now—
His focus was even less.
His eyes were on the screen—
But his mind was at the door.
Waiting.
—
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang again.
Kentarou stood up immediately.
"…They're here."
He walked toward the door.
Opened it.
—
And there they were.
Mr. Kubo.
Violet's younger sister.
And—
Violet.
Standing right there.
For a moment—
Everything slowed down.
Kentarou's eyes moved—
Straight to her.
And—
She was already looking at him.
Directly.
Into his eyes.
That same gaze.
Calm.
Deep.
Unavoidable.
—
Time paused.
Just for a second.
But it felt longer.
Much longer.
—
And in that moment—
Nothing else mattered.