Thursday.
Morning sunlight quietly entered through the large windows of the house.
An unfamiliar house.
Modern.
Elegant.
Peaceful.
The living room was filled with soft conversations and the smell of coffee.
Violet sat beside her younger sister on the sofa while the adults talked nearby.
Mr. and Mrs. Kubo were there.
Another family was also present.
And surprisingly—
Kentarou's father was there too.
The atmosphere felt calm and friendly.
Like both families had known each other for a long time.
—
"I still can't believe it," the man from the other family laughed proudly. "At this age too…"
Mr. Kubo smiled.
"He worked hard for it."
Kentarou's father nodded while holding a cup of coffee.
"Regional level already at his age is impressive."
The conversation continued naturally.
Mostly about boxing.
Tournaments.
Training.
Future plans.
Violet quietly listened while sitting politely beside her mother.
But her younger sister looked slightly bored already.
"…Adults really can talk forever," she whispered softly.
Violet smiled faintly.
"…A little."
—
Meanwhile—
The conversation became more serious.
"The last match was incredible," Kentarou's father said. "Especially the final round."
The man laughed proudly again.
"He has always been stubborn."
"Stubbornness is important in boxing," Mr. Kubo replied.
Then—
Footsteps echoed from upstairs.
Slow.
Calm.
Everyone looked toward the staircase.
A boy appeared.
But only from behind.
The morning light covered part of his figure.
Tall for his age.
Broad shoulders.
Slightly muscular build.
His dark wolf-cut hair moved lightly as he walked downstairs lazily.
Still half-awake.
"…Morning."
A calm voice.
Deep.
Relaxed.
The adults smiled immediately.
"There he is," the woman laughed warmly.
The boy stretched his arms slightly before walking toward them.
Still—
His face wasn't shown clearly.
Only his side profile occasionally visible beneath the sunlight.
"…You woke up late again," his mother sighed.
"It's vacation."
"That's not an excuse."
"It is for me."
Mr. Kubo laughed loudly.
"This kid hasn't changed."
The boy shrugged casually before sitting down on the sofa opposite to Violet and her sister.
He leaned back comfortably.
Completely relaxed.
Like someone naturally confident without trying too hard.
—
Kentarou's father looked at him with interest.
"So," he smiled, "I heard the tournament went well."
The boy scratched the back of his neck casually.
"…I guess."
"Don't act humble now," his father laughed. "Tell them properly."
A small silence followed.
Then the boy finally spoke again.
"The last tournament made me a regional boxer now."
His voice remained calm.
But the meaning behind those words was heavy.
Regional boxer.
State-level.
At his age—
That was already impressive.
Very impressive.
Violet's younger sister's eyes widened immediately.
"Whoa…"
Even Violet looked slightly surprised.
"…Congratulations," she said softly.
The boy glanced toward her direction for the first time.
"…Thanks."
Still—
His face remained mostly hidden from the scene.
Only small glimpses.
The sharp outline of his jaw.
The tired but calm expression.
And his eyes—
Barely visible beneath his hair.
____________________________
Time passed by.
The adults continued talking about boxing.
Training schedules.
Matches.
Future tournaments.
Meanwhile—
Violet's younger sister quietly leaned closer toward Violet.
"He looks cool."
Violet looked at her calmly.
"You only think that because he's a boxer."
"That's part of the reason."
"…Only part?"
"Mostly because of the aura."
Violet sighed softly.
Meanwhile—
The boy stood up from the sofa.
"I'm leaving."
"So early?" his mother asked.
"Coach called."
"You skipped school just for training again?"
"…Maybe."
His mother sighed tiredly while everyone else laughed softly.
The boy grabbed his sports bag from near the entrance.
Then Kentarou's father smiled slightly.
"You really changed after that tournament."
The boy looked back lazily.
"I just trained more."
"That confidence suits you."
The boy smirked faintly.
"…Confidence wins matches."
Then—
He opened the front door.
The sunlight reflected around him brightly for a moment.
Only a partial side profile of his face became visible.
Sharp eyes.
Calm expression.
A naturally intimidating presence.
Not because he looked angry—
But because he looked fearless.
The door closed softly behind him.
Silence remained for a brief second.
Then Violet's younger sister spoke quietly.
"…He seriously feels like the main character of some sports anime."
Mr. Kubo laughed loudly.
"That kid has always been like that."
Meanwhile—
Violet quietly looked toward the closed door for a moment.
Without saying anything.
And somewhere else in Seoul—
Completely unaware of everything—
Kentarou continued living his normal school life.
Not knowing—
That someone had quietly stepped into the story.
At the same time—
Inside the classroom—
Kentarou was staring outside the window again.
The bright blue sky reflected softly through the glass.
But his mind was somewhere else entirely.
"…Violet…"
He quietly thought her name inside his mind.
Then slowly—
The memories of yesterday began replaying one after another.
Han River Park.
The coffee scene.
The bookstore.
Rockie sitting on her shoulder.
And her smile.
That small gentle smile she had shown him several times yesterday.
Kentarou slowly rested his chin on his hand.
"…That was fun…"
For the first time in a long while—
He truly felt happy.
Not because of school.
Not because of writing novels.
But because he had spent time with someone important to him.
—
Then suddenly—
Another memory appeared inside his mind.
Older.
Far older.
Grade 7.
The very first time Violet came to Seoul.
—
A younger Kentarou stood awkwardly near the entrance of a house.
Nervous.
Quiet.
Holding a small gift bag in his hand.
Back then—
He was even worse at talking to people.
Especially girls.
And especially Violet.
He still remembered it clearly.
April.
The weather was slightly cold.
Cherry blossoms had started blooming around the streets.
And he had been invited to Violet's birthday party.
At first—
He almost didn't go.
But his mother forced him to attend.
—
"You'll regret it later if you don't," she had told him.
And somehow—
She was right.
Because that day became unforgettable to him.
—
The memory continued.
Young Kentarou quietly entered the party while avoiding eye contact with everyone.
Children were laughing loudly.
Talking happily.
Meanwhile—
He stood silently in one corner holding his juice awkwardly.
Until—
A girl suddenly walked toward him.
"…You came."
Violet.
Back then—
Her hair was longer, but shorter than the present self.
But her eyes remained exactly the same.
Beautiful.
Clear.
Impossible to ignore.
Young Kentarou immediately panicked internally.
"…Y-Yeah."
"You don't look happy."
"…I am."
"…You look scared."
"…Maybe."
Violet laughed softly.
A small innocent laugh.
And somehow—
That laugh stayed inside Kentarou's memories for years.
—
Back to present.
Kentarou slowly blinked.
The classroom noises returned around him.
Students talking.
Pages turning.
Teacher speaking somewhere in front.
But Kentarou remained lost in thought.
"…Her birthday…"
He quietly remembered the month again.
April.
Which meant—
It was coming soon.
Then suddenly—
Another image appeared in his mind.
The shopping mall.
That silver necklace Violet had stared at.
Simple.
Beautiful.
The way she quietly looked at it.
Kentarou slowly straightened his posture.
"…Maybe…"
His heart started beating slightly faster again.
"…I should buy it."
The thought escaped naturally.
A birthday present.
For Violet.
Immediately—
His brain started overthinking.
Wait.
Would that be weird?
Too sudden?
Too much?
What if she misunderstands?
What if her parents misunderstand?
What if she hates necklaces?
Then—
He remembered her eyes while looking at it.
"…No."
She definitely liked it.
Kentarou quietly looked outside the window once again.
The sunlight reflected softly across his face.
And for the first time in his life—
He had decided to buy a gift for a girl.
Not because someone told him to.
Not because of politeness.
But because—
He genuinely wanted to make her happy.
_______________________________
After school.
Kentarou stood in front of the same shopping mall he had visited with Violet before.
The evening sunlight reflected brightly across the glass walls of the building.
People continuously entered and exited through the automatic doors.
Meanwhile—
Kentarou quietly looked upward.
"…Alright."
His heartbeat felt strangely nervous.
Not because of exams.
Not because of school.
But because today—
He was buying a gift for Violet.
—
He entered the mall calmly.
But inside—
His thoughts were completely chaotic.
What if someone from school sees me buying a necklace?
What if they misunderstand?
Actually… this IS exactly what it looks like.
"…This is embarrassing…"
He muttered quietly while walking.
Still—
His feet continued moving toward the accessories section.
—
A few minutes later—
Kentarou arrived at the same shop from before.
The same bright lights.
The same display shelves.
The same atmosphere.
And somewhere there—
Was the necklace Violet had looked at.
Or at least—
That was what he hoped.
Kentarou slowly walked around the store.
Looking carefully at every section.
Silver necklaces.
Heart-shaped lockets.
Bracelets.
Decorative chains.
But—
"…Not here."
He looked again.
And again.
Still nothing.
His expression slowly became serious.
"…Did someone buy it already?"
For some reason—
That possibility hurt more than it should have.
He quietly continued searching around the shop for several more minutes.
Until finally—
A female staff member noticed him wandering around repeatedly.
"Excuse me," she smiled politely. "Are you searching for something specific?"
Kentarou immediately became awkward.
"…Uh…"
How was he supposed to explain this?
"A necklace a girl stared at while I stared at her staring at it"?
Impossible.
He looked away slightly.
"…There was a silver necklace here before."
"What kind?"
Kentarou paused for a moment.
Then surprisingly—
He remembered every detail clearly.
"The chain was thin."
"The design was simple."
"There was a small moon-shaped pendant."
"And… it reflected light a little."
The staff blinked.
Then smiled knowingly.
"Ah, I think I know which one you mean."
"…Really?"
"Please wait a moment."
Kentarou stood there quietly while the staff checked another section inside the store.
A few seconds later—
She returned holding a small box.
"…Is this the one?"
Kentarou's eyes widened slightly.
It was exactly the same necklace.
The one Violet had stared at.
The same silver shine.
The same moon-shaped design.
"…Yeah."
A small smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
"This one."
—
Some time later—
Kentarou exited the mall carrying a small paper bag.
Inside it—
Was Violet's birthday present.
The evening breeze passed softly around him as he walked through the streets of Seoul.
And for once—
His expression looked genuinely happy.
"…I actually bought it…"
Even he couldn't believe it.
Kentarou looked down at the carry bag again.
Then suddenly—
His imagination started running wildly.
—
Scene 1.
He gives the necklace calmly.
Violet smiles beautifully.
Then says:
"I'll treasure it forever."
—
Scene 2.
A romantic atmosphere.
Cherry blossoms flying everywhere for some reason.
Violet blushes slightly.
Then whispers:
"…Can you put it on for me?"
—
Scene 3.
Movie-level dramatic lighting.
Wind blowing aggressively.
Someone probably playing piano in the background.
—
"…What am I even imagining?!"
Kentarou immediately shook his head violently.
His face felt slightly hot from embarrassment.
Focus, idiot.
It's just a birthday gift.
Then suddenly—
Thud.
"…Ah."
Kentarou accidentally bumped into someone while walking.
The other person stepped back slightly.
"I'm sorry," Kentarou said immediately out of habit.
Then—
He looked up.
And froze.
"…Takamura?"
Yui Takamura stood in front of him.
Wearing casual clothes instead of her school uniform.
A drink in one hand.
Shopping bags in the other.
She blinked in surprise too.
"…Kentarou?"
Silence.
Then—
Her eyes slowly shifted downward.
Toward the small carry bag in his hand.
And a very suspicious smile slowly appeared on her face.