"You lost it?"
Chieri winced at the sharpness in her teacher's voice. Her fingers tightened around the strap of her backpack.
"I'm sorry..." she said quietly, her eyes downcast.
"It was a borrowed reference book for your upcoming exam, Chieri. Do you understand how important that is?"
"Yes. I'll…! I'll find it!."
The teacher sighed, clearly disappointed. "Be more responsible next time."
Chieri gave a small bow. "Okay..."
She left the classroom without another word, her steps light but her chest heavy. Her classmates passed her by, chatting and laughing. She tried to look normal as she walked down the corridor, but inside her thoughts were spiraling.
Why do I even have to study?
Everyone else seems to know what they're doing. What about me? What am I even good at?
Her lips pressed into a thin line.
I don't even know what I want to be…
I try so hard, but it always feels like I'm two steps behind. Like I'm just… floating.
Her footsteps slowed near the school gate.
I lost the book.
I should replace it. That's the right thing to do…
She sighed.
"I'm such an idiot"
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows on the pavement as she walked home, the sky gently turning orange. On her way, she stopped by the small convenience store at the corner.
"Chocolate strawberry, please," she said politely.
The shopkeeper nodded and went to the back to scoop it.
As she waited, her eyes drifted up to the little wall-mounted TV behind the counter. It was playing a clip of some old idol group performing on stage — bright lights, cheers, flawless moves.
Her gaze lingered.
"…Idol, huh," she murmured under her breath.
She wasn't sure if it was admiration, envy, or just curiosity that made her pause. Something about the energy on screen felt distant — not bad, just unreachable. Like another world.
"Here you go," the shopkeeper said with a smile, handing her the ice cream.
"Thank you!"
She snapped back to reality and took it with both hands, nodding politely before heading out.
As she reached her front door, her thoughts returned to the missing book.
"I think I have that book somewhere in the house..."
She looked up at the quiet home.
"…Maybe in the wardrobe?"
With a quiet breath, she stepped inside.
Essential Modern Literature — and it wasn't on her desk, under her bed, or in her backpack. She scowled at the mess around her room, rubbed the back of her neck, and reluctantly turned toward the old wardrobe in the corner.
She hardly touched it. It had been there since before she could remember, and her grandmother never told her what was inside. Just an old piece of furniture. Heavy. Quiet. Out of the way.
But if the book was anywhere, it was probably buried in there.
She pulled open the door.
The faint smell of aged paper and fabric rose up. A stack of folded blankets. A box pushed far in the back. She reached in, hands brushing over dust and cardboard, and pulled it toward her.
It was heavier than she expected. Inside, she found—
CDs.
Stacks of jewel cases with unfamiliar titles. A rolled-up poster, sealed in a plastic tube. Photo cards and shiny acrylic keychains. One item caught her eye in particular — a sleek black lightstick with silver engraving.
She stared. The name printed on everything was clear.
ROMEO.
"RO…M…EO…? ROMEO?"
She frowned. Was it a drama? A band? A boy group?
She sifted through the contents slowly, the way you do when you know you've accidentally stepped into someone else's memories. Her fingertips hovered over the names listed on a tour DVD — Naoya,Junkichi,Hekima and Akira.
Then she saw it. A photo. Four men. Young. Charismatic. Radiant.
Her gaze locked on one of them. The one in the center.
Dark hair. Striking blue eyes.
Something about his presence unsettled her — not in a bad way. Just unfamiliar. She tilted her head, studying him. There was nothing she could explain, but the longer she stared, the more her curiosity grows deeper.
She looked at the name beneath him.
Naoya.
The last name wasn't listed.
She stood and walked to her desk, grabbing her laptop. The DVD still worked. The menu opened with cheesy early 2000s graphics and glowing letters. She clicked Play All.
The concert began.
At first, she watched with detached interest. Flashing lights. The crowd's cheers. Typical idol stuff, right?
But as the first song played, her attention narrowed. The center—Naoya. He moved with control, power, and clarity. Even in his smiles, there was something raw and eye-catching about him.
She leaned forward without realizing.
There were close-ups. Wide shots. Behind-the-scenes moments where the members laughed together, leaned on each other, teased one another between takes. But always, her eyes returned to him.
Naoya.
"I wonder what his full name is.."
Suddenly Chieri's phone buzzed sharply beside her laptop. She blinked, snapping out of the trance the screen had pulled her into, and reached for it.
"Ah, Mayu-chan?" she answered, eyes still fixed on the video. "Why did you call me?"
"Can you come out for a bit?" Mayu's voice came through the line, soft but direct. "I'm outside your house."
"Outside…?" Chieri turned her head toward the window, confused. She stood up, pushed the curtain aside—and there she was. Mayu stood across the narrow street, just at the edge of the little park in front of her house, waving slightly as their eyes met.
"Ah—okay! I'll come down now!" Chieri said, already moving.
She hung up quickly and rushed out of her room, feet light against the wooden floor. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, her grandmother looked up from the television.
"Chieri?"
"I'm meeting Mayu for a while!" Chieri called out gently without slowing, grabbing the door handle.
Before her grandmother could reply, Chieri was already out the door.
The evening breeze brushed against her cheeks as she stepped into the cool air. The sky had deepened into navy blue, and the streetlamps cast soft glows on the pavement. Mayu stood in the park just a few meters away, wearing a plain black hoodie. Her hands were buried in her pockets, her gaze focused on the empty swing set.
Chieri approached slowly.
Mayu turned to face her. Her expression was calm, but there was a weariness in her eyes.
"Chieri."
"Mayu! What's wrong?" Chieri asked, concern slipping into her voice as she took a step closer.
"Sorry for the sudden disturbance," Mayu said, her voice low but steady. "I just wanted to relax for a bit and talk to someone."
Chieri nodded, standing quietly beside her.
Mayu's gaze dropped to the ground for a moment before she spoke again. "My mom and dad have work overseas. I might not be able to come to school again."
Chieri blinked in surprise.
"I have to take care of my siblings…" Mayu continued. "So I've been wondering… if you can tell the teacher about it."
"Of course I can do that! I'll tell them tomorrow." Chieri replied quickly, her voice full of assurance.
Mayu chuckled softly. "Really, thank you."
They both fell silent, their attention drifting to the sky above them, where faint stars began to appear beyond the city's haze. The world felt quiet here—just the sound of wind brushing through leaves.
After a while, Chieri spoke, her voice barely louder than the breeze. "T-this is sudden but do you know where you want to go after graduating?"
Mayu's expression flickered—something unreadable passed through her eyes. Her mouth opened slightly, but she gave a short laugh instead. "I can't even focus on studying. I might end up failing."
"Don't say that, Isn't there something you want to do?" Chieri turned to her, searching her face for some kind of spark.
Mayu stayed silent for a while,she only stared at the stars.
Chieri began speaking again to break the silent "…I'm not sure what I want to be either," Chieri said after a pause. "Everything feels so blurry."
Mayu exhaled slowly. "We still have a lot of time," she said, eyes still fixed above. "So I think we can take it easy. Right?"
She turned to Chieri, her brows furrowed slightly, but there was a smile on her lips.
Chieri smiled back, a soft giggle escaping her. "I think that's true."
Suddenly, Mayu's phone rang. She glanced at the screen and picked it up, turning her back slightly as she answered.
"Yes, Mom?"
"…I'm at the park now. I'll be back soon.."
"…Yes."
She ended the call and turned back to Chieri, a trace of apology in her eyes.
"Sorry, Chieri. I have to go now. I'll see you again later," she said with a gentle, tired smile.
"Oh! W–well then… see you later! Take care!" Chieri called after her, waving slightly, caught off guard by the sudden goodbye.
Mayu gave a small wave in return and jogged off into the distance, her hoodie swaying with her steps until she disappeared around the corner.
Chieri stood there for a moment longer, then let out a small sigh, shrugging her shoulders. "Must be busy," she murmured.
She turned and walked back toward the house, the cool air lingering around her like a question left hanging.
As Chieri stepped back into the house, the familiar scent of wood and laundry detergent wrapped around her. She moved quietly up the stairs, her footsteps softer this time. Her thoughts were still drifting, still tangled up in Mayu's tired smile and the way she said goodbye.
When she reached the hallway, her eyes narrowed.
"Huh? My light's off…" she murmured, blinking at the dim outline of her door. "Did Grandma close it?"
She sighed, brushing it off with a half-hearted shrug. "Sigh… whatever."
She turned the knob and stepped into her darkened room. The air inside was cooler than before, still and silent. She didn't bother turning on the light—her mind was elsewhere. Mayu's voice echoed faintly in her head: "We still have a lot of time."
"Even so…" Chieri whispered to herself, the weight of uncertainty pressing gently against her chest.
She took a few steps forward—and then bang.
"Ah—!!"
Pain shot through her knee as she slammed straight into the edge of her desk. A stack of papers shifted noisily, and something slid with a soft clatter.
"Ow—ow ow ow…!" she whined, stumbling back and dropping to the floor.
Unseen in the darkness, a CD album with the word ROMEO embossed on the cover slid smoothly off the desk. It landed right into her open schoolbag, its presence unnoticed.
Chieri sat on the floor, her brows furrowed, blowing gently at her knee. "That hurts! Why is this desk so hard…?"
Still wincing, she dragged herself up and flopped onto her bed without turning on the light. The cool fabric of the blanket met her skin, calming the sting in her leg. She lay there in silence for a while, the shadows of the ceiling barely visible above her.
"I wonder if Mayu is fine…" she murmured.
The quiet hum of the house was the only reply.
Her eyelids grew heavier. The ache in her knee dulled into a distant throb. And slowly, without even realizing, she slipped into sleep—still curled in the echo of Mayu's voice, the stars, and the breeze.
To be continued