Teal eyes look towards the cloudy sky, but they are not clear. Her eyes, like the rest of the city, are polluted and unclear. Her hair, separated into two long ponytails down pass her back, flutter briefly with the breeze along with her uniform's navy blue knee-length skirt. Her friends look at her in mock concern but without surprise.
"Are you alright," the one with blue hair asks. He, unlike the others who have grown accustomed to girl's strange behaviors, still questions her.
Her eyes continue to look up at the sky as if she hadn't heard him. Children playing in the park can be heard faintly in the distance. He, Kaito, begins to think she didn't hear him and contemplate whether or not to speak again. She makes his decision for him.
"Not yet," she whispers, eyes connected to the sky as if she can see something pass the fluffy grey clouds that no one else can. Finally, as she does every time this happens, she looks forward again and continues walking as if nothing happened, a small smile on her lips.
The smile, Kaito notices, is not a pleasant one but a bittersweet smile of hope. Miku always has hope for humanity, no matter what anyone tells her.
He doesn't know if she's optimistic or just stupid.
The group of high school students continue walking, conversing about unfair homework assignments and popular culture, as they do every day after school. Kaito stays silence unless spoken to, his peripheral vision on the teal-haired girl who doesn't speak nor is spoken to.
The sun is starting to set while the group of five or so teenagers eat cheap burgers and chat around a vending machine.
"I have dreams," Miku suddenly says.
Kaito blinks and looks over at the girl who is looking at the sky now darkened and reflecting only city lights, not stars. He almost thinks he has imagined her speaking but she speaks again.
"I'm close," her arms stretch above her as if she's reaching for a star that isn't there. Everyone else is still talking, either oblivious or ignoring the girl. Kaito stares at her silently, waiting patiently for her to continue.
"But there's a long way to go and I can't see the end," she continues, contradicting her pervious words. Her arms fall back to her sides and she meets his eyes for the first time he can remember. Her eyes are unclear, polluted and he wonders if his own look just as weary.
"If I stop breathing right now, do you think I'll see something soon?"
She's probably crazy, he realizes. She doesn't seem to expect an answer and probably wouldn't care about his opinion anyway so her eyes turn back to the sky, the sun now completely set. He doesn't know what to do so her keeps eating, pretending the one-sided conversation never happened.
The next day, the group meet in the courtyard before class, chatting as usual. When Miku arrives, no one greets her or make a move to acknowledge her presence unless she greets them first. She doesn't.
When Kaito looks at her, she's already looking at the sky and the bittersweet hopeful smile is on her face again. Her lips part and Kaito already know what she'll whisper to herself like she does every morning when no one is paying attention to her, but him of course.
"I'll roll today too."
He decides to do something he's never done before today, to be spontaneous. He replies.
"You're tired of it right?"
Miku's eyes avert from the sky to look at the boy next to her. Her expression asks her question for her and he explains.
"Trying so hard, being alone—you're tired of it, right? You just want to end it all, right?"
The tealette smiles politely but doesn't speak even as the bell rings, acting as if she didn't hear him. Kaito lingers for a moment, partially in disbelief but still part of him expected it. The courtyard is clear and the tardy bell rings but he only looks up at the cloudy sky she loves so much.
"Iki wo yameru no, ima."
Note: This is just a personal entry. I am not looking for any sort of criticism, whether constructive or not.