Author's Note: Have a great birthday, Jaronyan! Thank you so much for your friendship and your emotional support. I'm happy to have met a friend like you, and thank you for sharing your lovely art with me! :)
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He had always claimed that he never stood out much.
His serene smile and kind emerald eyes had drawn me in immediately. He was so different from my nervous, excitable self, and I found myself craving what it was he had – this mysterious aura of peace and calm.
A warm touch.
Butterfly kisses.
Dandelion seeds floating on the breeze.
And smiles.
So many smiles.
I forgot how good they could feel when they were genuine.
He was gentle and so much kinder than I had ever been handled, and I quickly found myself craving his closeness.
When asked what his hobby was, he replied that it was napping with a grin. I used to wonder what kind of person would respond to a question that way, but when I first heard his gentle snore at my side as we sat under the shade of the trees on my farm together and I could see the content and pleasant smile playing at the corner of his mouth, I couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
What was he experiencing in that world of dreams? Was it the secret to his serenity? Who could be so comfortable left alone with their subconscious thoughts like that?
Soft chuckles.
Starry eyes.
A childlike wonder I had thought I abandoned years ago.
He's what I wish I could be – what I strive for.
Stomach twisted into a pile of nerves.
Itchy sweat pouring down my forehead.
Heart pounding.
Grinding teeth in frustration.
I was, and still am, an awful farmer, and an even more terrible manager of my own emotions. I often wondered if I embarrassed him sometimes – him being associated with me. He would just laugh and look out at the waves, the wind tousling his cropped locks.
"You're a great person, Akari."
He'd state it as a fact and say it with such sincerity that I'd almost believe it.
If only I could. I longed to be a worthy partner for him.
After all, he was the gentle sea breeze that played at my hair, the laughter of the seagulls bobbing along the waves. He was the morning light peeking out from over the horizon.
He had always claimed that he never stood out much.
He was such a liar.