Heroine's name is Mizugi Aoi.

CHAPTER 1: THE WIDE SKY

The sound of the waves and the smell of the sea, it's nostalgic. I closed my eyes as I walking down the road. It's been a long time since I first came here. The sea breeze touched my skin, brought the warm smell of sea along with it. I remembered, when I came here, I was crying. I don't know the reason why. But I was sitting at the beach, crying over something which I cannot remember anymore.

Alone?

I slowly opened up my eyes and tightened my grasp. I'm not alone at that time. I remembered clearly, there's a boy. I don't remember his face or his name anymore, but I have a feeling I did know who that boy was. I know he was the reason I stopped crying. I remembered how he asked if I'm a mermaid or not.

A mermaid.

I kept walking down the street when I realized I'm at the beach. The sunshine touched my eyes, made me squinted a bit. It's warm and calming. I remembered I was at the same place as that time. The same town, the same beach, the same scenery, the same wind and the same sky. I still remember, the day when I can't find my father or my mother anywhere. The day when I cried. Also, the day when I met him.

I lifted up my head, facing the sky. From today on, I'm a high school student. And for whatever reason, I won't cry anymore. I turned my gaze and stopped when I saw a building up on the hill. It looked pretty old so I started to walk closer to that building.

Sangosho? Some kind of store, perhaps?, I thought. I turned my eyes to the window, and saw someone there. I don't think he's that old, maybe he's around my age or so. But somehow, he looks kind of familiar, though I don't recognize ever met him before. I looked at my wristwatch, and gasped. It's almost the time to go home.

I ran down the hill, walked across the beach, trying to find my way home. And good grief—I forgot the way back. I ended up at the same place, despite how hard I tried to find my way back home. I leaked out a sigh. So I lost, and on top of that, today is my high school opening ceremony. I'll surely be in trouble if I can't go back home on time. I turned my back, and I saw the same person who I saw before, stood right behind me.

"Do you need anything?" he asked. I found his voice is kind of cold, he's not even smiling. I nodded, feel kind of guilty. "Uhm, I lost. Can you give me a direction? I came here before when I was a child but I lost my way because it's been such a long time, so..." I answered with a low voice.

"Oh." He said. "I'll throw this first, then I'll draw you a map so you can go back to the station. Is that okay? Alright, now move. You are blocking my way."

I glanced at his hands, they both carried a big trash plastic, and move a little further so he can go throw the trash. He doesn't have to say it that way, though. I mean, he can say that a little more polite than that, right? Now I understand what they meant by don't judge a book by its cover. It's kind of true now.

After that, he went back to the store. A few minutes later he came up and handed me a little scrap of paper. "You just have to follow the direction I drew you here." He didn't say anything other than that—he glared at me too, as if telling me to go away, so I just bowed and rushed back home. I looked at the paper he gave me on my hand. Nobody can say it's a good drawing, though as a direction map, it's not that awful.

Around ten minutes after that, I arrived at the station and took the train. I glanced at my wristwatch on my left wrist hand. It says I still have about twenty more minutes before the opening ceremony begin. I sighed deeply this time, leaned my back against the train chair. That rude man—I don't know why, but it feels nostalgic. And I can't shove him off my mind, too. I wonder why.

"Attention, passenger. We are arriving at Habataki Station shortly."

I rushed out as soon as the train stopped. Today is 1st April, and we are in the middle of spring. So it's not that weird when so many of cherry blossoms petals are floating beautifully. But still, I stopped and watched them falling slowly. The spring breeze feels so comforting when uncountable cherry blossoms petals floating around.

"…Ah!"

A startled man's voice made me turned my back, stopped me from watching the scattered cherry blossoms. The very same man I met this morning. The only thing that's different is that he's wearing the same uniform as me. "You are… from this morning. So you are a high school student?"

"Wait, come here for a second!" He suddenly draw closer and grabbed my wrist, dragged me to the back of the school building. "So you are a first year…"

I nodded. "Uhm, yeah. I'm Mizugi Aoi, nice to meet you. About this morning—"

Before I can finish my line, he quickly stopped me with his voice. "Saeki Teru, first year. About this morning, make sure you don't talk about it at all at school. Do you understand? I mean, the fact that I work at the store."

"I won't tell anyone." I replied. "Ano, but—"

"That's all. Later."

Saeki rushed back without listening to what I need to say. I leaked out a deep sigh once again. Why does he have to act so important like that?, I thought. I shook my head and slap my own face. No, focus! Forget about him, you won't ever have any business with him anymore so get back to your senses! From now on, you are a Hanegasaki High School student. You have tons of things to worry about other than thinking about him!

A long, boring speech delivered by the principal at the opening ceremony began shortly after I got back. Just another typical non-important speech that can bring you to sleep after five minutes since started. The students scattered after the opening ceremony ended, so do I. I walked around the corridor, looked up trying to find my classroom.

"Are you, by any chance, looking for your classroom?"

I turned around and a girl with long, black hair smiled at me. She's pretty, so typical old-fashioned Japanese girl with her way of speaking, since she speak in a very polite way. She's tall, skinny and so feminine. "Ah, yes. I'm looking for class 1-B."

"Class 1-B is that way." She said softly. I bowed and thanked her, calling her a senpai since I thought that she's older than me, but she replied in a dissapointed voice. "Do I really look that old? We're in the same grade though… But, it's fine. My name is Mizushima Misoka. "Misoka" from the same kanji as "secret". Nice to meet you."

"My name is Mizugi Aoi. Nice to meet you too, Mizushima-san."

"Fufufu, my horoscope for today said that I will meet a new friend when asked for direction. Do you think we can be friends?"

"Of course." I replied with smile.

"It would be nice if our high school days can be fun." She chuckled, tingled her fingers behind her back. "They have many clubs here. Are you planning to join one?"

"Probably…" I replied with a low voice as we walked together to our own classrooms. "What about you, Mizushima-san?"

"I'll probably join the brass band club." She answered with a little sweet laugh. "Don't you have something in mind? They have quite a lot of clubs here, I think."

"I don't know… yet." I shrug, stopped my feet right in front of my classroom by the time the bell rang. "Well, I'll see you later, Mizushima-san."

The classroom is quite a fuss right now. Some boys were gathered together in one group while the girls were gathered together in one corner. I stepped my foot inside and someone tapped my shoulder from behind. A man with a brown hair and laboratory white jacket smiled at me. "It's almost time, right? Get to your sit."

He clapped his hand a few times and stood in front of the class. "Everyone, calm down." I don't know why but most of the class laughed when he said that. Probably because he doesn't look scary at all, I'm not sure. But he doesn't look like he's bothered by it, so I guess its okay. Or maybe, he's used to it. Whatever is fine. "Eeeh, first of all, I want to say congratulations and welcome to Hanegasaki High. I'm Wakaouji Takafumi and from now on, I'll be your homeroom teacher for the next one year. And, uh, let's everyone have their self-introduction. Uhm, how about we start with this row?"

I felt like everyone were glancing at me so I stood up. "My name is Mizugi Aoi. I just moved to this city a little while ago. Nice to meet you." I bowed a little but when I tried to sit back, someone's voice interrupted me.

"Say, when is your birthday and your hobby?"

"I was born on January 1st and I don't really have any particular hobbies but I'm quite good at gymnastic fitness I guess."

I heard a lot of whisphers after that, and when I sat back on my chair, someone poked me from behind. I turned my face and a girl smiled at me. "Hey, hey. Did you watch Fashion Report last night?" A kansai dialect. I nodded at her as an answer. "Yeah, about that lipstick?"

"Right, right. Do you remember what kind of lipstick they were talking about? I'm not sure, I think it's something ended with "smile". Uhm, uhm. They were also talking about that brand new accessories from the store near the station."

"I think it's called Angel Smile. Oh, and you were right. The accessories was so cute, isn't it? Even though it maybe expensive."

She nodded with agreement and excitement. "Yes, yes! I wish I could get a little bit more money from my part-time job. But I guess it's no use. I mean, not everyone could look cute with that accessories. I know it's kind of irresistable since it's kind of cute, no it really is cute! Phew, maybe I should wait until New Year, but New Year is your birthday! Gah, I'm confused. Anyway, I'm Nishimoto Haruhi, nice to meet you Aoi! I thought that you look kind of distant but actually you're really nice!"

"Me? Distant?"

"Yeah, I mean you're cute and somehow brought a different atmosphere, so—Well, anyway. I saw you this morning at the opening ceremony. Were you talking with Saeki Teru back then? That's amazing!"

I raised an eyebrow when she said that. "Amazing?"

"Hum, well. He's the school prince, that's why. Good in academic and sports, also… Well, he's nice to everyone, maybe that's why everyone likes him so much."

"He's not that… nice."

"You think so? That's kind of weird. Oh by the way, let's change phone number. They say we can't use our cellphone during the class, but anyway. Who follows the rule? Hey, hey. Did you went to this confectionary store? They have a really good rare cheesecake and shortcake. I love sweets sooo much. Doesn't matter you gained weight because of it or anything, who cares! Well I do care sometimes when somehow I gained 3 kilograms. Uuuh… Hey, hey. Do you want to eat lunch together today?"

So, he seems to be nice to everyone. But he's not that nice to me. Or maybe it's just me?

I lifted up my head. I sat next to the window, and because my classroom is on the second floor, I could see a wide sky as if it's next to me. The same sky I saw nine years ago. The very same sky I saw when I still have my father and my mother besides me. I narrowed my eyes a little. I'm seeing the same sky as that boy saw. That day, or maybe right now if he's still here. If I, somehow, meet him, I know I'm not the same anymore.

I won't be the same as myself nine years ago.