It was one of the usual days in the household of Mayuzumis.
One older man put out his white coat, casually hanging it on a rack beside the entrance door.
"I'm home." was his first greeting to the audience of the house.
The house was neat, small but enough for three people living under.
A woman was in the midst of preparing dinner.Anyone could tell that she was a housewife at night but an employee by day, judging the formal business attire but with an apron on.
From the kitchen, there was a hallway leading to the living room. An array of decorative stuff were placed on top of one long table ranging from small family portraits, solo pictures, a flower vase, a charger of phone, an ipad, clock, and group of plaques that had the name of Mayuzumi Mahiro printed on it. Though, the one that stood out the most was the gold-type plate that had the word Outstanding Physicist of the Year, National level, Mayuzumi Mahiro.
Then there was a child silently occupied by a book in the living room.
"Aha, Chihiro is reading a book again." Mayuzumi Mahiro beamed, peeking beside the shoulder of his son.
Although reading was a good hobby, he was worried that his son was spending too much time with random books instead of playing and socializing with other kids outside. He was afraid the kid would grow up secluded.
A slight nod followed by a "Welcome home." was heard from the child who bore the same facial features as him.
The older Mayuzumi squinted at the picture in the book, after all, the young one seemed so glued on that particular page.
"The moon again?" he mumbled while loosening his tie. Lately, he noticed his son was too absorbed in reading information about that heavenly object.
Chihiro only nodded.
Normally, Mahiro would leave the boy alone, as to not be a bother. However, he heard the boy suddenly speak. "There's a place in the moon that's called Sea of Tranquillity."
"...Is there now? Hmmm, are you interested?"
At a young age, he didn't quite understand the meaning behind that place but somehow it piqued his curiosity.
"...What does that word mean? Tranquillity?" he mused.
"..." Despite not being the most expert person when it came to the moon or any astronomical object, he was at least knew the meaning of that word.
"That means serenity and peace."
To think that even the moon had that kind of place. It was fascinating.
What would a place of peace be like?
In the picture, Chihiro couldn't really see anything extraordinary that would support the title. After all, there didn't seem to be anything in there except dust and rocks. A serene and peaceful place would be like a beautiful garden filled with nature and refreshing air.
Such place don't exist. The boy knew better not to be fooled.
Perhaps it was just a name and actually didn't mean anything.
"Don't you think it's nice? Makes you want to visit, right?" His father chuckled.
Without eyeing the man, Chihiro just gave a shrug, unimpressed and somehow in dismay.
"...only if it's real."
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When Mayuzumi was a freshman, there was an event that happened. It was shortly after his club activities ended.
Normally, if he opened his shoe locker, the only thing he would see was his pair of footwear, however, for some unexpected and unexplainable reason, there was one more object inside, resting in between of his shoes as if it belonged there.
A letter...
Of course, Mayuzumi Chihiro wasn't dense to be unaware of what it was. Though, he couldn't help but be doubtful of its presence.
A moment of hesitation occurred as he questioned the purpose of the white envelope.
It definitely was that.
It definitely was one of those things he often read in his LNs.
How very unlikely of him to receive one.
Mayuzumi took his pair of shoes first, dropping it naturally on the floor. Then a short and small glance shifted back inside the shoe locker.
The letter was still there, resting flatly in the surface. Due to the unfamiliar and quite estranged situation he was in, his face couldn't decide what kind of expression to display.
He had not yet uttered anything, even to his self. So after a few while of staring, he finally picked the letter to perceive the content.
His brows frowned all of a sudden seeing the pink and heart-shaped stickers acting as the lock.
Inside the envelope was a piece of letter properly folded in three.
This heart lock and kind of folding were the alter-ego of a species called 'girl'. He swallowed and slowly—but calmly, began unfolding the letter.
Dear Mizuki-sama...
Who?
It was a good thing his face was so accustomed to poker face.
It was a good thing that he didn't bother grinning—though that was so unlike him to begin with.
And it was a good thing that he knew just how impossible it would be.
Clearly, it wasn't for him.
Mizuki was different from Mayuzumi after all.
Simultaneously, he heard a soft squeal behind. When he turned on his back, there was an agitated girl, wanting to speak but was scared to even open her mouth. She stood there while trembling on her spot.
She was staring at the letter in his possession.
No mistaking it.
Judging that, Mayuzumi could already tell that she was the author of this letter and currently, she was too devastated to find out that she got the wrong locker and that someone—a stranger, was reading it instead.
The freshman—Mayuzumi handed the letter back to the girl before walking away from her eyesight. He also didn't bother leaving a word or anything because he had seen this coming, and he didn't care.
Fast forward to the current time, he could say that what happened back then was the closest interaction he had gotten in the so called highschool romance.
He was already a third-year student and no one had dared confessed to him.
That was only natural, to have someone remember him was already rare, so hoping for a confession would be impossible.
Nevertheless, he wasn't interested on such things.
Dating and romance were something he believed as stressful. He would rather read than that. In addition, the characters in his LNs were much more interesting, if he must say.
His eyes fell at the figure of one girl who had been bugging his mind for some time. Ever since that trip with his teammates from the basketball club which apparently included the same girl, they had became closer. But not that close to the point where they'd be sitting side by side while chitchatting about their day.
She was sitting beside the entrance door of the rooftop. It was unusual for her to be there before him, he noted in his mind.
Currently, she was reading a book, the same book he had, also in the same volume. So she already bought her own copy, he thought.
He chose not to greet the girl even though—according to her— they were like...already friends. Truthfully, his reason was because of the earphones attached on the girl's ears.
For a second before he walked forward, he wondered what it was that she listened all the time.
He sat near the railings, leaning his back against the group of vertical bars as he opened his book.
Few minutes passed, Hotaru gazed up from her book, as if she just noticed the presence of the newly arrived student.
"Mayuzumi-san." she greeted with a smile.
It felt like it had been a long time since they shared the rooftop.
Mayuzumi just shot a small nod as a response.
And since she believed they were already friends, Hotaru took her time to wait if he would speak, unfortunately for her, he didn't, and so she continued on reading.
Every lunch break, the two would always spend their free time at the rooftop.
Approximately half an hour after when Hotaru suddenly clasped the pages of her book when she let out a heavy air. "That...was a real cliffhanger." she commented to herself.
Meanwhile, Mayuzumi was long done with his own book and he was just re-reading some parts that he personally liked. Indeed, it ended with a cliffhanger.
In the surface of his sight, he noticed that the girl already stood up from her spot. Her figure was gradually getting bigger... or more like, she was actually approaching him. Mayuzumi decided to look up welcoming her with his unfazed expression—even though, honestly, he was quite surprised.
Her shadow completely towered him and somehow it reminded him of the first time she appeared in his front asking him to stop coming at this place.
"Do you..." she paused, looking around before she crouched down to his front as she tucked her skirts behind and sealed it at the back of her knees. "...Do you know when will they release the volume 3?"
Her gaze was sharp, attentively directed towards his own pair of orbs. Somehow, he became busy watching her eyes and in the way his silhouette registered in those round coal-black spheres. He even noticed the long strands of her lashes. The edges of her eyes were almost glinting, as if there were shards of glasses around. It was irresistibly captivating in its own way. He felt a strange sensation—like his entire being, his senses and his attention were being sucked inside slowly. The way she blinked was like a poke on to his consciousness.
The experience was ceased by another flicker and before he knew it, he heard her voice again. Then, he snapped.
"Mayuzumi-san?" That was right. She was waiting for an answer.
Mayuzumi averted his eyes, "Nah, even I don't know."
The girl hummed thoughtfully, "What am I supposed to do then? I can't stop thinking about what would happen next."
Was that a question meant for him to answer? Was she asking him that? He wasn't aware.
Although that was clearly not his business anymore, as a person who enjoyed the same book and aware of how she must be feeling at the moment, he gave her a suggestion. "Why don't you read a different title?"
Hotaru narrowed her eyes.
She had not given that a thought. Or maybe she did, but reading another type of Light novel was what she failed to consider. She thought she could just go back and read the usual books she knew before knowing the world of Light Novels.
She could just visit the massive collection that Akashi Seijuro had in his room and borrow one of those deep, heavy plot lines and hard to grasp kinds of literature again. Well, that crossed her mind in a flash of second but, that was not what she wanted lately.
Hotaru hugged her knees as she nodded slowly. "You're right."
"Other than this light novel, the last book I read was this one that contains a collection of poems."
Yes, he remembered seeing it once.
"So that's a poem..."
His eyes went back to the characters written in his books, despite not being able to actually read it due to her presence.
Hotaru gave her one more direct gaze before forming a small smile on her lips, "Would you like to borrow-"
"No." Mayuzumi quickly disagreed. "Don't get the wrong idea."
"Oh... " That remark surprised the girl. "I see." She said, awkwardly ending with another smile. She just thought he might like to read a different type of book.
She pressed her lips in a thin line, "I'm sorry." and felt like she had to apologize.
Mayuzumi just looked at her from the corner of his eyes. She shouldn't be.
"I haven't tried reading that kind."
"Hmm. It can be interesting. " the girl smiled, leaning her head forward to have a peek at his face that was tampered by his book.
"No thanks." Mayuzumi lifted his LN a little bit to make a point as he spoke.
This time, the first year student made her way to sit beside but keeping enough distance. "In that book, there is one poem that I personally like. It..." She blinked at him, and mused."...reminds me of you."
Mayuzumi raised his chin, lowered the book to his lap and looked at the girl who was beside, leaning against the same railings. Now, what? He wasn't expecting that.
"Come Firefly… is the title."
She inhaled and made a stretching of arms while holding the same LN.
Hotaru pursed her lips, then began, "It goes like... One fleeting afternoon, After the tautness of my last speech" her arms fell on top of her knees as she continued. " I remember floating with an empty mind."
The steel at the back of her head felt cold, it complimented the cerulean sky above, the color was of that temperature as well. " Sky and orange dusk, I found peace at your quietude. I huffed an air and breath, you were with me after the lights."
Poem recital wasn't her thing but it was satisfying to try.
She smiled and looked at him from the side, only to look away instinctively because of the way he gazed at her.
It was rather attentive.
Hotaru quietly huffed a breath. It suddenly felt hot around her cheeks and strangely, she was bashful all of a sudden.
There was a spark of unknown emotion seeing his eyes after speaking those lines.
The girl bit her lips inside. Her thumb was caressing the tip of her volume 2 LN out of nowhere.
Steadying her eyes back at the sky might refresh this sudden mixed of emotion, she thought.
On the other hand, Mayuzumi couldn't put into words what he felt after hearing that.
It felt so foreign to find out that he could crossed someone's mind because of such thing. He wasn't sure if he wanted that. Why would it remind her of him anyway?
"Why?" Mayuzumi admitted it to his self, he was curious.
The black-haired girl blinked towards him. "Eh?"
Perhaps, this time, she succeeded in taking his interest and curiosity. He wanted to know. "How does that remind you of me?"
Her eyes were on him again, moving constantly to check his two gray orbs. Nevertheless, Hotaru smiled—a gesture she didn't seem to get tired of giving despite not receiving the same.
He was asking the reason but really, she felt like her reason wasn't even important in the first place. In fact, she actually had never given it much thought. It just happened. A feeling just came in when she read it. That was all.
She didn't think he'd ask like this.
Why must it have a reason?
Somehow, she found it harder than she thought. Digging a reasonable explanation wasn't that easy.
First of all, why... indeed.
Why did she even say that?
"I..." What was it? "I don't know..." she trailed off.
Mayuzumi sighed, leaning his arms on top of his knees as he wobbled the LN with a forefinger kept inside as the bookmark.
There he was, bothering to ask, only to receive a lazy reply like that.
Should he just forget about it?
Hotaru watched him, she could tell how disappointed he became with the short and dull answer. He must have thought how pointless it was.
Well…
The first year student looked down, ever since their first meeting, she was amazed at how simple he seemed to be. Like he wasn't interested about how others would perceive him. Like he was here, just doing his thing—enjoying what he wanted and not caring with anything at all, be it a rule or not.
Hotaru admired that.
"I guess, it's just… I feel at ease in your company." The girl mumbled. It was just what she felt whenever they were together, like talking wasn't always necessary, that she didn't have to think for anything except of what was happening in the present.
His carefree ambiance balanced out the chaos in her mind which felt familiar, like she had known such tranquility before.
"The poem, ...the lines in that poem..." Hotaru was smiling again, but this time, for herself, as she looked up again. "...I feel like I am the one speaking it, and you're the one I'm telling it to." she mused.
Mayuzumi didn't utter anything.
He just looked at her and slowly looked forward. He had closed the book and put it aside on the floor.
He did not want to think so much about it but feelings can really creep up just like that.
The conversation had ended. Neither seemed to have any words to add. Nevertheless, they remained in their position for a while.
The air was gentle that early afternoon at the rooftop. The gleaming summer daylight witnessed their wordless conversation, with nothing but the sound of their steady and low breathing.
Somehow it felt peaceful.
Indeed, at ease.
At one point in that time, he stole a glance at her.
She actually seemed relaxed, her eyes were closed. The mood around her was contagious.
Mayuzumi did the same, closed his eyes and rested the back of his head against the railing.
The Mayuzumi in his freshman days would not believe this situation if he found out about this. He would never be with someone that actually recognized him, for sure his younger self would have that kind of belief.
Much more, the boy he was before would also scoff if he heard that someone actually said they felt at ease by his side. Him, of all people? That boy wouldn't think so.
But there it was.
It wasn't much but she made it seem as if he amounted to something to someone which happened to be her.
He felt lighthearted to be honest.
And somehow, she made it seem, that if the sea of tranquility was real, perhaps, it would be this place, at this moment.