Sounds of laughter could be heard around a big playground in an even larger city.
A group of girls playing tag on the playground helped break the blandness of the city and its people, all robotically trying to get where they needed to be.
But after a while, one of the girls noticed someone a bit different at the playground. A young boy, around the same age as them, was sitting on a wooden bench. Alone.
He had a jacket and his eyes were closed, giving the impression of not wanting to be disturbed. His chest rhythmically rises and falls like the ocean's waves.
In contrast, the girl was alert and joyous. Her short coral-pink hair was slightly curled at the edges. Her eyes were as bright as a clear sky, shining with innocence. Her shirt was ruffled and dirty from playing, and her shorts were equally messy. And the cherry on top was her small red bow that she always wore, adorning her hair.
However, the most important thing about her that attracted others like moths to a flame was her friendliness. She would do anything for her friends if they needed her to. All of this combined is the girl, but no one calls her that. Instead, call her, Sayori.
As she was looking at the boy for a while, she realized something.
Wait a second, is he sleeping right now?
For some reason, the thought made Sayori giggle, but her sudden lack of focus on the game led to one of her friends cornering and catching her.
"Aww, come on, Tiffany!" Sayori said, miffed that something silly like that led her to get caught.
Tiffany had a cute face with big blue eyes. Her eyes were a darker shade than Sayori's, but still bright. Her blonde hair was in pigtails, messy and slick with sweat.
"Whoo! I finally caught you, Sayori! Usually, you never get caught, but now it's your turn to be IT," Tiffany says, elated that she caught the fastest of her friends.
She quickly turned around, running up a flight of stairs, desperately trying to get away from the new tagger.
"Wait! Hey Tiffany! Who's that?" Sayori tries to ask while pointing at the boy sitting on the bench with a puzzled tilt of her head. But it proved to be futile, as Tiffany was already up the steps, not about to be fooled.
"You're gonna have to try harder than that to catch me, Sayori! I'm not falling for that one!" She shouts, her voice getting farther and farther away.
Yes! I'm finally not IT! Sayonara Sayori! Tiffany happily thought while quickly running away.
Aw, man, I want to know who that guy is. He seems lonely, Sayori thinks to herself, her face softening.
Another one of Sayori's many friends, Natsuki, a girl with bright pink eyes and short pink hair (and an even shorter temper), saw Sayori point at something. But she couldn't tell much more from where she currently was.
Is Sayori trying to trick us? It wouldn't be the first time she's done it, and it most definitely won't be the last, either...
After weighing her options, Natsuki decided that Sayori was taking too much time for it to be a trick and cautiously made their way towards her.
"Hey, Sayori... Whatcha looking at?" Natsuki asked from a safe distance, still wary of her friend.
"Hey, Natsuki, do you know who that boy is?" Sayori replies, not averting her gaze.
Once Natsuki was sure Sayori wasn't trying to pull any tricks on her, she looked at where Sayori was pointing and spotted the same thing, a boy she'd never seen before, sitting on a wooden bench.
Wait a minute, is he sleeping? In the middle of the Summer? In a playground? Seriously?!
Funnily enough, Natsuki had the same reaction as her friend, and they both got sidetracked for a while, which led the game of tag to a halt.
"Hey, what's happening?"
"Aw man, did Sayori get hurt again?"
"W-w-wait, d-did I win?"
Everyone was confused about why the game suddenly stopped. One of them, a girl with clear green eyes and long brown hair that was tucked in a ponytail, decided to figure out what was going on and went towards the two of them. "Hey guys, what's the holdup? Did one of you get hurt or something?" She asked Natsuki and Sayori.
"Oh hey Monika, Natsuki and I were just watching that boy over there," Sayori replied, not turning towards Monika.
"How is he doing it? Sitting on that thing, it must be super uncomfortable," Natsuki mumbled under her breath.
Monika stared blankly at the two of them, who were still watching the boy, and face-palmed, exasperated that they had stopped the game over something like that.
"Oh-ho-ho! I didn't know we stopped playing because of a boy, Monika," a teasing voice spoke up from behind the trio.
"N-No! Of course not, Kyu!" Monika exclaimed, embarrassed at what Kyu was implying.
"I don't know Monika… it kind of seems like we did," Nikki said while cleaning her glasses.
"It's not what you guys think… right, Sayori?" Monika asked, hoping that it wasn't. "Right? "
"Yeah! We were just looking at that boy over there," Sayori replied innocently, not realizing the implications of what she said.
"Huh?! W-what?!" Natsuki and Monika gasped, staring at Sayori, instantly realizing the danger she had put them in.
"Aha! I am right! We did stop playing because of a boy!" Kyu exclaimed, teasing the three of them.
"C-Come on, Kyu, l-let's hear them out, first," a soft and somewhat shy voice, belonging to their friend, Yuri, piped up.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Sayori asked, while looking at all of them, still clueless.
"Tut, tut, tut, oh Sayori, innocent, sweet, clueless little Sayori," Tiffany spoke up, the last one to join the group. "Always saying things without thinking, tsk tsk. "
While Natsuki and Monika were still trying to argue that they didn't stop because of a boy, Sayori just stood there, thinking. She still didn't understand what was wrong, and frankly, she somewhat didn't care all that much. Then suddenly, an idea struck, and her eyes lit up like fireworks.
"Guys!" She shouted, her heels practically bouncing off the floor, getting their attention, "I have an awesome idea! We should go say hi and see if he's sleeping or not!"
The others blinked in shock, all at a loss for words for a couple of seconds.
"H-Huh?!" Monika stuttered out, embarrassed. "W-What? Why would we do that? He's just a random boy sitting on a bench, he's not important, okay?"
Sayori, full of energy and excitement, completely ignored Monika. "But he's alone, Monika! And it must be boring not doing anything in a playground and just sleeping on a bench!" Her voice was full of enthusiasm as she looked at the group.
Kyu grinned, liking the idea and the chaos that might ensue. "Wait, wait, wait. I love this plan! I agree with Sayori! All of us should go meet him!"
Tiffany raised her hand high like a student wanting to answer the teacher's question in class. "Me too! I think it'd be fun!"
"Yawn, seems too much work, I agree with Monika, it's not that important, Sayori, so I'm out," Nikki responded, tired from running around.
"I-I think he'll be grumpy from getting woken up, so I agree with Nikki. Sorry, Sayori," Yuri sheepishly said, not wanting to be rude.
As both sides were now tied, with three voting for meeting the boy, and three voting against, the conversation stopped. At a standstill, they all turned to Natsuki, who had been silent up until now.
"Come on, Natsuki! Don't you think he'd want to have friends? It's fun meeting new people!" Sayori pleaded, wanting to meet him.
Yuri looks concernedly at Natsuki, not wanting the plan to go through. "Natsuki, please, what if he gets annoyed at us? What if he's just trying to get some rest and we disturb him?"
Monika, feeling flustered, quickly tries to persuade Natsuki. "See? Even Yuri thinks it's a bad idea! We're definitely intruding."
"Well?" Kyu said, nudging Natsuki's shoulder. "What do you want to do? You're the only one left who hasn't said anything."
Natsuki sighed, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on her. She really didn't want to make the final decision, but everyone was waiting for her choice.
Oh, come on. I don't want to be the tiebreaker! Natsuki groaned internally. If he's sleeping, he probably doesn't want to be woken up like Yuri said, but… what boy our age sleeps in a playground? And Sayori is right, he does look lonely.
Her eyes flickered to the boy sleeping peacefully, who was unaware of the debate happening right there.
After a pause, Natsuki threw her hands in the air, giving up. "Ugh, fine! Let's go meet him, but if he gets mad at us, don't blame me, and if he tells us to go away, we're going, okay?"
Sayori's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Yippee! Thank you, Natsuki!"
With the decision finalized, the group got off the playground, making their way towards him. Step by step, they went, trying their best not to make a sound.
Leading the group, Sayori's steps were charged with thoughts of adventure and fun, with meeting someone new. You won't be lonely for much longer. Just you wait! She happily thought.
As they finally reached the bench, the group stopped, standing in a semi-circle in front of the boy. He looked relaxed, they thought, his hood covering most of his face.
Sayori was the first to speak. "He looks so… peaceful. Kinda making me not want to wake him up," she whispered, but her excitement betrayed her words.
"We should just go, Sayori. What if he needs some rest because he's sick or something?" Monika said, her voice barely above a whisper, while Yuri nodded her head vigorously, pleading for a change of heart.
"Where's the fun in that? We made it this far," Kyu protested, her arms crossed, with a grin on her face, nudging Tiffany for backup.
Tiffany's eyes brightened. "Yeah! I bet he's really nice! What if he's new and doesn't have any friends yet?" Her optimism was infectious, a joyful glow lighting her face.
Nikki shrugged. "Well, if he's going to be a jerk, I'm gone," she remarked. "Though I am kinda curious," she mumbled to herself.
While staring at the boy, Natsuki's curiosity heightened. "For real, though, who sleeps in a playground of all places?" She muttered, her eyebrows knitting together.
While they were arguing, unbeknownst to them, the boy stirred. His hood slightly shifted as he raised his head, blinking at the bright sun.
"Ughh."
In that instant, only silence reigned. Once loud and noisy, the playground became a quiet hush as the group hesitantly turned their heads towards the boy.
"Psst!
"Psst, Sayori... wake up..."
A sleepy mumble. "Mmnggh... Pancakes... Mmnh..."
"Sayori!"
Sayori's face scrunched up, burying her head deeper in her arms on her desk. "Mmnh… just gimme five more minutes…" She said, her voice muffled.
"Dude, come on, Sayori, wake up!" Tiffany mumbled, shaking Sayori with urgency.
"Uhm... Is she awake yet?" Yuri whispered worriedly, twirling a strand of purple hair around her fingers.
"Hmm... Nope!" Kyu chirped, while playfully poking Sayori's elbow.
"Well, she's gonna have to wake up, teacher's almost here!" Natsuki huffed, arms crossed.
Monika groaned, rubbing her temples. "How can she be sleeping already? School's barely started!"
Nikki chuckled, resting her chin on her hand. "Same old, same old. She was half-awake on the first day, you know how she is. Do you really expect her to change, just because we're in high school now?"
Natsuki sighed and glanced at the closed classroom door. "We don't have time anymore. I can hear Ms. Hiratsuka coming. Someone has to wake her up- now!"
Kyu's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Wait up, I know just the thing!"
She leaned in close to Sayori and whispered something in her ear.
In a singsong voice, she said, "Hey Sayoriii… wake up~ If you don't, there'll be no more cupcakes left~"
As soon as the words left Kyu's mouth, Sayori shot up so fast that she almost flipped the desk over. "WHAT?! CUPCAKES?! GIMME!"
The group laughed as Sayori was blinking wildly, trying to get her bearings. Her panicky expression turned to a cute pout as she realized what was going on. "Wha-What? Where are the cupcakes? W-Wait a minute… You lied to me!"
"You left us no choice, Sayori," Yuri said with a disapproving shake of her head.
"Besides," Nikki added with a smirk, "It worked, didn't it?"
Before Sayori could respond, the door slid open.
"Alright, alright, everyone take your seats," Ms. Hiratsuka announced as she walked in.
Sayori quickly straightened up in her seat and gave the most innocent smile she could muster. "G-Good morning, Ms. Hiratsuka!"
Ms. Hiratsuka looked at Sayori with a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Sure, Sayori, good morning to you as well. You look like you just woke up!" She added with a chuckle.
Sayori had a sheepish grin on her face. "N-Nope! I'm wide awake! Super alert, Teach!"
Ms. Hiratsuka just raised an eyebrow at her before turning to the rest of the class. "Alright, everyone, before we begin today's lesson, I have an announcement to make."
The room became silent. Everyone's eyes were now on her. Sayori, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, listened attentively.
Ms. Hiratsuka glanced at the paper in her hand before continuing. "Starting next week, our school will have its annual Cultural Festival."
A murmur spread throughout the classroom, a mixture of excitement and dread filling the air.
"The festival will take place in three weeks, with every class and club required to contribute. Meaning to think of something creative to grab visitors' attention."
Sayori's eyes brightened instantly. "Oooh! Does that mean that the Literature Club will do something fun too?"
Monika, who was paying close attention, nodded. "That's right. This could be great for the club."
Natsuki, who heard Monika, groaned in her chair. "Ugh, does that mean we have to recite poems or something?"
"I hope not, I'd rather not do that in front of people I barely know," Yuri chimed in, shaking her head.
"Well, it's a good thing I'm in the cheerleading club," Tiffany says.
Nikki, on the other hand, seemed thoughtful. "Well, it doesn't have to be a recital, right? There are tons of other ways to share literature…"
Ms. Hiratsuka raised a hand for silence. "The details are up to your class representatives and club representatives, but I encourage all of you to start brainstorming." She gave a pointed look. "And please, make sure that it isn't something crazy or that takes too much time. I don't want to hear any last-second panic going on, okay?"
A couple of students chuckled, remembering past years of cultural events.
Ms. Hiratsuka looked at her notes, about to move on, when she suddenly paused. "Oops, almost forgot, one more thing."
The room became silent again as she looked up. "I know school just started, but we have a new student joining us today. Well, actually, scratch that, he's not really new, he just wasn't able to be here for the first few days because of some complications."
The room became filled with whispers. A new student? Who was he?
"Heh, guess Sayori's got another friend," Tiffany said.
Natsuki crossed her arms. "I just hope that he's not weird."
Monika drummed her fingers on her desk. "I'm more curious about why he's coming so late."
Before anyone could continue speculating, the door slid open with a soft click.
In stepped a boy with tousled brown hair and striking green eyes. Neither short nor tall. His uniform was neat, with not a single blemish in sight.
His eyes were looking at the ground, not wanting to meet other people's gazes. His hands were fiddling with his neat uniform, anxious.
Ms. Hiratsuka, unbothered, gestured towards him. "Alright, introduce yourself to everyone."
Without looking up, the boy let out a shaky breath before speaking.
For some reason, a memory resurfaced for Sayori and her friends before the new kid spoke.
After a chaotic couple of minutes, everyone had fun, all the girls' faces were alight with joy, and all of them, even the boy, were out of breath after the earlier adventure. Laughter erupted from them as they collapsed to the ground, out of breath. The afternoon sun painted the sky with hues of gold and pink.
"Now, that was awesome. " Nikki gasped in between giggles, brushing a stray lock of blue hair from her face.
"Yeah! How did you learn how to do that?" Tiffany asked, sprawled on the ground.
The boy was quiet while sitting on the grass, as he tried to catch his breath, but they could all see the excitement in his dark brown eyes.
He leaned back on his hands, staring up at the sky, a small smile on his lips.
"Eh… I don't know," he said, though still somewhat winded. "That was just… luck, I guess."
Natsuki snorted. "Yeah, right, like that was luck."
Sayori sat up and looked at him, her eyes ecstatic. "That was crazy, though! You were going all over the place!"
"Yeah, you were just like James Bond or something," Monika added.
He smiled, finally getting his breath back. "I'm telling you that was just all luck, I swear."
Kyu rolled on her side, propping herself up on her elbows. "Seriously, though, you've definitely done that before. What you did couldn't have been luck."
He shrugged, an unreadable expression on his face. "Guess I'm just really lucky."
Yuri just shook her head, looking at him. "Even the luckiest person on earth couldn't have pulled off what you just did."
Before the group could ask any more questions, a voice spoke from behind them.
"There you are, sir."
Everyone froze.
As they turned, they saw that the voice belonged to a sharply dressed older woman, her voice controlled and sharp, standing a few feet away. She wore a sleek black suit and clean white gloves, her silver hair neatly tied up in the back. Despite her age- maybe early fifties- she stood with unnerving confidence.
The boy's face immediately shifted from relaxed to guarded. His gaze flickered briefly as if he had hoped that he wouldn't see her today.
"... Grace," he muttered, his expression unreadable, partially hidden from the hood of his jacket.
Grace gave him a slight nod, her gaze never leaving the boy. "You are still needed, sir, you know what the others expect of you. Your actions reflect not just you, but everyone involved." Her voice was devoid of any warmth, almost clinical.
Kyu piped up, "So, is this your maid or something?"
Grace's eyes flicked to Kyu, narrowing slightly. "I am not a maid, I am a-"
"Okay, okay, that's enough." The boy interrupted, trying to stop her from finishing. "She's not my maid, she's… a friend. Alright?" His voice became different, almost as if he were unsure.
"I don't think friends would let you do something you don't want to do," Monika replied, looking intensely at Grace.
"Yeah! He doesn't even want to go with you!" Natsuki chimed in.
"I see that you have made some… acquaintances, sir," Grace said with a cold, calculating look at everyone.
He sighed, clearly uncomfortable with where the conversation was going. He turned to the group, a strained smile on his face. "S-Sorry guys, I gotta wrap some stuff up… It's kind of a family thing. I really do have to go."
Sayori, ever the optimistic one, brightened up a little. "Well, we'll see you around next time!" An edge of uncertainty in her voice.
"Y-Yeah, sure." He said in a flat tone, his eyes not quite reaching theirs. His voice lacked the warmth it had earlier.
"We need to get back to the car," Grace said, turning around and expecting him to follow.
He hesitated, quickly glancing at the group for a moment, before turning around and walking away, his shoulders uncharacteristically slumped, almost defeated in a way.
Before he could follow Grace, Sayori bit her lip, trying to hold on to the optimism that she was known for. "Hey, wait! Uhm… what's your name?" She called out before he was out of earshot.
The boy froze. His eyes glanced at the back of Grace and the group, a flash of something in his eyes before answering.
"M-My name? It's-"
"That is none of your concern," Grace interjected coldly, almost appearing out of nowhere from behind the boy, shooting a disapproving glance at Sayori.
Before he could respond, Grace firmly, but not unkindly, grabbed his shoulders and steered him out of the playground towards the car, though not without the girls catching a few stray words.
"...at's me!" The boy shouted, though quietly, because he was so far away.
"What?! We couldn't hear you!" Natsuki shouted while the others were half-heartedly waving goodbye.
He smiled weakly at them as Grace led him farther and farther away from the playground, the sound of her heels against the pavement growing quieter as they got farther and farther away, leaving the playground.
The group stood there in silence, unsure of what had just happened, the setting sun casting its weak rays over them.
One thing was for sure: the boy they met was definitely not normal, which piqued everyone's interest, and the only thing linking them to one another was a couple of letters.
The memories came and went, all of them dismissing it as just a weird meeting that happened when they were kids, forgetting it soon after.
"Uhh... Hi..." The new student's voice was quiet but somewhat high-pitched, his green eyes not making eye contact with anyone's, his hands fidgeting with his uniform. The typical routine for a new kid, especially if it's still their first day in high school.
He fidgeted in place for a bit before gathering the courage to speak. "My name, right? I-It's Tatsumi."