Total quietness, interrupted by my bed making a soft creaking sound, making the full dark room slightly more lively.

The feeling of dread filled my head. Another night where I can’t sleep. Will it ever stop?

The sweat I woke up with made me open up the window. As I opened it, the cold wind welcomed me. The clear night sky full of stars invited me outside. I accepted it.

I was slowly taking in the view as I was walking down the street. As it was 3 a.m., no street lamp disrupted the experience. There was a smell of rain making the experience even better.

As I lived on the outer skirt of a city, the only lights breaking up the darkness are some houses I occasionally pass by.

As I continued to walk, the view gradually decreased to satisfy me.

Why did I go outside, anyway?

To experience something special?

Yeah, that won’t happen.

I turned around and slowly walked back from where I came from. I took a last glance at a hill where you could spot a bench, even in the dark.

Yeah, something like that does not happen. I gotta go back to home and try to fall asleep.

And then, just as I was looking away, the street lamps started to glow up one after another. And when the final street lamp on this street lightened up, there was a girl.

Surprised, we stared at each other for a minute. She broke a smile at me. Feeling the warmth of her even this far away on a breezy summer night, I slowly approached her.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

I looked away.

Was I always this shy?

When I looked at her again, the details of her started to kick into my consciousness. Bright long yellow hair. Fair, white skin. Blue eyes. Slightly smaller than me. A… sailor’s uniform?

Meanwhile, as I was thinking about whether to ask her why she would wear her sailor’s uniform, she surprised me by taking my hand.

“Do you trust me?”

“Y–Yeah.”

“Hm… You trust others easily, huh?”

“N-Not really.”

She turned her head only so slightly but I thought a small smile peeked from her.

“By the way… what’s your name? Mine is Melo.”

The warmth of her hand made me nervous. I thought I could break the ice by asking her name.

“My name is Emiko.”

“So you’re Japanese? Is that your school uniform?”

“Yeah. There’s an international summer school in this city.”

“Huh. I didn’t know.”

She led me to a bridge. Surprisingly, the lantern lights were still not on near it.

The bridge was built over a small stream. The water reflected the shining stars. Next to the stream, you could see various kinds of flowers. One of them was giving off a sweet smell through the air, mixing it alongside the scent of rain.

“Beautiful.”

“Isn’t it?”

“I mean you, Emiko.”

She blushed. Her hand grip tightened for a second.

“D-Do you mean it?”

“Yeah.”

As if it was a signal for the end of today, the street lamp near the bridge turned on.

We both looked at each other. We didn’t even need to say it. We understood.

Tomorrow, we’ll meet again.