・・・ iv ・・・
Only those words.
Only those words, and yet, somehow,
the heaviness in the air disappeared between them.
He blinked again.
Lightly, he shook his head.
Rie, on the other hand, nodded gently to him.
"It's cold outside," she said. "... Let's get in, Ao-kun,"
Unsure of what to do or say,
he opened his mouth again and whispered a simple reply.
"... Okay."
Rie smiled again.
Slowly, she reached out and grabbed the door handle.
Together, they entered the nostalgic warmth of the familiar cafe.
The sound of a soft piano piece reached his ear.
Inside, there were only a few customers.
He looked around and inhaled the scent of coffee.
... Everything is still the same.
That mere thought comforted him a lot.
・・・ v ・・・
He sat at his usual seat by the window.
Rie disappeared behind the employee room to change.
When she went back, she brought him a slice of cake and a cup of hot chocolate.
"Here. I figured you'd want something warm to drink," she offered with a small smile, placing them on the table.
Carefully, he took it from her.
Say something.
Say something.
Instead, he gave a slight nod of thanks.
Hashimoto Rie nodded in return.
As she went away, he stared quietly at her back.
Underneath the table, he clenched his fists.
"How pathetic.
You can't even say a simple 'sorry'."
Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic.
He drew in a small breath and exhaled.
He closed his eyes.
... Why is it always like this?
・・・ vi ・・・
The afternoon went on like the usual.
Once again, he took out his book and read the same story.
Once again, time passed without his notice.
By the time night had arrived,
Rie was already finished and he had felt contented with his fill.
Together, they began to walk home in silence,
trekking on the same snow-ridden path.
The quietness around them was different this time, however.
Somehow... it was almost... peaceful.
Serene.
Calm.
As they walked, Hashimoto Rie began to hum a tune.
He remembered the song from before.
Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2.
When they reached the crossroads, Rie faced him.
"Well... I'll be going then."
She paused for a moment.
It was as if she was waiting for him to say something.
He knew he needed to open his mouth. To apologize properly.
But the words would not come.
Realizing this, Rie made a smile.
"...Goodbye, Ao-kun."
She turned away.
At that moment, he raised his hand without thought,
trying to desperately reach out to her.
An inch before he could touch her arm, however, Rie had already walked away from him.
... Ah.