The next day, the university art room was filled with quiet chatter.
It was one of those rooms that always seemed warmer than the rest of the campus. Large windows stretched along one side of the room, allowing afternoon sunlight to spill across the wooden floors and long display tables.
Student artwork covered almost every available surface.
Sketches were pinned neatly against boards. Paintings rested on easels. Photographs were arranged in rows, each accompanied by a small card bearing the student's name and course.
Some students stood in small groups, discussing the pieces.
Others wandered quietly, studying the details.
Rai entered the room beside Yuki and Shoto.
She carried her bag loosely over one shoulder, her expression as calm as ever.
Her eyes moved across the displays without much reaction.
To anyone else, she might have looked uninterested.
But Yuki knew better.
Rai always looked like that.
Even when she was impressed.
Even when she was curious.
Even when something genuinely caught her attention.
Yuki glanced around.
"There's so much stuff here."
Shoto nodded.
"Apparently this is for the university's student art exhibition."
"Yeah. I heard some of the seniors are displaying their graduation projects too."
Rai said nothing.
She continued walking.
Then—
She stopped.
A small painting rested on an easel near the window.
The colors were soft.
The composition was simple, but there was something strangely peaceful about it.
Rai stared at it for a moment.
Yuki followed her gaze.
Then her eyes widened.
"Whoa—wait a second!"
Rai looked at her.
Yuki pointed dramatically toward the painting.
"Rai-chan, is this yours?!"
Rai blinked.
"...Yes."
Yuki immediately grabbed Shoto's sleeve.
"Shoto, look at this!"
"Hey, don't pull me."
She dragged him closer anyway.
Shoto leaned forward.
His expression changed as he studied the painting.
"Whoa..."
He looked at Rai.
"This is the first time I've seen something you made."
Rai tilted her head slightly.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Shoto looked back at the painting.
"It's actually really good."
Rai shrugged.
"...Nah. It's nothing special."
The moment Yuki heard those words—
Smack!
She lightly tapped Rai on the top of her head.
Rai blinked.
Her hand immediately went to the spot.
"...That hurts."
Yuki crossed her arms.
"Don't say 'nothing special' when it's clearly good!"
Rai stared at her.
"I was just saying."
"No. You always do that."
"Do what?"
"Downplay everything you make."
Shoto chuckled quietly.
"She's got a point."
Rai sighed.
She looked back at the painting.
For a brief moment, her expression softened.
"...I just like painting."
Yuki smiled.
"Exactly. So stop acting like you're bad at it."
Rai didn't respond.
But the faintest smile appeared on her lips.
They continued deeper into the exhibition.
The room gradually became quieter as they moved away from the entrance.
Then Yuki suddenly stopped again.
"Whoa..."
She leaned closer to another display.
This time, the artwork was different.
A detailed pencil drawing.
Beside it was a vibrant painting.
Next to that was a photograph captured with such precision that it almost looked unreal.
Yuki stared.
"These are amazing..."
Shoto stepped beside her.
"Wow."
Rai quietly joined them.
Yuki looked at the labels beneath the pieces.
Her eyes moved from one to another.
"...Kousaki."
She looked at the next one.
"...Kousaki."
Then another.
"...Kousaki?"
Yuki blinked.
She looked at the three pieces again.
"Wait..."
She glanced around the display.
"Why is the same name on all of them?"
Shoto crossed his arms.
"So they're all made by the same person?"
"Looks like it."
Yuki stared at the artwork.
Then she looked toward another table where she and Shoto had placed some of their own work.
She stared at theirs.
Then back at Kousaki's.
Then at theirs again.
Her expression slowly fell.
"...Our artwork looks like something made in kindergarten."
Shoto immediately looked offended.
"Hey!"
"I'm just being honest."
"You don't have to say it like that."
Rai glanced at their work.
Then at the pieces signed Kousaki.
She remained silent.
There was something different about them.
The drawings weren't simply technically impressive.
There was emotion hidden beneath the precision.
The paintings felt deliberate.
The photographs felt as though they had been taken at exactly the right moment.
Rai studied one particular piece for several seconds.
"...Hmm."
Yuki noticed.
Her eyes widened.
"Whoa..."
She leaned toward Rai.
"Rai-chan looks impressed!"
Rai looked at her.
"I don't."
"You do."
"I don't."
"You totally do."
Rai looked back at the painting.
"...Maybe."
Yuki smiled.
"See?"
Shoto laughed.
"I think that's the closest thing to praise we'll ever get from Rai."
Rai ignored him.
Still, her eyes lingered on the artwork for another moment.
She wondered what kind of person could create something like this.
Someone who could draw.
Paint.
Take photographs.
And somehow make each one feel connected.
For reasons she couldn't explain, Rai found herself wanting to meet the person behind the name.
Kousaki.
She quietly repeated the name in her mind.
She didn't know why it felt familiar.
Later that afternoon, the three of them left the university together.
The sun had begun its slow descent toward the horizon, covering the streets in warm golden light.
Students passed them in groups, some heading toward train stations, others toward cafés, convenience stores, or home.
Yuki walked between Rai and Shoto, swinging her bag lightly.
Then—
She suddenly stopped.
"Oh!"
Rai turned.
"What?"
Yuki pointed across the street.
"That's Suzuki!"
Before either of them could respond, Yuki hurried across the street.
Shoto watched her go.
"She still does that."
Rai blinked.
"Does what?"
"Runs away without warning."
Rai considered that.
"...True."
A few minutes later, Yuki returned.
And she wasn't alone.
A familiar girl walked beside her.
She looked older than Rai remembered, of course.
They all did.
Childhood faces had slowly changed over the years.
But there were still traces of the girl Rai remembered from elementary school.
Yuki smiled.
"Look who I found!"
Suzuki gave a slightly nervous smile.
"Hi..."
Shoto raised a hand.
"Yo! I'm Sho—"
"Do you want to come with us?" Yuki suddenly interrupted.
Shoto stopped.
Yuki continued.
"We're going to the mall!"
Suzuki blinked.
"Ah..."
She looked between them.
"S-sure."
Shoto lowered his hand slowly.
He sighed.
"...You cut me off again."
Yuki ignored him.
Suzuki gave a small laugh.
"Ah... nice to meet you. I'm Suzuki."
"Shoto."
He smiled.
"Let's be good friends."
Suzuki nodded.
Then her eyes moved toward Rai.
She immediately became more nervous.
"Ah..."
Rai tilted her head.
"...?"
Suzuki hesitated.
"Ah... long time no see."
Rai stared at her for a moment.
Then nodded.
"How have you been?"
"I'm good."
Suzuki smiled awkwardly.
"O-oh... glad to hear that."
Yuki looked between them.
The silence was beginning to stretch.
So, naturally—
Yuki threw both arms into the air.
"Woooo! Let's go!"
Shoto shook his head.
"Subtle."
"Come on!"
And just like that, the four of them continued toward the mall.
The mall was crowded by the time they arrived.
The familiar brightness of the stores filled the corridors, and music drifted from the different shops.
Yuki immediately became energetic.
She dragged the others from one store to another.
They looked at clothes.
Browsed accessories.
Played games in the arcade.
At one point, Shoto became unnecessarily competitive over a game he was clearly losing.
"One more."
Yuki laughed.
"You've already lost three times."
"I wasn't trying."
"That's what losers say."
"I'm serious."
Rai watched them from nearby.
She smiled faintly.
Suzuki noticed.
It was a small expression.
So small that most people might have missed it.
But Suzuki remembered Rai from childhood.
Rai had always been quiet.
She rarely showed what she was thinking.
Yet sometimes, when she was with Yuki and Shoto, the walls around her seemed to disappear for a moment.
They spent the afternoon like that.
Nothing particularly important happened.
And perhaps that was what made it nice.
Eventually, the four of them left the mall.
Shoto checked his phone.
"I should head home first."
Yuki looked at him.
"Why?"
"I need to check on my siblings."
He slipped his phone into his pocket.
"What about you two?"
Suzuki adjusted her bag.
"Ah... I still need to stop by the library."
She looked at the others.
"So I'll go ahead."
They said their goodbyes.
Shoto headed one way.
Suzuki went another.
Yuki and Rai remained standing outside the mall.
For a moment, neither said anything.
Then Rai looked at Yuki.
"...Hey."
"Hm?"
"Why are you following me?"
Yuki shrugged.
"I still have free time."
Rai stared.
"And?"
"Nothing to do."
"Then go home."
"No way."
Yuki folded her arms.
"It's boring there."
Rai sighed.
She had already learned that arguing with Yuki rarely accomplished anything.
They started walking.
After a few minutes, Rai noticed a small bakery along the street.
The warm scent of freshly baked bread drifted through the open doorway.
She slowed.
"...Want to stop here?"
Yuki's expression immediately brightened.
"Of course!"
Inside, the atmosphere was warm and comforting.
The shelves were filled with freshly baked pastries.
Bread.
Cakes.
Sweet rolls.
Yuki stared at everything like she'd just entered paradise.
"Everything looks so good..."
She moved from one display to another.
"I can't decide!"
Rai had already chosen.
She paid for her pastry and picked up her bag.
"Hurry up."
She started walking toward the door.
"I'm leaving you behind."
"Wait!"
Yuki panicked.
She pointed at the nearest pastry.
"This! This one!"
The cashier smiled.
Yuki quickly paid and ran after Rai.
Outside, they continued walking while eating.
The evening sky had begun turning orange.
The buildings caught the last light of the setting sun.
For a while, everything was peaceful.
Then Yuki's phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
"Ah—sorry!"
She answered quickly.
After a few seconds, she hung up.
"I have to go now!"
Rai looked at her.
"Already?"
"Yeah!"
Yuki began walking backward.
"See you tomorrow!"
Then she turned and ran down another street.
Rai raised one hand slightly.
"...Bye."
She watched Yuki disappear.
Then she continued walking alone.
The streets were quieter now.
Without Yuki's voice beside her, Rai became more aware of the sounds around her.
The distant hum of cars.
The rustling trees.
Her own footsteps.
Then—
She remembered.
The path.
The lake.
The hidden place she had discovered yesterday.
Rai slowed down.
"...Maybe I'll eat there."
She turned toward the familiar road.
The deeper she walked, the quieter the world became.
The sounds of the city gradually disappeared behind her.
Leaves rustled softly overhead.
The evening breeze brushed against her hair.
And eventually, the trees opened.
The lake appeared.
The sunset painted its surface in shades of gold and orange.
The water was so still that it reflected the sky like glass.
Rai stopped.
She had expected to be alone.
But she wasn't.
Someone was already there.
Under the massive tree sat a girl.
A sketchbook rested open across her lap.
A camera sat beside her.
Rai froze.
"...Someone's here."
She didn't like crowded places.
She didn't even particularly like being around strangers.
And although there was only one person sitting beneath the tree, Rai suddenly felt as though the quietness of the place had been disturbed.
She hesitated.
Then quietly turned around.
She would come back another time.
She had barely taken a few steps when the girl beneath the tree lifted her head.
"...Hmm?"
She had noticed someone.
A tall figure stood against the fading sunlight.
The girl's eyes narrowed.
She couldn't see the person's face clearly.
Only their silhouette.
Tall.
Still.
Quiet.
"Whoa..."
She tilted her head.
"She's tall."
She squinted.
"Is that a girl... or a guy?"
Curiosity won.
She reached for her camera.
The figure was already walking away.
She raised the camera.
Click.
The shutter sounded softly in the evening air.
She lowered it and looked at the photograph.
The silhouette stood against the warm sunset.
Something about the composition caught her attention.
The contrast.
The lighting.
The loneliness of the figure.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"...Maybe I can add this to what I'm working on."
She looked up again.
But the tall figure was already gone.
The lake returned to silence.
Only the leaves moved above her.
The Next Day — Lunch Break
The university hallway buzzed with students.
Voices overlapped as people moved between classrooms.
Some hurried toward the cafeteria.
Others leaned against the walls, talking with friends.
Rai and Yuki walked side by side through the crowd.
Yuki glanced at the small paper bag in Rai's hand.
"You bought lunch from the store again?"
Rai looked down at it.
Then at Yuki.
"Is there a problem with that?"
Yuki shrugged.
"Don't you get tired of eating the same thing?"
"No."
Yuki let out a dramatic sigh.
"Honestly, I don't know how you do it."
Rai continued walking.
"It's convenient."
"It's boring."
"It's food."
Yuki stared at her.
"That's not the point."
Rai said nothing.
After a moment, Yuki looked around.
"By the way... where's Shoto?"
"I think he went to the cafeteria to buy something."
"Ah..."
Yuki nodded.
"That makes sense."
They continued walking.
Neither of them noticed the two girls approaching from behind.
One of them was talking animatedly.
The other was walking with her back turned.
Then—
Thump.
The girl bumped into Rai.
It wasn't a strong impact.
But enough to make both of them stop.
Rai turned slightly.
The girl looked up.
And for a brief moment—
everything seemed to become quiet.
Their eyes met.
The girl blinked.
Rai remained still.
There was something in the girl's eyes.
Surprise.
Recognition.
Or perhaps simply curiosity.
Rai couldn't tell.
"...Sorry."
The girl immediately waved her hands.
"Ah—no, no!"
Her voice came out slightly hurried.
"It's my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going."
Rai nodded.
"Be careful next time."
The girl blinked.
Then smiled faintly.
"Yeah..."
They separated.
Rai continued walking with Yuki.
Yuki waited a few seconds before leaning toward her.
"Woah..."
Rai glanced at her.
"What?"
"She's really pretty."
Rai didn't answer.
She simply continued walking.
Behind them, however, the girl had stopped.
She watched Rai's back.
Something about her felt familiar.
The height.
The posture.
The way she carried herself.
The quiet expression.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
Yesterday.
The lake.
The sunset.
The tall figure walking away beneath the massive tree.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"...Wait."
Her gaze remained fixed on Rai's back.
It couldn't be...
Could it?
Meanwhile, further down the hallway, Shoto had just finished buying his lunch.
He hurried toward Rai and Yuki.
Then suddenly—
He stopped.
His eyes widened.
He looked toward the girl Rai had bumped into.
For a moment, he said nothing.
"...Wait."
He recognized her.
There was no doubt.
Shoto stared after her.
Then looked toward Rai.
Something about this coincidence felt strange.
Later, the three of them sat together in the classroom during lunch.
Yuki opened her food while Shoto remained unusually quiet.
Rai noticed.
"What?"
Shoto looked at her.
"Nothing."
Yuki frowned.
"You're acting weird."
Shoto sighed.
Then he leaned back in his chair.
"Man..."
He looked toward the window.
"I didn't expect to see her again."
Yuki paused.
"Who?"
Shoto looked at them.
"The girl from earlier."
Yuki raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure it's her?"
Shoto nodded.
"Of course."
He sounded unusually confident.
"I don't make mistakes with my eyes."
Yuki laughed.
"That's a very confident thing to say."
"I'm serious."
Rai continued eating quietly.
But Shoto's words remained in the air.
The girl.
The same girl.
The same one he had seen before.
And perhaps, without any of them realizing it yet, their paths had already begun to cross.
The girl beneath the tree.
The mysterious name appearing beneath paintings, drawings, and photographs.
The quiet figure captured in a photograph at sunset.
And Rai—
who had unknowingly become part of someone's unfinished work.
Outside the classroom window, the wind moved gently through the trees.
A few cherry blossom petals drifted across the campus.
None of them knew what would happen next.
But somewhere between the music, the paintings, the photographs, and a hidden lake—
their story had already begun to take shape.