Mama and Papa were standing in the corner of the room.
Yui's mama and papa too.
I glanced their way for just a second — and something in their faces changed.
I saw it first in Mama's eyes.
They shimmered.
Like she was about to cry, but trying not to.
Her hand kept brushing her cheek, again and again, like she was wiping away the wind…
But there was no wind in the room.
Yui's mama was the same.
They looked at us.
At me and Yui.
Like they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Yui was still holding me — but slowly, gently, she let go of the hug.
Her little hands stayed on my shoulders, warm and soft like bunny ears.
She looked right into my eyes.
And said:
"Yui wants to see Hideki play piano…"
Her voice was quiet, but filled with something I couldn't name.
"I want to be there… and sing with Hideki…"
My heart skipped.
I grabbed both her hands, and smiled so big it made my cheeks hurt.
"Yeah! Hideki likes that!
Yui must come to Hideki's home.
I'll play, and we'll sing…
with Tama-chan, and Shiba-inu, and Bunny too!"
Her eyes lit up — like the stars I saw sometimes from my bedroom window.
They were glowing.
We were glowing.
But I didn't know.
I didn't know that behind us, something else was happening.
Yui's mama had leaned close to my mama…
She whispered something.
And then… Mama gasped.
Her hand flew to her lips. Her eyes grew wide — not the happy kind, but the kind when something hits you in the chest.
She turned to look at me.
Her smile was still there…
but behind it… sadness.
Papa was the same.
Just a few moments ago, he was laughing with Yui's papa — clinking glasses, smiling wide.
But now?
His eyes had changed.
His face, too.
Like the joy from before had turned into something else…
something quieter.
Something regretful.
But I didn't see all that clearly.
Because all I saw… was Yui.
All I heard… was her voice.
All I felt… was her hand in mine.
Because at that moment —
in my small, four-year-old heart —
nothing else mattered.
Only Yui.
Then Yui's mama and papa stepped into the middle of the room.
The chatter around us faded.
Everyone turned to look at them — including me and Yui.
Yui's mama gave her a gentle nod and called her over with a smile.
We let go of each other's hands.
Her fingers slipped away from mine, slow and warm.
Yui walked to stand beside her parents, her white dress fluttering softly behind her like snow on the wind.
Yui's papa looked around the room and raised his voice a little — just enough for all the grown-ups and kids to hear.
"Thank you, everyone," he said, "for coming to celebrate Yui's birthday…"
He looked proud.
"And thank you as well for the congratulations — I've been promoted at work."
People started clapping.
Some cheered softly.
Yui's mama bowed her head, smiling with both joy and something else I couldn't name.
Then… Yui's papa said something I didn't understand at the time.
"We will be moving to Nagoya very soon."
Moving?
I blinked.
In my small head, I thought it was a vacation.
A holiday.
A family trip to Nagoya.
Maybe they'd ride the bullet train.
Maybe Yui would eat yummy food and bring me stories when she came back.
So I clapped along with the others — not worried at all.
Not yet.
After that, Yui began walking around the room.
One by one, she shook hands with her friends — thanking them for coming.
Some of them looked confused.
Some looked sad.
But I just stood there with Shiba in my arms, waiting.
Until finally… she reached me.
Her footsteps stopped right in front of me.
She held her bunny plush in one hand, and looked at me with her big, honest eyes.
"Hideki…" she said softly,
"Yui will go to Nagoya. With Mama and Papa."
I smiled.
My heart didn't understand yet.
"Really?" I said, wide-eyed.
"Wow! You'll have a good time spending holiday with your family!"
Yui nodded.
"Yeah… I'll bring Hideki a gift from Nagoya," she said, smiling again.
"When Yui comes back."
I nodded fast.
"Yay~! Don't forget Hideki's birthday in April, okay?"
I held up four fingers, then added one more.
"Hideki will turn five… Just like Yui today."
She giggled and nodded.
"I won't forget."
Then she tilted her head, just a little.
"And don't forget… about Yui and Hideki singing together again. With Tama-chan. Shiba-inu. And Bunny too."
I grinned.
That made my chest feel warm again.
I reached out my hand.
My pinky finger stretched forward — with our bracelet still snug on my wrist.
"Promise?" I asked, tilting my head the way she always does.
Yui didn't hesitate.
She lifted her hand and linked her pinky finger with mine.
Our bracelets bumped into each other — a soft click, like a little bell.
And in that moment… it felt like our promise was sealed.
A pinky lock.
A bracelet touch.
A feeling wrapped in invisible string.
And even if I didn't understand everything that day…
I understood this:
Yui promised.
And so did I.
Yui's mama.
Yui's papa.
My mama.
My papa.
All of them had tears in their eyes.
They didn't even try to hide it anymore.
They just stood there — on opposite sides of the room — watching me and Yui make our pinky promise.
I thought they were crying because they were happy.
Because their little ones had found something special — a friendship that sparkled like stars.
I thought… they saw how strong we were.
Yui and me.
Best friends forever.
Making promises with pinky fingers.
Smiling through the soft light of the party.
Playing. Laughing.
And dreaming of the next song we'd sing together.
I thought they were touched by how close we were.
How pure it was.
How real.
But I was wrong.
So deeply, completely wrong.
Because back then — I didn't know what "moving" really meant.
I thought it was just a vacation.
A holiday trip.
A few days or weeks in Nagoya — and then Yui would come back.
I believed it.
Because how could something so strong just… disappear?
We had our bracelets.
We had our pinky.
We had the piano, and Tama-chan, and Shiba-inu, and Bunny too.
We had everything.
Didn't we?
I didn't know…
That promises — even the ones made with your whole heart — can still break.
Not because we wanted them to.
But because the world sometimes pulls people apart.
Even people who were never meant to be separated.
Even best friends who swore they'd always sing together.
But that night… I didn't know yet.
Not really.
Because all that was in my mind,
All that was in my heart…
Was Yui.
Yui singing.
And me, playing the piano.
Just like always.
Just like we promised.