The city felt quieter than usual that day, though maybe that was just my mind playing tricks on me. My fingers wrapped around the paper coffee cup in my hand, its heat radiating into my palm, but the warmth barely registered. My breath escaped in soft clouds, the chill of winter biting my cheeks.

And then I saw you.

You were there, sitting at the corner table of the coffee shop—the one we always...

I took my history book out from my desk, and was prepared to open it up to page 134, as the teacher had instructed. But something caught my eye. It was falling—fluttering towards the floor.

And envelope—beautifully decorated at that.

I picked it up to see whose it was.

_To: Kiyoshi_

_From: Ayumi_

Ayumi? _“This is definitely a prank from her,”_ is what I was thinking—until I saw it.

A heart, o...

_screeching~_

_bang~_

_crash~_

_screeching~_

It happened so fast,

I couldn’t move an inch,

No matter how hard I tried,

I just couldn’t.

And now I don’t think I’ll ever move,

Not after what I just witnessed.

You got hit by a truck,

And went flying,

Straight into an oncoming car.

Unbeknownst to me,

My mind is engraving the sight of you,

Broken legs sticking out of a windshield,

Glass etching int...

After walking for miles,

I reached a cliff,

I looked down below,

To see a tree.

It stood at the bottom of a cirque,

The only tree within it,

Surrounded by water on one side,

And wildflowers on the other.

I traversed to the bottom,

A very thin path leading down to it,

I almost fell a few times,

But I didn’t let that stop me.

When at the bottom,

I realized the tree bore fruit.

It was an apple tr...

Sometimes I walk by the meadow,

Not to look at the grass or flowers,

Not the faint number of trees either,

It’s because of you.

You always seem to be walking,

Not near the meadow,

Not far from it,

But in it.

And now, I can see it,

The beauty of the meadow.

The vast stillness,

Bees drifting from flower to flower,

Butterflies floating—not flying.

There’s a kind of calm here,

Deliberate and wild...

_gasp~_

__

_“What did you do?”_

I stand there in a daze,

Lost within myself,

I can hear him,

But I can’t get the words out.

_“What—did you do?”_

I’m still coming to,

Unable to say anything yet,

I can only listen to the question,

A question still unanswered.

_“WHAT DID YOU DO!?!”_

I’m back now,

The question still remains unanswered,

But I’ve realized what I have done,

And finally, I speak.

_“...

I love you,

So much that sometimes it hurts me,

And at other times, you,

But I can’t help it.

I’d do anything for you,

I’d fight a den of dragons,

An army of demons even,

Just to keep you safe.

I’d shield you from falling meteors,

From a falling sky,

A crumbling world,

Just to keep your smile alive.

I love you so much,

And I’ll keep on loving you,

Until my last breath....

Outside, the world moves,

Cars hum, birds call,

But in the kitchen?

She pours coffee in my chipped mug,

Steam curling up into the air,

Slowly fading away,

The sound of ceramic meeting wood.

The silence of two people,

Who needn’t speak,

To say they are still choosing each other.

——————————————

This marks my 50th writing 🥳 Thanks for all of your support, it really means a lot 🫶🏻...

_distant chiming~_

Ah, the wind chimes,

Such a lovely sound,

A lullaby,

Played by the wind.

At first, they sounded awful to me,

Equivalent to a fork scratching a plate,

Foam being rubbed against itself,

But now?

_yawn~_

I can easily fall asleep hearing them,

And it’s all because of you,

I lo-ve y-…

_light snoring~_

__

_distant chiming~_...

A sunset is the sky’s love letter to the night,

It paints the sky with blooming colors,

Red, orange, yellow, and pink,

The light softens,

And the world is still for a moment.

The sun is lower now,

Gold, pink, orange, purple,

The colors of a bittersweet goodbye,

Wrapped in a blanket of warmth.

The night has arrived,

The vibrant colors are gone,

And a dreary blue takes the sky,

Its shade dimming e...