Call My Name Like a Spring Breeze

A morning where the young leaves shimmered brightly.
Yuko was on the verge of tears as she pedaled her bicycle.

(Ugh, oversleeping is the worst...! And I was looking forward to this so much!)

The long-break watering duty that everyone in the gardening club avoided, calling it a 'hassle.' Yuko had been eagerly waiting for her turn to come around.

The baseball team's field was clearly visible from the flower bed.
That was why she always secretly watched their practice from there.
Shinomori-kun, a classmate.
Yuko was in love with him.

Even though we are classmates, I have never even spoken to him. Perhaps he doesn't even remember my name.
Shy Yuko could only find the courage to quietly watch him when her favorite flowers were by her side.
She kept these feelings tucked away in her heart like a small bud.

She finally arrived at school, parked her bike in the nearby rack, and headed toward the flower bed.
But the moment she turned the corner, Yuko stopped in her tracks, surprised by a figure in the flower bed.

“Oh... someone is here.”

Whoosh.

A thin arch of water spray gently showered the flowers, casting a faint rainbow light into the air, and Yuko was dazzled by its brilliance.
A neck already slightly tanned despite it being spring, and
a white uniform with a straight, upright posture.
The back she had always watched from afar was right there.

“...Shinomori-kun...?”

It might be a dream, Yuko whispered cautiously.
She remained standing, unable to move her feet even an inch.
Shinomori noticed Yuko's presence and slowly turned around.

(W-what should I do...!)
Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, Yuko wasn't mentally prepared.
Not knowing what to do, she ended up looking down.
He was right there.
Yuko's whole body was filled with the sound of her heartbeat, and she even forgot how to breathe.

“Late. You don't seem very motivated, Gardening Club.”

A slightly teasing, playful voice drifted down softly to Yuko.
Yuko reached out tentatively toward the hose he was holding out.
I wonder if he can see my hand trembling, Yuko worried anxiously. She finally took hold of just the very end of it.

“Th-thank you... Shinomori-kun.”

Dropping a voice smaller than a water droplet was all I could manage. My face must be hotter than today's sun.

(Oh no. If I look like this, he'll think I'm weird...)

Shinomori called out to Yuko, who was looking down, trying to hide her face, with a carefree tone.

"Hey, you're always here, aren't you? Watching the flowers. Do you like them?"

With her feelings still soaring, Yuko gave a small nod.

"I thought so. I was thinking it was about time, but you weren't here today. I couldn't help but wonder what happened."

Shinomori scratched the side of his nose, looking embarrassed.

"You knew about me..."

Still feeling like she was in a dream, Yuko muttered it without thinking. When she came to her senses and looked up timidly, she met Shinomori's eyes for the first time.

"Why wouldn't I? We're classmates, aren't we?" His eyes softened. That expression, which she had only ever seen him show to others, was now directed only at her.

(Seriously. A face like that... it's not fair.)

Yuko gripped the hose in her hand tightly, seeking help from the flowers at her feet. She had to say something. She didn't want Shinomori to think she was a weirdo.

"...Are you okay for morning practice?"

That was the only line that finally came out. It was the best Yuko could do right now.

"Oh shoot. Well, I'm heading back to morning practice."

Shinomori put his cap back on and ran toward the field. He was just like a spring breeze. Like a flower swaying in the wind, Yuko hurriedly called out to him.

"Th-thank you for the water...!"

Shinomori turned around, looked at her, and waved his hand broadly.

"Sekiya! See you later!"

Shinomori's face, as he ran away as if fleeing, was hidden by the backlight. But he had definitely called Yuko's name.

Like a sudden gust of wind scattering flower petals, the event left Yuko standing there, forgetting even to reply, just clutching the hose tightly.

Particles of light traced a parabola in the spring sky. Shinomori's voice remained deep in her ears, sparkling like a rainbow that would never fade.


The pale, small pink bud inside Yuko
had now blossomed, filling her heart.

I am participating in this project this time.
Love is difficult, isn't it?

Does love reach the other person, Yuko?
I have no idea anymore.

#SekiyaYukoHappyProject
#LoveIsHarderThanLove