"Floating Light" [Chapter 2: The Forgotten Beach]
It was an afternoon that felt like tracing someone else's memories.
The sun was strong, but autumn would be here soon. The wind was unexpectedly cool, and there was a faint scent of the tide mixed in.
A quiet beach surrounded by rocky areas, deep within a small bay.
Yumi had forgotten all about this place.
However, the moment she turned the corner of the path, the scenery before her flooded into the depths of her heart, and she knew immediately.
I have definitely played here before.
I can't even remember whose hand I was holding when I came here.
Even so, the sensation of the slightly cold seawater, the feeling of the round pebbles against the soles of my feet, the sound of someone calling from afar, and even the sound of my own laughter were all there.
I sat down at the water's edge, took off my shoes, and went barefoot.
When I dipped my feet into the water, it was a little cold and felt good.
I placed my hands on the wet sand and gently closed my eyes.
My former self, swaying in the light, floated up.
Myself with long hair. I remember my mother used to braid it for me often.
Back then, I never thought about where I was heading.
While thinking about such things, I remembered a certain morning in Tokyo.
Outside the window was a spring rain.
By my pillow were a novel I was in the middle of reading and a smartphone with an email that had arrived.
A love that had ended the night before, and a work evaluation I couldn't accept.
"That's enough," I muttered, and pulled out the hair tie that was holding my hair back.
It was that morning that I wanted to cut my hair.
I wanted to end something, I wanted to change something.
Even if that didn't change anything at all.
At that time, after I had my hair chopped off, the face reflected in the salon mirror looked more refreshed than I had expected.
By cutting my hair, I was able to look forward a little.
Perhaps that was the only day I felt that way.
My hair fluttered in the sea breeze. My now-shorter hair felt light even in the beach wind.
Light reflected off the water's surface, sparkling. Squinting at the glare, Yumi noticed that her fingertips were trembling slightly.
Yuta-san.
The moment she remembered his name, a small ripple spread from the depths of her heart.
Deep in his eyes, there was the stillness of someone who "carries the past."
Even though we only spoke once, I knew why that was.
Perhaps what Yumi saw was not his eyes, but "something" that remained in the depths of her own memories.
Thin clouds spread across the sky, and the sunlight softened.
Only the sound of the ripples continued peacefully.
(To be continued)
*The thumbnail image was used with permission from "Rainbow Creative Club".