The gentle sound of waves echoed along the seaside as Ritsu rested her sketchbook on her lap, her pencil gliding across the paper. She was drawing the waves, which came and went in a languid rhythm, and the soft curves of the white sandy shore. They possessed a beauty that felt almost otherworldly yet were an inseparable part of her everyday life.
“What are you doing here?”
A sudden voice startled Ritsu, making her shoulders jolt. When she turned around, there stood Yuuki, her classmate. He was the ace of the soccer team and a popular figure at school. His smile carried a carefree charm, shining so brightly it almost hurt to look at.
“Oh, um… just drawing,” she replied.
“Really? Let me see.”
When Yuuki leaned in to take a look, Ritsu instinctively clutched her sketchbook to her chest, trying to hide it. But the curiosity gleaming in his eyes was too overwhelming to resist. Reluctantly, she handed it over.
“Wow, this is amazing!” Yuuki exclaimed as he peered into her sketchbook, his voice filled with genuine admiration. His gaze roamed every detail of the drawing, and with each moment, Ritsu’s heart pounded louder, like a drum echoing in her chest.
“I can’t believe you can draw like this. Seriously, I respect that.”
“N-not really… I just enjoy it,” Ritsu stammered, averting her eyes. Deep inside, however, she was awash with astonishment. Yuuki, of all people, was praising her art.
Yuuki sat down on the sand beside her and returned the sketchbook. Staring at the distant waves, he muttered, “Lately, I’ve been struggling with soccer. It’s not as fun as it used to be.”
Ritsu felt a flicker of surprise. Yuuki, who always seemed so cheerful and passionate about everything, was burdened by such thoughts?
“But you know,” he continued, “watching you focus on your drawing like this—it’s cool. It’s like you can forget about everything else for a while.”
Ritsu mulled over his words before summoning the courage to speak. “You love soccer, so I think you can find that feeling again. Maybe if you remember something you loved about it—a scene you liked, or a moment that stuck with you?”
Yuuki contemplated her words earnestly, then broke into a smile. “Yeah, I remember a time like that. The view was amazing… Thanks. I feel a bit better now.”
The two of them talked until the sun dipped below the horizon. During their conversation, Ritsu felt as though the distance between her and Yuuki had ever so slightly narrowed.
As the wind swept across the shore, a budding sense of confidence began to take root in Ritsu’s heart. Like the waves in her drawing, her unrequited love was beginning to move forward, little by little.
That evening, the sky blazed orange, as if offering its blessings to the two of them.
