Yuto loved the narrow path surrounded by rice fields that he took on his way home. After school, he often walked along it, pushing his bike and gazing absentmindedly at the sky painted in shades of crimson. One day, he noticed a white envelope lying on the edge of the path.
“Let’s watch the sunset together,” it read in simple, handwritten letters. There was no sender, no recipient, just those words. Though he suspected it might be a prank, Yuto couldn’t get the message out of his head. The next day, another envelope appeared in the same spot. This time, it read, “5 PM, at the bench along the path.”
At first, he thought about ignoring it. But after a particularly rough day at school, Yuto decided to follow the mysterious instructions, hoping it might lift his spirits.
When he arrived at the bench, the evening sky was ablaze with orange and red, its reflection shimmering in the rice fields. He stood captivated by the view until a voice called from behind him.
“You came.”
Turning around, Yuto found Sakura, a classmate, standing there. They attended the same middle school, but they weren’t especially close. Surprised to see her, Yuto blurted out,
“Sakura? Do you know about the letters?”
She smiled shyly and nodded.
“I wrote them. I’ve seen you walking here often. I love this path too, and I always thought it’d be nice to watch the sunset together.”
Her unexpected confession left Yuto stunned. Sakura continued, her voice soft.
“I didn’t have the courage to ask you directly, so I wrote the letters instead.”
Yuto felt a mix of emotions—confusion, surprise, and an unexpected sense of happiness. Sharing the sunset with someone else felt more special than he’d ever imagined. Without saying much, they sat side by side on the bench, watching the sky fade into twilight.
“It’s beautiful,” Yuto murmured. Sakura nodded silently, her gaze fixed on the horizon. After a while, she spoke, almost hesitantly.
“Can we do this again sometime?”
Yuto smiled faintly and replied,
“Of course.”
From that day forward, meeting along the sunset path became part of their routine. What started as a mystery letter turned into an unexpected friendship and a new chapter in their lives. The evening sky wrapped them gently in its glow, as if blessing their newfound connection.
