On a scorching summer afternoon, the chorus of cicadas filled the air as Haruka sat on the wooden veranda of her grandparents’ house, gazing at the swaying wind chime.
“This might be the last time.”
She whispered the thought to herself before taking a sip of iced barley tea.
After graduating from university, she would move to the city for work.
This summer—this quiet time in her childhood home—might never come again.
A short walk from her grandparents’ house stood an old ice cream shop.
She had visited it almost every day as a child, and today, she wanted to taste that familiar flavor one last time.
The wooden door creaked as she stepped inside, the shop’s sign still displaying “Open.” A rush of cool air and the sweet scent of ice cream greeted her, just as it always had.
Behind the counter stood the same kind old shopkeeper.
“Well, if it isn’t Haruka! It’s been a while.”
“Hello. I’m surprised to see the shop still running.”
“Of course! There are still people waiting for my ice cream, even if it’s only open in the summer.”
A wave of nostalgia swept over her as she looked into the display case.
Inside, the same colorful, homemade ice cream she had adored as a child lay waiting.
Without hesitation, she ordered her favorite vanilla and matcha swirl.
Just as she settled into a seat with her ice cream, the door opened again.
She glanced up—and froze.
It was Kanade.
Her childhood friend.
The last time they had seen each other was after middle school graduation.
“Kanade?”
“Haruka?”
They stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.
He looked slightly more grown-up, his sun-kissed skin contrasting against the crisp white of his shirt.
“Didn’t expect to run into you here. You’re still in town?”
“Just back for summer break. What about you?”
“Yeah, I’m helping out with the family farm. Can’t avoid it, or my parents will never let me hear the end of it.”
As they spoke, they found themselves side by side, ice cream melting in their hands, the slow rhythm of summer stretching around them.
When they finished, they stepped outside, wandering along the familiar riverbank path.
The cicadas’ hum mixed with the distant chime of wind bells.
“Do you remember catching crayfish here when we were kids?”
Haruka chuckled.
Kanade smirked.
“Of course. I also remember you falling into the water and crying your eyes out.”
They both laughed, voices echoing along the quiet riverside.
Then, suddenly, Kanade stopped walking.
“You got a job in Tokyo, right?”
His voice was light, but there was something in his tone that made Haruka pause.
“Yeah… I’ll be moving there soon.”
“I figured.”
He smiled, but it carried a hint of sadness. He turned to the river, watching the water flow toward somewhere far away.
Just like her future.
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’m staying here. I’ve decided to take over the farm.”
Haruka blinked in surprise but then saw the quiet determination in his expression.
“That’s amazing, Kanade.”
“Well, it’s home. Feels right to stay.”
There was a quiet understanding between them.
At the crossroads of childhood and adulthood, their paths were diverging.
As they reached the end of the path, Kanade spoke again.
“Even after you move, come back sometimes, okay? That ice cream shop wouldn’t be the same without you.”
Haruka hesitated for only a moment before nodding.
“I promise.”
She smiled, raising her hand in a small wave.
Kanade did the same before turning back, his figure retreating into the fading summer light.
Watching him walk away, Haruka felt a quiet warmth bloom inside her.
Memories, this town, and the people in it—none of it would ever leave her.
Even if life took her far away, she would always have a place to return to.
Even after moving to the city, she often thought about that ice cream shop.
The cool air, the sweet scent, and Kanade’s familiar smile.
And one day, years later, she would return.
She would push open that wooden door, and she knew—Kanade would be there, waiting, just like always.
