Yoshiki Tsujinaka

February 14
The final bell rang, signaling the end of classes. As the classroom emptied amidst laughter, chocolates, and goodbyes, Yoshiki calmly packed his books. Opening his backpack, something caught his eye. A small white envelope rested on top of his notebooks. He was certain it hadn't been there that morning.

She frowned slightly and looked around. No one seemed to be paying attention to her. Carefully, she took the envelope; on the front was only a sentence written in neat handwriting: “For Yoshiki.”

He opened it cautiously. Inside he found a folded sheet of paper.

“Hi. I don’t have the courage to tell you who I am yet. If you’re willing to get to know me, could you come up to the rooftop after class? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. I just wanted to try at least once. — Someone hoping to see you.”

Yoshiki read the letter twice. Then a third time. He looked for a signature, an initial, or any clue to the writer's identity, but found nothing. He slowly put the sheet away as different possibilities crossed his mind. The most logical conclusion was that it was a joke… but the letter's tone was too sincere to seem like one.

"If someone really did this..."

The idea remained incomplete. Ignoring the invitation without even introducing herself seemed crueler than risking wasting a few minutes. She let out a small sigh and closed her backpack.

“Five minutes.”

With that decision, he began climbing the stairs to the rooftop. Each floor increased his doubts. What if it was a joke? What if someone had taken the wrong backpack? What if someone really was waiting for him? None of the answers could convince him.

Upon reaching the metal door, she remained motionless for a few seconds before pushing it open. The cold February wind stirred her hair as her eyes slowly scanned the rooftop. She had come without knowing who she hoped to find, but, for the first time in a long time, a small curiosity had been enough to overcome her caution.