...The buildings' and cars' lights that assault the eyes. The sounds of a suburban setting in the night. The distant horizon covered in gently curved hills veiled with luscious green fields, all embraced by the inky cloak of the night.

There she stood, atop the halls of learning that she attends. On her person, a crudely repaired bracelet. Seams jaggedly overflowed with rushed bonds that held it together.

Urgently, she reasoned and conveyed her thoughts. However, the stones inlayed into the parapet were permanent and unchanging. In front of her, a girl of the same age. A confidante. A friend... Or so she had assumed.

No one can predict the ever-changing course of life. And she was no exception. Love. A human concept. Something one might describe as 'predictable.' Yet that same person can get caught off-guard by it at the same moment.

A development she had not anticipated. Nor she would have  ever had, until it had blindsided her. Cautiously it had encroached into her life. Taking form through a medium she could never have predicted.

She was clueless. She knew nothing on how to deal with it. So she instinctively denied it. Fearing it might cause misfortune. A fear she knew was short-sighted and naive. A fear that would later on... eat away at her with each passing day.

So there it presented itself, the outcome of her decision, dangling on the edge. Her heart racing with anxiety and worry. Her mind scrambling and working in urgency to make amends for her blunder.

"This is so like you~" A voice emerged from the heart-wrenching scene, accompanied by a forced warmth. Yet never does the voice glance towards the girl who had now fallen to her knees, crying and wailing at the scene.

"I'm happy that you know your mistake. And I'm thankful that you want to make things right

..." The voice uttered with sincerity. Adding weight to the mind of the already guilt-ridden girl listening.

"But the damage has been done." The voice tears through the girl's heart. Bits and pieces of it follow along the tears that flow down her pale complexion.

"I thought that, maybe, you could be the exception. To my otherwise empty life, filled with - apathetic, hurtful... people" The voice, now filled with negativity, begins to make its action. Inching more and more; yearning to go beyond the edge.

"I guess... there's really no one in this world that can love me." The voice had now stood up, gazing at the night sky.

"Maybe it was my fault for getting too confident with my luck... Or maybe it was your fault... I don't know anymore."

"I... Thank you for being there for me..."

The air between the two grew unbearable. The weeping girl had no choice but to be immobile. Fearing yet again that she might make another mistake. But the conclusion to this event was out of her control.

"I... loved you~" The last words that came out of the stifling voice.

Those last words brought with it - a smile. A smile that redirected a few tears to the side. A smile that glanced over to the petrified observer. A smile, ever so gentle and full of beauty, that sank its teeth into the poor, helpless girl bearing witness.

...

It had been done. Whoever stood at the edge. Whoever the girl was frantically calling out. Had plunged over the view. Revealing the suburban scenery.

Sound. There was none. In the mind of the girl, everything had gone silent. Pouring oceans out of her eyes.

She was left alone.

Where once, the two had often hung out together. Avoiding the trivial and bland life that they led. Now bearing a dreary and isolating atmosphere. Desperately clutching onto the bracelet she held. Leaving scarlet stains on their last moment.

***

It's another saturday morning. As plain and ordinary as all the others. Tsujiyama Ayane, a girl of similar blandness as her life, is on her bed. Looking up at her room's ceiling. Feeling as empty as she normally does. Despite that, she has not and does not do anything to add life to her life.

"Another year... Will it be the same experience again, I wonder...?" She narrates as she ponders on the incoming school year. Adding a pinch of sarcasm and self-targeted guilt tripping.

For as long as she can remember. She had led a completely mundane life. Never really experiencing life-altering experiences. Or troublesome scenarios that could make her mad. She barely even expresses emotions to begin with.

Having just above average grades, always on a list of achievers yet never really standing out. Overall, she has never been the center of attention. Neither does she try to, but she does acknowledge that  she desires some level of attention.

Tsuyumi Sora, her classmate and childhood friend. Has been the only source of entertainment and joy in Ayane's life. They often share everything about their day with each other. They also never lie or hurt  each other. Mainly because they can't hide anything from each other, even if they tried their hardest.

Yet, despite their close relationship, Ayane does not constantly seek her help when she needs her. Even though Sora has explicitly mentioned that she's always there for her, Ayane can't help but hesitate. She knows that Sora has a life of her own.

The top of their batch, the vice-president of the student council, and is excellent at every skill and sport. That is what Ayane's best friend is. Remembering all those titles of Sora, Ayane always ends up casting aside her need for attention. It was what she thought was the responsible and right thing to do. Despite Sora repeatedly telling her off when she does that.

Going back to the current situation. Ayane is stuck in bed, unable to think of what she should do. All that she needed to do, she already completed in the morning. Now she is restlessly lying in her own comfy bed, not feeling any of the comfort whatsoever.

"Why can't I get used to this feeling? My whole life's been like this..." She monologues, not having anything better to do.

She glances towards every part of her room. Looking at all of her possessions - Knitting tools, a sketchbook with coloring materials next to it, a shelf full of books and board games, her wardrobe, her computer, and her exercise equipment. She lists them all off in her mind, finding no interest in any of them.

Her room is a testament to her 'jack of all trades' trait. Having experienced and done anything and everything she randomly wanted to do. Going as far as becoming skilled in every single one, yet never mastering any. She does not really despise her unfathomable level of averageness that she has. But she does wonder what it would be like to excel at something.

"What have I not done yet...?" She queries to herself. Thinking of all the possible things she could do. Something that could be done to liven up the toneless moments in her life.

But as she lists off all the options she has, or rather, hasn't. Because, after nearly an hour of pondering, she comes up with nothing of value. However, she is reminded of the list of things she knows can never happen, and decides to peruse through all of them.

"Travel the world, become a billionaire, save humanity..." She says everything that comes to her mind. Even if some are impossible, and others are from books she's read.

"Love." She pauses briefly, feeling stumped and genuinely curious about the idea. However, her imagination could not conjure much. She had little to no understanding on the concept.

"Could I ever experience love?" She mutters while under deep thought. Trying her best to picture what that experience could entail.

"I doubt it." She replies to herself, followed by a scoff. Believing that she would live out her life, never coming close to feeling love. Rolling around on her bed trying to get the thought out of her mind.

During her childish act, she suddenly gets reminded of reality. Her last year in school is coming up. Two years left until she has to deal with college. Dreading every second that passes.

"It's over, just like that..." She then spends the next few moments reminding herself of how bland her life has been. Regretting all the missed opportunities. Loathing her mistakes.

After her trip down memory lane and her several, miniature existential crises. She gets off her bed to browse the internet. A pastime she always resorts to when she needs to relax.

"Cute... What....? That seems fun... Ugh..." She enjoys exclaiming her reactions to what she finds. With that, she goes on for a few hours just repeating the same thing. Waiting until her next obligation needs to be done.

Several days have passed, and finally, it's the day before the beginning of the new school year. Everyone found themselves practically hyperventilating with excitement. Except for the girl, who's currently groaning and punching the air in her room.

Ayane repeatedly complains about going back to school. Yet despite the contrast between her current behavior and her reputation. All of her points seem appropriate.

"I hate it there... I hate following what is expected from me... I hate the mountains of schoolwork... I hate dealing with people..." She kept this act of protest and rebellion until the evening. Ending that monologue as she was told to eat dinner with her family.

Although she had begged and pleaded for school to never resume, her attempts were in vain. It was the morning of the first day of the school year. Her mother had already called for her several times. Which had Ayane begrudgingly step out of her room, and waltz on towards the dining table for breakfast.

After eating, showering, and dressing up. Ayane had set off to welcome her second year in high school with displeasure and dread. Going on her usual route, she walks at an unmotivated pace. Changing gears and posture as she spots students from the same school.

As Ayane closes in on the entrance gates, she is surprised with a sudden hug from behind. It was Sora, brimming with glee and emitting positivity. Although Sora usually is nice and genuine. Ayane finds that Sora shows a different side towards her. As though Sora's angelic character becomes more down to earth only for Ayane.

"Ayane! Long time no see! How have you been?" Sora begins their reunion with those words. Talking like they hadn't met in ages, even though they chat on the phone regularly. In return, Ayane receives her greeting and smiles back. Her first genuinely positive reaction of that day.

"You already know the answer to that, dummy." Ayane sarcastically replies to Sora. Hinting at a slight smirk on her face, wanting to get a good laugh from Sora's inevitably cute reaction.

"Who are you calling a dummy, huh? You're being quite cheeky this early in the day." Sora exclaims, a pout mixed with arms crossed as a response. Which of course has Ayane giggling at how easy that was. It took no effort to tease her best friend for her entertainment.

"Did you look at the class lists?" Ayane asks Sora, openly admitting that she couldn't bother to go check them.

"I did! We're in the same class again this year! Here's to another fun and fulfilling year with you, Ayane~" Sora responds after a sigh. She had already gotten used to knowing the real Ayane. She often finds herself brushing it off, accepting Ayane's contrasting personality and focuses on another topic.

"I look forward to another year with you too, Sora. You're the only source of happiness I have here..." Ayane states her opinion without much regard to implicit meanings. Despite that, Sora interprets it as her friend being innocently truthful. She had already gotten used to Ayane's careless honesty.

They have an exchange of words as they walk towards the school's main building. A few banters and genuine statements later, they find themselves interjected by a random person. But not through words. That random person found themselves clumsily bumping into Ayane from behind.

"Are you alright?" After exclaiming her pain from the impact, Ayane quickly turns to confront the person with concern.

"I'm so sorry!" The random student, now revealed to be an unfamiliar girl, quickly apologizes.

"I got lost...! Then I got a little scared...! Then I ended up running everywhere...!" The girl had explained her situation with haste.

"Calm down~ There's no need to rush. Would you like me to help you?" After a soft giggle, Ayane goes into role model mode out of amusement. In response, the girl bashfully nods.

"I haven't seen you here before, May I know your name?"

"Maika, my name is Fuyuno Maika."

...