The soft, golden hue of late afternoon wrapped around Lily and Aki as they walked side by side down the quiet sidewalk. The usual chatter of students heading home had long since faded, leaving only the sound of their footsteps and the distant hum of cicadas.
Neither said much.
Lily's mind lingered on the moment in the art room — the confession she had turned down — and even more so on Aki's quiet expression when he heard it all.
But it wasn't just that.
A different memory stirred beneath the surface.
The alley.
That man.
And the one who stepped between them — calm, steady, protective.
She hadn't known who he was at first. But now she did. The face was clear.
Yuki.
As they neared the bus station, two familiar figures came into view — a tall boy in a university jacket and a girl beside him with a confident walk and short, choppy hair.
Lily slowed. Her breath caught.
Yuki.
And Itsuki. An old friend… from a life only she remembered.
"Lily?" Aki asked, noticing her hesitation.
Yuki and Itsuki were mid-laughter when Yuki glanced toward them — and then stopped cold as his eyes met Lily's.
His expression shifted quickly — first surprise, then recognition.
"Well," Yuki said as he stepped forward, "wasn't expecting to see you again so soon."
"Hey," Lily replied, her voice calm but soft. "Yuki."
Aki blinked, glancing between them. "You two know each other?"
Yuki gave a small nod. "Yeah. We met… under tense circumstances."
Lily offered a faint smile. "And he helped me. I never got to say this properly—thank you, Yuki. For that night."
Yuki's expression softened. "I'm just glad you're alright."
Itsuki raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Oh? That night? Helping girls in alleys now, Yuki?"
Yuki shot her a dry look. "It's not like that."
"Oh, I'm sure it's not," Itsuki teased, nudging him with her elbow. "You just happened to be at the right place, right time, and now you're running into her again like it's fate?"
Yuki sighed. "Can we not make this weird?"
Lily chuckled quietly at their banter. "You haven't changed much."
Itsuki looked at her curiously. "So, you two ran into each other again after that?"
Yuki nodded. "Yeah. We exchanged numbers too, actually."
"Oh?" Itsuki's grin widened. "We got our Mr Yuki trying to hit for highschoolers now?"
Yuki sighed. " — this is Itsuki Tachibana. She's in the same department as me at uni."
Itsuki waved. "Hey, hey! Nice to meet you both. Wow, high schoolers? So cute."
"Um—" Aki coughed, a little flustered.
"Lily," she added.
Even though i know her in my another body she's still same Itsuki i know.
"Lily, huh?" Itsuki looked at her closely, then grinned and nudged Yuki with her elbow. "This the girl you wouldn't shut up about?"
Yuki turned a light shade of red. "I didn't say anything like that."
"Oh come on," Itsuki laughed. Then she turned her teasing toward Lily and Aki. "Wait a sec… are you two—" she made a heart shape with her fingers, "dating?"
Aki stiffened immediately, eyes wide. "W–what? N–no, we're just—!"
Lily blinked, a little caught off guard, but kept her expression composed. "We're not," she said, though a tiny smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Ah, not yet, huh?" Itsuki teased, winking. "I see how he looks at you."
"Itsuki, seriously—" Yuki groaned, clearly regretting introducing her.
"Relax, I'm just messing," she said, laughing. Then she gave Lily a knowing smile. "Nice to meet you, Lily. You've got a good vibe. Keep this one close," she added, gesturing to Aki. "He looks like the silent, loyal type."
"I—uh—thanks?" Aki mumbled, looking down, clearly overwhelmed.
Yuki rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway… it's good to see you again. Take care, alright?"
"You too," Lily said softly. "And… really. Thank you."
Itsuki looked between Lily and Aki again. "Well, it's nice to meet you both. Sorry if we interrupted anything."
"Not at all," Lily replied quickly.
Yuki ignored her, turning back to Lily. "I really am glad you're doing okay."
Lily met his gaze. "Thanks, Yuki. Really."
With that, Yuki and Itsuki gave them a small wave and continued toward the station. Lily and Aki stood in silence for a moment.
Aki looked at her, brows furrowed. "You never told me anything about the him saving you."
"I didn't want to," Lily said, her voice quieter now. "Some things feel safer when you keep them in the past."
Aki nodded slowly. "Still… I wish I'd known. So I could've been there."
She looked at him then — really looked at him — and something warm settled between them.
"I know," she said.
The wind rustled through the trees again. They began walking, this time closer than before.
And for the first time that day, Lily felt something ease in her chest — like a knot beginning to untangle.
The warm afternoon air lingered as Yuki and Itsuki descended the slope toward the station. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then, Itsuki tilted her head and glanced sideways at Yuki, her steps slow and thoughtful.
"Hey," she said. "That girl, Lily…"
Yuki looked at her. "What about her?"
Itsuki narrowed her eyes slightly. "You didn't notice?"
Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Notice what?"
She tapped her temple. "Her eyes. The way she looked at you."
He blinked. "I figured she recognized me from the alley."
Itsuki shook her head. "No, not that. Not just that."
There was a beat of silence. The hum of a passing car filled the gap.
"She looked at you," Itsuki continued, "like she knew you from somewhere else. Like… somewhere deeper. I've seen that kind of look before. When someone sees a memory they can't place."
Yuki frowned slightly, trying to replay Lily's expression in his mind. The way she had stared. Her hesitance. Her breath catching. Not just fear or gratitude. Something more… familiar.
"I dunno," he muttered. "It felt strange, sure. But I thought maybe I was just imagining it."
Itsuki smirked. "You're not that imaginative, Yuki."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"Anytime." She nudged him playfully. "But seriously, you might want to pay attention. That girl's holding something back."
Yuki didn't respond right away. His thoughts lingered on the girl with pale skin and quiet eyes — eyes that flickered like someone standing in two worlds.
He glanced back over his shoulder at the path they came from, though Lily and Aki were long gone.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I think you might be right."