See You Off

Airnote  ·  Kanna  ·  Jun 13, 2026

Yu, ready to leave, looked at me.
Arms opened wide.

I stepped into them.
Come back again, I said.
I will. I'll miss you too, Yu said.

Anything left unsaid? Yu asked.
I'm looking forward to summer, was all I said.
That was enough.

A soft, lingering kiss was given to me.
Eyes closed, the whole day rose up in my mind —
the watercress, the lattice of light, onigiri on the cliff, the steam from the porridge.
All of it, today.

See you off, I said.

Yu shouldered a bag and walked out of the library.
At the door, one last turn, a small wave.
I waved back.

The door closed.

The hall went quiet.
I looked at the three paintings on the shelf.
Lit one lamp, sat down on the sofa.

Summer, I thought, quietly.