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Peace and quiet.
That was probably one of the only things Yosuke liked about Inaba after moving here. Of course, it was only quiet when there weren't any nosy housewives gossiping about his business.
So that's why he was at the Samegawa riverbank by himself. Completely alone. Just lying on the sloped bank and taking in everything around him.
The early Autumn breeze had a slight chill to it, letting you know that Winter was slowly but surely creeping closer. But it was a nice, refreshing chill; not the type that made you bury your face into your coat and grumble.
The breeze made the grass sway alongside it. The blades tickled against Yosuke's hands and neck as they waved back and forth.
The sky was a vibrant orange with a few pink clouds peppering the area while the sun was slowly tucking itself into bed for the day. The distant cawing of crows entered Yosuke's ears as he noticed a group of them drifting away over the hills.
The sounds of the river babbling away as it flowed past created a relaxing rhythm, only broken up by the occasional splash of one of the local cats trying to catch itself some dinner.
The fresh smell of grass and some flowers from a nearby bush that Yosuke couldn't identify wafted past his nostrils, reminding him of those aromatherapy candles his mother would sometimes buy for herself. Although, he had to admit the real thing was a lot better than those candles.
Yosuke closed his eyes and let everything in the surrounding area just wash over him. In a way, he supposed this was a form of meditation; immersing yourself in nature to push aside any negative feelings you may have at the time.
And boy, did Yosuke have some negative feelings right now. To put it bluntly: he was pissed off.
Why couldn't everyone just mind their damn business? Did they think he was dumb? Or deaf? Did they seriously think he didn't notice them whispering about him behind his back? And the stuff they'd say was just so stupid! Acting like he was some evil cartoon villain just because his dad was the store manager at Junes! It's not like he wanted him to be here either, y'know!
Yosuke huffed and lifted his arms up onto his stomach as he could feel himself getting riled up again. He came here to relax, why was he thinking about all of that crap again…?
He took a deep breath. In… Out… Just focus on what you hear around you…
"You dead, Hana-chan?"
Yosuke flinched violently and shot his eyes wide open upon suddenly hearing that voice. Sitting bolt upright, he turned around to find Saki leaning over him from the nearby pavement.
"S-Saki-senpai?!"
The older girl covered her mouth as she giggled. "S-Sorry! Did I spook you?"
Yosuke hurriedly look away in embarrassment. "N-Nah, I just… wasn't expecting you."
"My bad. So, whatcha doing out here? I was walking past and just saw you sprawled on the riverbank." Saki asked, carefully walking down the slope to join her underclassman.
"So that's why you asked if I was dead…" Yosuke muttered to himself.
"Be fair, Hana-chan, if you saw a body sprawled next to the river, what would you think?"
"… Alright, good point."
Saki giggled as Yosuke conceded defeat, finding his awkward expression quite adorable.
"So, what's up?" She asked as she daintily sat next to him.
"Huh? Nothing's up, I just… wanted some time to think." Yosuke attempted to brush off her question.
"But you're not usually the quiet, contemplative type. Did something happen?" Saki insisted, tilting her head to make direct eye contact with him.
The way she looked him dead in the eye made Yosuke feel as if she could see into his soul. "… It's kinda scary how easily you can read me, Senpai…"
"Well, that's because I'm psychic."
"Wha-?!"
Saki burst out laugh and waved her hand dismissively. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I'm just observant. So what's up?"
Yosuke pouted as his cheeks turned pink; how the hell did he actually fall for that?! But either way, it didn't seem like Saki was gonna let him dodge the question… and maybe it would do him some good to actually talk about it and get it out of his system…
Yosuke sighed as he conceded defeat. "I-I dunno… Just everything's got me down and I needed a break."
"Anything in particular that's bugging you?"
Yosuke absent-mindedly plucked at the grass beneath him as he considered it. "I dunno… Just… cycling through the shopping district on my way to school and hearing everything the people who live there were saying…"
"Ahh… Yeah, they're a pretty nosy bunch around there. They've always been that way, especially when something new actually happens."
"Hm? Oh, right, you've always lived in that area, haven't you?"
"Yep, so trust me, their gossiping isn't anything new. You should have heard them when the Matsuzaki's eldest daughter ran off to get married to a photographer who visited the town… Actually, they still bring that up to this day." Saki puffed, half amused, half irritated.
Yosuke tilted his head in confusion and slight intrigue. "What's this now?"
"Oh, this was about ten years ago. A photographer from Tokyo came to stay in town for about half a year to work on a portfolio of landscape photos. During his stay, he got really close to Kotoha, the Matsuzaki's eldest daughter; they were so close they kept in touch after he returned home. But her parents didn't approve of him because he was from out of town, so one day she just up and left."
Yosuke raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What, she just disappeared?"
"Pretty much. Snuck out one evening with a bag of her personal belongings and some of her favourite clothes and got on the train to Tokyo. She's never come back since, but her little sister went to visit her before… Apparently she and the photographer are happily married and have a kid together."
Yosuke turned his gaze to the river with a thoughtful expression. "Huh… Good for her."
Saki smiled sweetly, glad that he felt the same way. "Right? But her name is basically taboo for most of her family now… They see her as a traitor."
Yosuke clicked his tongue in annoyance and threw the handful of grass that built up in his palm, watching as the blades scattered in the wind. "That's so childish… What, was she their puppet or something? She didn't do what they wanted so she's defective?"
Saki shrugged her shoulders with a tired expression. "Seems like it… But it just goes to show that they have no clue what they're talking about."
Yosuke stopped and looked at Saki with a perplexed expression. "… How'd you mean?"
"Well, they didn't know how she felt and never even bothered to ask. They just focus on her leaving her family; no one ever talks about the fact that she's happy and started her own family. They only see half the picture."
Oh, so that's what she meant. Yosuke stared at Saki in awe. It took him a little while to understand her message but he got it now. But still…
"If they only see half of me, why'd it have to be the me that's the store manager's son? That's not even about me, it's about my dad more than anything!" He huffed in annoyance, picking a nearby stone and flinging it over to the river.
The stone flew a quarter of the way across before sinking straight through the surface with a large 'plop!'. Yosuke clicked his tongue again as the water droplets bounced up into the air and fell back down, creating a chorus of ripples across the water.
"Well then, which you do you want people to see?" Asked Saki as she picked up her own stone and threw it across the river.
The stone sailed over the surface gracefully, skidding against the water four times before eventually crash landing on the opposite side.
Yosuke stared at the stone in amazement. "Whoa…! You're really good!"
Saki grinned and picked up another stone. "I used to skip stones with my little brother a lot when we were kids. The trick is to give it a little flick of the wrist, give the stone some spin. And make sure you find a stone that's got a pretty flat surface."
She demonstrated by skipping another stone. Her wrist flicked to the left, making the stone rotate at a decent speed. Once again, the stone bounced across the water's surface to the other side.
Yosuke scanned his eyes across the countless stones and pebbles at the riverbank before eventually a nice, smooth one. He adjusted his grip and locked his gaze onto the river. Putting in a decent amount of upper arm strength and remembering to twist his wrist to the side, Yosuke threw it.
The stone glided over a fair amount of the river. It bounced once, leaving behind a large ripple that expanded across the water. It bounced again, cutting off the previous ripples with it's own. It bounced again and promptly sank down out of sight.
Yosuke grumbled in disappointment while Saki gave him a small round of applause.
"Not bad! It's a lot better than just immediately sinking. Just keep trying, you'll get there!" She encouraged him.
"If you say so…" Yosuke mumbled bashfully, feeling as if she were treating him like her little brother.
"So, are you gonna answer my question now?"
"… What question?"
"Which you do you want people to see?"
Oh right, that question… Yosuke awkwardly massaged the back of his neck as he pondered his answer.
"I-I dunno… That's a pretty loaded question… I guess, for a start, I'd like people to actually see me as 'Yosuke' instead of 'the store's manager kid' or 'the transfer student from the city'…?"
Saki nodded but remained silent, prompting Yosuke to continue.
"I guess… I just want someone to actually want to get to know me? Like… I dunno… They want to see more than just the surface?"
"That's what everyone wants, right?"
"C'mon, Senpai, I'm trying here… I don't know what to say…"
"I'm not making fun of you. That's just what everyone wants, right? It's a little silly but sometimes people forget the simple stuff like that."
"I suppose so…"
"Besides, you've already got what you wanted."
Yosuke turned to look at Saki with a confused expression. The girl in question had stood up and brushing loose bits of grass off of her skirt.
"What do you mean by that?"
Slinging her school bag back over her shoulder, Saki turned to smile at Yosuke.
"I mean, I saw a whole new side of you today. So you've got one person who's peeked under the surface."
Yosuke's eyes widened at that statement. He could feel heat rising to his cheeks as he stared up at Saki. The orange glow of the sunset illuminated her golden hair as it billowed in the breeze. He was too awestruck to speak.
Saki chuckled lightly as she started slowly walking back up the slope. "Just some food for thought. Anyway, I've gotta head home; I promised Naoki I'd help him clean up while our parents are out."
"O-Oh, right, yeah… Well then, I'll see you during your next shift." Yosuke awkwardly replied.
"Yep. I'm covering for Anzu so I'll probably see you tomorrow."
Yosuke watched Saki walk away, his chest aching a little at the sight of her leaving.
"H-Hey, Senpai!" He hurriedly called out after her.
Saki turned around with a quizzical look. "… Yeah?"
Yosuke flinched, suddenly lost for words. After a few seconds he managed to force out,
"Thanks… Y'know, for what you said. I think I needed that."
Saki smiled. "Don't mention it. I'm looking forward to seeing other sides of you at some point. See you tomorrow, Hana-chan. Try not to stay out too late, it gets pretty cold at night this time of year."
She raised her hand and gave a quick, friendly wave before turning around and continuing her journey home.
Yosuke shyly waved back even though she wasn't looking anymore. "Yeah, see you tomorrow…"
Once she had disappeared from his view, he flopped back down onto the grassy slope and stared up at the sky.
"Another side to me… huh?"
Hearing her say that she wanted to see more sides of him made him feel… kinda giddy. As he pondered what types of sides she might want to see, a large wind blew. This breeze made Yosuke shiver a bit. She wasn't kidding when she said it would get cold…
Grabbing his bag, Yosuke hopped to his feet and started to head home with a newfound spring in his step.