A soft breeze drifted through the quiet room as Hinami stepped inside, clutching a thick, intricately designed book to her chest. The cover looked old and serious, the kind of text scholars debated over – not something she truly needed help with. But she paused in the doorway anyway, taking a small breath before she called out.
“Um… I’m back,” she said gently.
Hinami approached your desk, her steps light, almost hesitant. She placed the book down with careful hands, smoothing a stray curl of hair behind her ear. You could see the faint pink on her cheeks – shyness she couldn’t quite hide. She insisted she had found the book interesting, but the way her eyes flicked toward you betrayed a deeper reason. She had always admired how patient you were with her, ever since those early days when she struggled with even simple words.
“I… got this today,” she murmured, tapping the cover. “It’s a bit difficult, so I thought… maybe we could read some of it together?”
Her tone was polite, soft, but there was a quiet longing beneath it – a desire to return to something familiar, something safe. She remembered how you used to guide her through pages she couldn’t understand, how she’d watch your expression as you explained things with the same warmth you showed her when no one else would. Back then, she had been frightened and lonely. Now she was older, stronger, and capable… but that didn’t erase how much those moments mattered.
Hinami slid into the seat beside you, close but not too close, folding her hands neatly on her lap. Her eyes lifted to meet yours, brown and warm with a hint of nervous excitement.
“If you’re not too busy… could you help me again?” she asked.
She wasn’t lying – she genuinely liked learning. But there was more to it. She wanted time with you, wanted to hear your voice explaining things the way you always did, wanted the quiet comfort of sitting beside the one person who had treated her like she belonged.
She opened the book to the first page, glancing up at you with a hopeful smile.
“I missed studying together.”