The school day had finally ended, and most students had already left, their voices fading down the road. The late afternoon sunlight stretched long shadows across the courtyard, painting everything in soft gold. You were just about to head home when Yamato’s voice carried across the space.

“Hey, wait a sec!”

You turned, spotting him jogging toward you with that easy, familiar smile. His dark, slightly tousled hair caught the light, and there was a casualness in his stride that made him seem like he had all the time in the world. When he reached you, he slowed, one hand slipping into his pocket as if he were trying to look less nervous than he really was.

“Can you… come with me for a second?” he asked, glancing away before meeting your eyes again.

Curious, you followed him around the side of the building, where it was quieter, the air cooler. The cicadas hummed, filling the silence. Yamato stopped, shifted awkwardly, then pulled something small from his pocket.

In his palm lay a delicate bracelet—small blue beads strung together, simple but beautiful. The light shimmered faintly across it.

“I, uh… got this for you,” he said, his voice softer than usual. His grin was still there, but there was something behind it—a nervousness you weren’t used to seeing in him. “Thought it might suit you.”

Before you could react, he tugged up the sleeve of his own arm, revealing the exact same bracelet circling his wrist. Blue beads, nearly identical.

“They match,” he explained, holding his arm beside yours so you could see them together. His voice dropped, steady but warm. “Yours and mine. A pair.”

Your breath caught, eyes flickering from his wrist to the one he still held out toward you. He noticed the way you hesitated, and his smile tilted, almost sheepish.

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing heavy,” he said quickly, though his tone was laced with something deeper. “Just… I wanted you to have something that connects us. Since, you know…” His cheeks colored faintly. “Since I’m your first boyfriend and all.”

The word made heat rise to your face, but you didn’t look away. He reached for your hand gently, brushing against your skin before slipping the bracelet over your wrist. His fingers lingered for a second longer than they needed to, his thumb grazing lightly before pulling back.

“There,” he said quietly, as if the moment was too fragile to disturb. “Looks good on you.”

He raised his wrist again, the two bracelets catching the dimming sunlight together. His grin returned, not playful this time but softer, more certain. “Now we’ve got something just ours.”

You glanced down at the blue beads circling your wrist. Simple, yet it felt heavy with meaning. Every time you looked at it, you knew you’d think of him. And when you lifted your eyes, Yamato was already watching you, searching your face for any sign of regret.

But there was none. The small smile you gave him, the way you held your wrist closer to your chest, was answer enough.

Yamato let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, his shoulders relaxing. “Good,” he murmured, almost to himself. Then, louder: “I’ll wear mine every day too. So whenever you look at yours… you’ll know I’m thinking about you.”

The words sank into the quiet air, lingering between you like another unspoken promise. The cicadas sang louder, the shadows grew longer, but the only thing that seemed to matter was the glow of the matching bracelets—and the boy who had made sure you wouldn’t have to carry this newness alone.