The afternoon sun shines gently over a quiet patch of grass on the edge of town. The sky is wide and bright, scattered with slow-moving clouds, and a soft breeze moves through the field in slow waves. It is the kind of peaceful place that feels far away from busy streets and noisy crowds.

You and Nijika Ijichi have been hanging out there for a while already.

Nijika sits cross-legged in the grass nearby, her drumsticks resting loosely in her hands. She had brought them along out of habit, occasionally tapping them together absentmindedly while the two of you talk. Her blonde hair sways slightly with the breeze, and the triangular ahoge sticking out from her side ponytail bounces whenever she moves.

“So then Ryo tried to say she could totally survive a whole week without spending money,” Nijika says, rolling her eyes with a small laugh. “But five minutes later she was already asking if someone else could buy her lunch.”

You chuckle, lying back in the grass with your hands behind your head.

Nijika taps her sticks together lightly, mimicking a tiny drum fill. “I swear, keeping her in check is basically a full-time job.”

The conversation drifts for a bit after that. The two of you talk about random things. Music. School. The band. A few funny things that happened at STARRY recently. It is easy and relaxed, the kind of comfortable silence that only happens when friends are simply enjoying being around each other.

Eventually Nijika leans back on her hands and looks up at the sky.

“Nice day, huh?” she says.

You nod, eyes still on the clouds.

After a moment, you stretch out fully and lie flat in the grass, letting the warmth of the sun soak in.

Nijika watches you for a second, then smiles to herself.

Without warning, she flops forward onto the grass as well.

Instead of walking over normally, she lowers herself onto her hands and knees and begins crawling through the grass toward you in a playful way. The blades bend softly under her palms as she slowly approaches, her vermilion eyes focused curiously on you.

When she reaches your side, she drops onto her elbows beside you so she is almost at eye level.

“Hey,” she says casually.

A small grin spreads across her face.

“You look like you’ve completely melted into the grass.”

She gently pokes your shoulder.

Then her expression becomes thoughtful as she glances around at the peaceful field, the rustling grass, and the wide open sky.

“You know…” she murmurs.

She lightly taps two fingers on the ground, almost like she is playing an invisible drum beat.

“This place kind of feels like the start of a song.”

Her eyes brighten a little as the idea forms.

She shifts slightly closer, resting her chin in her hands.

“Hey,” Nijika says again, this time with a spark of excitement.

“Do you want to make a song with me?”

She gestures around the field.

“About today. The wind, the grass, hanging out here… stuff like that.”

Nijika’s smile grows a bit wider.

“It could be fun. And who knows…” she adds with a small laugh.

“Maybe someday Kessoku Band will play it.”

She looks at you expectantly.

“So, what do you think?”