memoir [sakuraba ryota]

03

You let out a sigh as you trekked on the road leading back to your home from buying some snacks from a local store. "So hot~" you complained, swiping the sweat on your face.

It's been already a week since you moved to the countryside and had fully adapted to the community; not like it was a problem since you've been visiting since childhood. You let out another sigh as you stopped walking, "Come to think of it... he did say that there was a shortcut in the forest path..." you muttered to yourself, remembering what your cousin had told you, eyeing the forest.

"Worth a shot. It's not like I'll get lost if I follow the road they made." You started to walk in the forest path that you also had used when you first visited the school you were to attend.

As you walked along the path, you felt yourself feeling nostalgic about the place. It's true that you went to the forest often as a child, but you can't seem to remember why you would go there almost every time you went over during the summer. You soon stopped walking and looked around and remembered running through those trees, "I guess I can take a look..." you left the path and ventured deeper into the forest.

After a few minutes, you found yourself standing before a field of flowers and a clear, pristine river. You walked towards the river, while looking around the riverbend in the awe.

Despite it being summer, the flowers looks like it's still spring, was your initial thought. You then crouched down by the side of the river, and stared at your reflection in the river. You continued to stare at it and was about to bring your hand to touch the water when somebody's voice made you stop.

"Hey... What are you doing here?"

You flinched and kept your head down on the river. "...Hey..." you heard them say once more, this time nearer and with the river's reflection, you saw that they were just standing just in front of you.

You slowly looked up and soon gasped at the person standing before you. They wore a blue yukata of-sorts and what you probably think as leggings, they also had a veil and scales in a few parts of his body. What caught your eye, however, was the blue gem just below his collarbone.

"...Hey, you..." your attention was called once again and you brought yourself to look at them, silver hair almost reflecting the sunlight and red eyes, definitely annoyed since you hadn't answered him.

"Uh... I--" you tried to avoid his gaze, frantically looking anywhere but his face when it suddenly landed on his feet -- which were just above the water. He was basically standing on the surface of the water, surprising you, but mostly scaring you; you abruptly stood up and hastily grabbed your plastic bag.

Surprised by your sudden action, he called you out, "Ah--" he got to see your face clearly and was about to reach out but you had already ran, "--Hey!"

"S-Sorry!" you cried out as you still continued to run away and back to the path. Your cousin, who was walking along the path, was surprised to see you jump out of the forest, panting. "[Name]? What are you doing?"

You regulated your breathing before sheepishly answering your cousin, "Uhhhh... Exercising?"

He looked at you weirdly but had let it slide, "...Whatever you say... Anyway, let's go."

"Y-Yeah..." you walked back home with him, and along the way, you couldn't help but remember your encounter earlier, especially the blue gem that was on him.

"...Where have I seen that before...?"