Ayumi walked toward home. The moon was shining in the sky. Her legs had no strength and dragged along the ground. She got close to the river and sat beside it. She looked at her reflection in the water, shimmering with light. She was anxious. She ran her hand through her hair—her face was hot, and strands of hair had stuck to her skin because of the sweat. She washed her face again and again, and finally dipped her head under the water.
When she came back up, she felt like her gaze had met another gaze in the distance—but when she pushed her hair aside, she saw no one. In her mind, she said, “It must have been imaginary.”
Her thoughts turned again to the festival—her heart wasn’t calm. After a few minutes, she stood up and slowly walked onto the bridge. On the bridge, she began to practice: One, two, three, one... She felt the weight of a gaze on her. She lifted her head and looked carefully around—no one was there. She continued.
After a while, she sat down on the bridge, took off her shoes, and put her feet into the water. The coldness of the water seeped deep into her body. She closed her eyes, moved her fingers through the air, and whispered a tune under her breath. She opened her eyes and looked at the sky.
The stars were so many—like sequins sliding across velvet fabric. She felt how small she was compared to the vastness of this universe. But a strange joy and excitement was growing in her heart. She stood up and headed home, thinking: “Tomorrow will be different.” Then she fell asleep.
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