Before the Train Arrives

The sky was overcast, as if yesterday’s rain had never really ended. Haruto stopped at the entrance to the station, shaking the droplets from the umbrella his grandmother had lent him. He was supposed to meet a friend in Shinjuku, but he’d arrived a little earlier than usual—maybe because he wanted to find her.

On the platform, the air smelled of damp metal and freshly brewed coffee from a vending machine. The train to Shinjuku was due in three minutes.

That’s when he saw her.The girl with golden hair was standing by the yellow line, looking up at the electronic board. This time, she wasn’t carrying any books.

Haruto took a deep breath. Today… today I’ll ask her.

“Hey…” he began, stepping closer. “Yesterday, I didn’t get the chance to tell you…”

She looked at him, curious, as if waiting for the rest of the sentence. But before he could go on, a metallic voice echoed through the loudspeakers:

> “Train bound for Akihabara now arriving at platform two. Please stand behind the yellow line.”

She turned to him with a small smile.“I thought you didn’t like rainy Saturdays,” she said, as if making a casual remark.
Haruto blinked, puzzled.“How… do you know that?”
She shrugged.“I guess I just imagined it.”
A small group of passengers passed between them, gently jostling. Haruto tried to pick up the thread.“By the way, I’m Haruto. And you…?”

The train screeched to a stop and the doors slid open. She stepped back, holding her bag.

“Nozomi. My name is Nozomi.”

And without saying anything else, she boarded the train.

Haruto remained on the platform, watching as the doors closed and the train pulled away—taking with it a name that would echo in his mind for the rest of the day.