Chapter 10 – “I Wish You’d See Me…”

The sunset bled across the sky, painting the clouds a deep orange.

Riko walked home alone, her sports bag slung over her shoulder, shoes crunching softly against the gravel path. The laughter from earlier — Daichi’s laughter — still echoed in her mind, even though the school grounds were far behind her.

She kicked a loose pebble. It bounced once, twice, and rolled into the gutter.

“Stupid rock,” she muttered. But her voice came out smaller than she expected.

Her reflection shimmered faintly on the nearby shop window — a girl in a track uniform, hair messy from practice, a bit of dirt on her cheek. She stared at herself. “A girl,” she whispered. Then she laughed bitterly. “Yeah, right.”

Everyone at school saw her as “Riko-bro.” Even the teachers called her that sometimes. She’d laughed along, because it was funny, because it was easier. But today… it wasn’t funny anymore.

Not after seeing Daichi smiling with someone else.

The art club girl had been so delicate — her hair tied with a ribbon, her voice soft, her hands gentle when she took the box from him. The kind of girl who looked like she belonged next to Daichi.

And then there was Riko. The tomboy who wrestled him during lunch breaks and punched his shoulder too hard when he teased her.

She sighed, staring at the glowing horizon.

Why does it hurt so much to see him with someone else?

---

A gust of wind rushed past, carrying the faint scent of summer grass. Riko stopped walking. She looked up at the sky, half-lit and fading, and exhaled softly.

Every memory flashed by — Daichi grinning after scoring a goal, the way he scolded her for skipping breakfast, the umbrella they shared in the rain, the way his hand brushed hers when he bandaged her wrist.

He’d always been there. Always smiling, always kind.

Always… unaware.

Her chest tightened.

“Mina’s right,” she murmured. “I really am slow.”

A laugh slipped out, half amused, half broken. She rubbed her arm nervously. “I like him. I actually like that stupid, clueless idiot.”

The realization felt like confessing a secret to the wind. It was terrifying — but freeing, too.

She walked again, slower this time. The orange light dimmed into violet, and the street lamps flickered on one by one.

Her phone buzzed.

A message from Daichi.

> Daichi: “Hey, forgot to tell you earlier. Thanks for the bento yesterday. You’re really improving, bro!”

Riko’s thumb hovered over the reply button. She stared at the word “bro.”

For a second, she thought about ignoring it. Or maybe teasing him back. But all she did was type:

> Riko: “Yeah. Sure thing.”

She shoved her phone into her pocket before the ache in her chest could deepen.

---

By the time she reached her house, the sky had turned dark. Riko leaned against the gate, eyes lingering on the stars peeking through the clouds.

“I’m such an idiot,” she whispered.

Her voice trembled slightly. “I keep telling myself it’s fine. That we’re just friends. But every time he smiles like that…”

She pressed a hand against her heart. It beat hard beneath her palm, steady and painful.

“...it hurts.”

Silence wrapped around her. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. The hum of cicadas filled the night air.

Her eyes burned, but she didn’t cry. She’d never been good at crying.

Instead, she tilted her head back and smiled sadly.

“Hey, Daichi,” she murmured to the stars, her words barely audible, “I wish you’d see me as a girl for once.”

Her voice faded into the evening wind — fragile, honest, and gone before anyone could hear it.

---

Inside, she dropped her bag by the door and stared at her reflection again — the same messy tomboy looking back. But this time, there was something softer in her eyes.

“I’ll change,” she whispered. “Even if it’s just a little.”

She pulled her hair loose from its tie, letting it fall over her shoulders. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

Maybe tomorrow, she’d try something new again. Not for anyone else — but for herself.

And maybe… someday… when he looked at her, he wouldn’t see “Riko-bro.”

He’d just see Riko.