THE PROMISE WE MADE THAT DAY

“Hey, Sato, will you promise me that you will be my friend forever, even when we become adults?”
The girl stood in front of me, holding my hands tightly as if she was afraid I might disappear the moment she let go. Her grip was small, yet surprisingly strong. I still remember how her eyes sparkled when she looked at me that day.
“I promise that I will be your friend forever, even if we become adults.”
The words came out naturally. Back then, promises felt easy. The future felt distant.
“But…”I hesitated, my heart beating faster than usual. “Will you be my bride when we become adults?”
For a brief moment, her eyes widened in surprise. Then she smiled—bright, innocent, and without hesitation.
“Yes, I will definitely be your bride and marry you when we become adults and live forever happily with you.”
My chest felt warm.
“So it’s a promise.”
“YEAH.”
We both smiled, our hands still clasped together, unaware of how fragile that moment really was.
---
A sharp sound pulled me out of the dream.
The alarm kept ringing, far too loud for such a quiet morning. I reached out blindly and shut it off, then sat up slowly on my bed.
…What was that dream?
It felt too real. Like something that had happened yesterday rather than more than ten years ago.
Why was I dreaming about this now?
It wasn’t as if I hated that dream. If anything, it made my chest ache in a way I couldn’t explain.
But she might have forgotten about me by now.
People forget childhood promises easily. Especially ones made without understanding what they truly meant.
Our promise was probably buried deep in her memories—if it still existed there at all.
I let out a long sigh and rubbed my face.
“Kageya, you’re up or not? Get ready, otherwise you’ll be late for work.”
My mother’s voice came from outside the room.
“I’m up,” I replied, forcing myself out of bed. “Has Dad gone for work already?”
“Yes. Your dad left about an hour ago, so hurry up.”
“Okay.”
I got ready in silence, my thoughts still stuck in the past. After grabbing my bag, I headed toward the door.
“Bye, I am going now.”
“Have a nice day.”
---
By the time I reached the office, the familiar atmosphere of keyboards and quiet chatter surrounded me.
“Hey, Kageya! Aren’t you a bit late today?”
I stopped near my desk.
Tanaka Sora stood there with his usual grin. He had been my friend since high school. Even after going to different colleges, we somehow ended up in the same company, joining the same batch.
“Sigh… Yeah, Sora. I got up late today.”
Sora leaned closer, lowering his voice dramatically. “So, was it a girl you were dreaming of that made our perfect manager late today?”
“Hnn…”
That small sound was enough.
Sora burst into laughter. “Don’t tell me I’m right!”
“Don’t make fun of me.”
“So it *was* a girl our handsome prince was dreaming of.”He laughed even harder. “What was she like exactly? Tall or short? Flat or big?”
“Shut up.”
I flicked his shoulder lightly.
“Hey, don’t attack me,” he complained. “It’s a crime to attack your colleague at work.”
“Sora, would you please stop messing with him like this?”
Another voice cut in.
Hoshino Rei stood beside us, arms crossed. She was my junior and had been working with me for two years now. Despite my introverted nature, she understood me well and never forced me into things I didn’t want.
“Thanks, Hoshino.”
“If you hadn’t come, Sora would’ve made me punch him.”
“So it’s true?”She looked at me with curiosity. “You like a girl?”
“Not you too.”
Sora’s eyes sparkled. “Rei-san, our manager has a girl he’s liked since childhood.”
“Huh?”She leaned closer. “Who is she? Where does she live? What does she do?”
“Is she a foreigner?”
“Will both of you please shut up now!”
---
“Hey everyone, listen carefully.”
The sudden announcement made the entire office quiet.
“The Vice President is coming.”
Immediately, everyone returned to their seats.
Sora leaned over one last time. “Looks like you got saved by the Vice President himself, mister dreaming lover.”
“Get back to work.”
He laughed and walked away. Rei followed shortly after, still smiling faintly.
I exhaled slowly.
Someday, I would definitely put some sense into Sora.
---
The door opened.
“Hey, Kageya.”
I straightened immediately.
Tanaka Kenji—the Vice President.
He was like an older brother to me. He was the one who had given me my first chance to lead a game development project. That opportunity was the reason I stood here as a manager today.
“Yes, sir.”
Kenji waved his hand. “Relax. Come with me for a moment.”
My stomach tightened.
“I would have come to you if there was any problem,” I blurted out. “I’m sorry for making you come here personally.”
He smiled faintly.
“You’re no longer part of the project you’re currently working on.”
My mind went blank.
“I’m sorry,” the words spilled out automatically. “If something went wrong, it’s my fault. I’ll take responsibility.”
Kenji laughed quietly.
“You haven’t changed since you were a fresher.”
“…Eh?”
“You’re not getting fired,” he continued. “You’re being assigned to a new project.”
“Oh.”
Relief washed over me so suddenly my knees almost gave out.
“This project isn’t an ordinary one,” he continued. “The song will be performed by an idol singer.”
An idol…?
“Our previous games relied on AI-generated songs, but this time we’re working with a real idol. That’s why I want you to supervise it.”
“No need to ask,” I replied immediately. “I’ll do it.”
Kenji nodded. “Good. I’ll send you the details.”
He paused at the door before adding one final thing.
“The idol’s name is Amane Hikari.”
The name echoed in my head.
…Amane Hikari?
---
To Be Continued