Our First Kiss

The chilly air enveloped me, a stark contrast to the warmth I had felt just a few moments ago. The sensation of grass brushing against my cheek stirred me from my drowsy state. Had I fallen asleep? Slowly, I parted my eyelids, greeted by a realm of darkness. I could sense the ground beneath me; I hadn't moved. The fog of drowsiness still clung to my mind.

I remained still, allowing my eyes to gradually acclimatize to the moonlit surroundings. As my vision adjusted to the darkness, I was met with the sight of Ayumi, her face mere inches from mine, lost in slumber.

Startled, I didn't dare to move, my gaze fixed on her with widened eyes. How had she gotten so close? Weren't we at least a foot apart earlier? Suppressing my surprise, I attempted to discern the hour, but in Ayumi's proximity, all I could concentrate on was the serenity of her countenance and the gentle rhythm of her breath.

As I continued to study her face, she seemed to stir, her eyes fluttering open. Our gazes met, locked for several moments, before we both realized the intimacy of our proximity. With a shared reflex, we emitted small, startled sounds, instinctively moving away from each other.

Silence descended, an unspoken acknowledgment of the peculiar circumstances. Sitting up, I shook off the residual drowsiness, my mind striving to grasp the passage of time. The darkness engulfed us, shrouding the sky with a canopy of leaves and branches. Only fragments of stars penetrated the foliage, indicating the lateness of the hour. We had unwittingly succumbed to hours of slumber.

"H-how long were we asleep?" Ayumi's voice trembled as she regarded me. Observing her posture, it was evident she was reacting to the realization of our close proximity moments ago. I retrieved my phone and glimpsed at the display.

"It’s midnight?" I voiced my surprise, confirming the hour. "We’ve been asleep for almost three hours," Ayumi's silent exclamation hinted at her shivers.

"Here," I offered, unfastening the scarf from around my neck and extending it towards her. "You should take it back," I suggested.

"I-I’m fine," she protested, a shiver betraying her words.

"Nice try, but that doesn’t sound convincing," I retorted, wrapping the scarf around her. Ayumi accepted it, her hands seeking warmth in the fabric, while I scanned our surroundings.

"We should probably find our way back to camp," my voice held a sense of urgency, amplified by the visible mist of my breath in the air.

"Do you remember the direction we came from?" Ayumi questioned, her expression mirroring the uncertainty of our situation. I shook my head.

"Everywhere looks the same in this darkness," I confessed.

Peering through the obscurity, I searched for any glimmer of light that might denote the camp. In the distance, a faint twinkle caught my attention. Though it didn't resemble the flicker of a campfire, it was our only beacon in the night.

Taking hold of Ayumi's hand, I ensured we wouldn't lose each other in the enveloping dark.

"I believe we should head in this direction," I indicated, pointing ahead. Ayumi met my gaze and offered a subtle nod, and together, we embarked on our cautious journey toward the distant glow.

As we drew nearer, a thicket of tall bushes obstructed our path. Breaking through the verdant barrier, we were presented with an awe-inspiring spectacle. The initial assumption that the light emanated from our camp was disproven. Standing amidst the open expanse, Ayumi and I beheld a scene that surpassed imagination.

The night sky stretched out above us, its canopy adorned with an array of gleaming stars, casting a radiance akin to that of a radiant lamp. It was as if we stood at the Arctic's edge, gazing upon the majestic dance of the aurora borealis. Lost in the sheer beauty of it all, I momentarily forgot our predicament.

My lips parted, ready to articulate the marvel before us, yet the words remained trapped within, arrested by the mesmerizing panorama. Ayumi's voice broke the silence, jolting me from my reverie.

"It’s quite a view, isn’t it?" She declared, her smile a mirror of my own astonishment. I glanced toward her, acknowledging her statement with a nod. My gaze then descended to our clasped hands, the awareness of her touch prompting an unexpected flush of surprise. Hastily releasing her hand, I averted my eyes, the heat in my cheeks betraying my emotions.

"It’s been a long time since we first met," Ayumi began, shifting our conversation.

"It sure has," I replied, my tone matter-of-fact. "I remember when I first saw you. That one morning at the train station."

"Train station?" Ayumi's inquisitive tone surfaced. "Didn’t we meet when Aika introduced me to you?" I confessed with a sheepish grin.

"Well, I guess I never have told you, but I first saw you a few days ago before then," I admitted, vulnerability tinged in my words.

Ayumi leveled a stern gaze at me. "How long ago?"

"I’m just going to say that I saw you sign up for the Astronomy club, and that’s kind of why I joined," I elucidated, unveiling a hidden truth.

"Why would you join me when you didn’t even know me back then?" Ayumi's query held a sense of genuine curiosity. Smiling, I gazed skyward, as if seeking solace in the stars.

"I don’t exactly know," I confessed, the sincerity evident in my voice. "The thing is that there was just something different about you that separates you from most people. You just caught my attention, and before I knew it, I was staring at you every time you appeared."

"Is that why you became friends with me?" Ayumi's tone was tinged with disappointment, her smile faltering. "I was just ‘different?’"

"It was," I affirmed softly, locking my gaze with hers.

"But now, I look at you for a different reason, a reason that I know."

"What's that?" Ayumi's curiosity spurred me to reveal my feelings.

"It was when you told me that I wasn't useless," I reminisced, a fond smile tugging at my lips. "I had always thought that my life was meaningless, but you changed my thinking," I confessed.

"You said that everyone has something to offer out to the world, and you helped me find what I can give," I elaborated on the impact of her words. Ayumi's sigh hinted at an internal struggle.

"I helped you figure out yours, but I still haven't figured out mine."

"Yes, you have. You just needed someone to tell you," I reassured her, my gaze unwavering.

"Huh?" Ayumi's surprise was palpable. "I already figured out my reason?" She inquired.

I nodded, the conviction was evident in my gesture. "The reason why you're in this world," I stepped closer, my arm encircling her, offering comfort.

"It isn’t to prove to anyone that you can be something. It isn’t for the world to have someone to pick on."

"The reason is to be with me," I pulled Ayumi in close, slowly leaned in, and kissed her for the first time ever.