The air turned cool and dry, rustling golden leaves that drifted through temple paths and quiet streets. Crimson maples painted the hills, drawing silent awe from passersby. Hearts grew reflective, touched by the quiet beauty of change. October had arrived—finally, the month Asuka had been waiting for.
Inside the cozy house, rain tapped steadily against the windows. Keisuke let out a long sigh as he stared outside, chin resting in his palm.
"It's pouring again," he muttered, his face a mixture of boredom and mild irritation.
Asuka glanced up from her manga, her eyes following the trail of raindrops on the glass. "Yeah… you're right," she said softly, flipping a page.
Suddenly, Keisuke perked up, a grin tugging at his lips. "Hey! Our birthday's next month!"
"Huh? Next month?" Asuka blinked, caught off guard. "Oh yeah… You're right! I didn't even notice."
Back in her world, birthdays meant parties, friends, selfies, and endless Instagram posts. But here—in this different time and place—things were quieter. There were no smartphones, no flashy reels. Just laughter, food, and pure, unfiltered joy.
Keisuke slumped dramatically against the couch. "When will it stop raining so I can go outside and play?"
Asuka tapped her chin. "The forecast said it'll rain all day. Sorry, looks like you're stuck inside."
"Oh nooo," Keisuke groaned. "Asuka, if this keeps up, we'll be trapped in boredom!"
"But staying in isn't so bad," Asuka said with a smirk. "You can eat, sleep, and relax."
Keisuke looked at her, unimpressed. "What's so good about doing that all day?"
Before she could answer, their mother called from the hallway. "Asuka! You have a phone call!"
Asuka got up, carefully placing a bookmark in her manga. Who could be calling? she wondered.
She picked up the receiver. "Hello, it's Asuka."
"Oh hey, Asuka! It's Inupi," came a cheerful voice. "Just wanted to let you know, I won't be able to come out to play today. My family and I are going out for dinner."
"Oh, that's fine! Enjoy your evening," Asuka replied warmly.
After hanging up, she returned to her room and flopped back onto the floor, manga in hand—but her mind had drifted. That incident… it's going to happen soon. I have to be ready.
Keisuke peeked over from his side. "Who was it?"
"It was Inupi," Asuka answered. "He said he's going out with his family."
"Oh? You must be sad, huh?" Keisuke teased, grinning mischievously.
Asuka rolled her eyes. "We're just friends, Keisuke. You seriously know nothing."
"Oooooooh," he teased, leaning back like he'd just unlocked a great secret. Then, an idea sparked in his eyes. He shot up and dashed to the phone, dialing quickly.
"Yo, it's Keisuke," he said as soon as the call connected. "Yeah, I was getting bored too. So listen—I've got a plan. Since we're all stuck inside, why don't you come over? Yeah, yeah, bring her along!"
About ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Keisuke bounded to the door and opened it wide.
"Welcome!" he said enthusiastically, ushering in Manjiro and Emma.
"Yo," Asuka greeted, giving a small wave.
"Yo," they both echoed in unison as they stepped inside, shaking the rain off their jackets.
Keisuke quickly cleared some space for everyone to sit. Manjiro's gaze wandered curiously around the room.
"This is your room, right?" he asked Asuka.
"Yeah, yeah—welcome to my little world," she said with a proud smile.
Emma's eyes widened. "You've got so many books!"
Asuka chuckled. "Half of them are manga. I'm kind of obsessed."
"So you want to become a manga artist?" Emma asked with genuine curiosity.
"I don't think so," Asuka said, laughing softly. "I just… love reading them. Watching anime and getting lost in those worlds—it's relaxing."
Emma nodded. "So who's your favorite character?"
Asuka's eyes sparkled. "Sato. I mean—all of them, really. Every character has something cool. It's hard to pick just one!"
Everyone laughed and agreed.
Emma's gaze drifted to the shelf again. "What about those business and investment books? Are they your Oto-san's?"
"Nope," Keisuke said, pointing. "They're hers too."
Emma gasped. "So cool, Asuka!"
Manjiro, still scanning the room, paused when his eyes landed on something unusual. He reached out and picked up a small diary.
"Hey! Don't look at that!" Asuka exclaimed, scrambling over to snatch it from his hands. "That's personal!"
Manjiro grinned cheekily. "No way, I was just curious—"
"Give it back!" she huffed, clutching the diary close.
Keisuke smirked. "Mikey, don't open that. She's probably written about her time with Inupi in there."
Asuka's eyes widened. "What?! I haven't!"
"Ohhh… so you two aren't dating?" Manjiro teased with a raised brow.
"I'm not dating anyone!" Asuka shouted with anger.
Emma giggled. "Okay, okay! So, what's your type then, Asuka? Actually—let's go around! Everyone say their type!"
Keisuke grinned. "Alright, Emma, you go first."
Emma rested her chin on her hand thoughtfully. "I like guys who are strong and mature. Not childish. And they must be loyal."
"I like girls who love cats… and noodles," Keisuke said dreamily.
Everyone burst out laughing.
"What about you, Manjiro?" Emma asked.
Manjiro shrugged. "Never really thought about it."
"Well, think about it now," Asuka chimed in, eyes curious.
*Even I'm interested what's tokyo Manji's leaders type I mean he wasn't married nor did he even had any girlfriend in the anime.*She thought.
Manjiro looked surprised. "You're interested in that, Asuka?"
She shrugged with a playful grin. "A little bit."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Alright, then. I guess… I like girls who stand up for themselves. Who aren't afraid to speak their heart. Bold, honest, and—someone I can truly understand."
The room went quiet for a second. Everyone was a little surprised by how sincere he sounded.
Emma turned to Asuka. "And you?"
"Me?" Asuka looked up at the ceiling, thinking. Then, with a soft smile, she said, "Someone who smiles innocently and tries to lighten the mood with silly jokes. But when we're alone, I want him to be real with me. To share his pain, his thoughts—everything. I want us to be each other's safe space. And also… he should be really cute and should laugh like hehehe."
Everyone stared at her.
"You sure you weren't thinking about someone just now?" Emma asked with a teasing grin.
"No! I wasn't!" Asuka said, flustered.
Soon, the group moved on, playing games, cooking noodles together, and finding little ways to make the rainy day fun.
Later, as the rain cleared and the sky softened to grey, Manjiro and Emma stood up to leave. They slipped on their jackets as Keisuke saw them to the door.
Just before leaving, Manjiro paused. He turned back to look at Asuka, his eyes serious.
"You know… if you want someone to share their pain with you, you should be willing to share yours too," he said gently.
Then he walked out, leaving Asuka standing there—heart fluttering, thoughts racing.
What did he mean…? she wondered as she slowly walked back to her room.