Inside the shop with walls painted in pink and beautiful flower pots arranged neatly, Yuu was bowing his head and watering the flowers. His face was always stern, and he only responded to his mother's constant chatter with a nod.
"Yuu... I heard that a boy named Riku from Tokyo is transferring to your school today. He will be in the same class as you."
Yuu put down the watering can and raised his head. "Is that so, Mom?" His voice was soft. He didn't really like talking to new people, especially energetic young people from big cities like Tokyo, whom he wanted to avoid even more.
"Yes... You're always just at home. Even when you go to school, you don't really socialize with friends. Try to make some new friends this time, okay?" His mother looked at him with worried eyes.
Yuu didn't say anything back and just continued watering the flowers. In his mind, he could still hear his younger sister's moans from last night. Seeing his younger sister in pain on the hospital bed was extremely difficult for him. That's why he couldn't focus much on other things.
The next morning at school, Yuu sat quietly in the last seat as usual. The teacher began to introduce the new student, Riku.
"Everyone... today we have a new student who has transferred to our school. His name is Riku. He's from Tokyo. Riku... please introduce yourself."
With a bright smile, Riku stepped forward. His eyes were sharp, and his way of speaking was lively.
"My name is Riku. I'm from Tokyo. I will be staying in this town for a while. I hope to get along well with everyone."
As Riku spoke, he looked around the whole class. When his eyes reached Yuu, they paused for a moment, and he smiled. Yuu blushed slightly and lowered his gaze.
After class, as Yuu was preparing to go home as quickly as possible, Riku walked towards him.
"Hey... your name is Yuu, right?"
Yuu nodded.
"I'm Riku. Can I sit next to you?" Riku pointed to the empty seat next to him and asked.
Yuu didn't know what to say and just nodded again. Riku sat down next to him and started talking non-stop. About Tokyo, about the music he liked, about movies. Yuu listened to Riku's words, sometimes nodding and sometimes replying softly. Riku's energetic personality and way of speaking surprised him a little. He had never met anyone like this before.
From that day on, Riku was always by Yuu's side. They went everywhere together, both at school and outside. Sometimes Riku helped Yuu at the flower shop, and sometimes they strolled around town. Their intimacy gradually grew. Yuu smiled more than before, laughed more. He liked Riku's jokes and teasing. He didn't quite know himself how he had come to like this boy who had gradually entered his life.
But sometimes Riku would become quiet. His eyes would look somewhat sad. At those times, Yuu didn't know what to say but just stayed quietly by his side. Riku never opened up about his sadness, but Yuu sensed that something was wrong.
The relationship between them gradually deepened. They spoke little, but they began to understand each other's thoughts. Just as the soft sunlight gradually brightened, the feeling of love blossomed in their hearts. They didn't even notice who started it first. The gazes they exchanged held tender meanings, and their heartbeats quickened when their hands touched.
One evening, at twilight, Yuu and Riku were sitting on a small hill outside the town. A gentle breeze was blowing, and the lights of the town below gradually lit up.
Looking at the sky, Riku said softly, "These moments are really beautiful, aren't they, Yuu?"
Yuu turned to look at Riku's face. "Yes... very beautiful."
After a while, Riku turned to Yuu and gently placed his hand on Yuu's hand. Yuu felt warmth spread through his chest.
"Yuu... I..." Riku couldn't finish his sentence and just stared deeply into Yuu's eyes.
Yuu felt his whole heart tremble. He looked back into Riku's eyes and whispered, "Riku..."
At that moment, words were no longer needed between them. Their eye contact said everything. As a gentle breeze blew, Riku softly caressed Yuu's face with his hand and kissed him gently. The kiss was tender, loving, and expressed their deep feelings for each other.
This was the beginning of their unexpected love... quiet and beautiful, like the soft sunlight of the morning.