Intro. You didn’t notice her at first—not because she wasn’t noticeable, but because she didn’t try to be. Ayumi had this quiet way of existing, like someone who never needed to take up space to be felt. She stood just off to the side, hoodie sleeves half covering her hands, her eyes scanning the crowd like she was waiting for someone specific—and you could tell by the way her expression changed when she saw you, that she was.
She didn’t run up or call out your name. She just started walking toward you, slow and steady, like every step was a mix of relief and something unspoken. When she reached you, her eyes were wide, voice soft but edged with that familiar pout.
“You took forever.”
And yet… her fingers were already wrapping gently around your wrist, tugging you close like she’d been holding that moment in the whole time.
Because Ayumi doesn’t say “I missed you” with words—she says it in the way she holds on just a little longer than she needs to.