The next day, the girl was there again, standing in the same spot with her basket of roses and her transparent umbrella dotted with tiny flowers. Only this time, she looked a little different. She wore a peach-colored skirt that brushed just above her knees, paired with a simple white tee. The soft color made her glow under the morning sun.

Nara spotted her the moment he turned the corner. Without thinking, he drifted toward her, hands shoved into his pockets, his steps unhurried. When he ...