Chapter 2: The Golden Thread

The rain had slowed by the next morning, leaving a soft mist hanging over the streets. Hikaru barely slept, his mind swirling with thoughts of the mysterious boy. The image in the Frame felt more vivid in his memory now, like the colors were etched into his mind. Hikaru couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted, that his quiet life had been irrevocably altered the moment he saw that boy.

He sat at the breakfast table, barely touching his food as his grandmother moved about the kitchen. She gave him a curious glance but said nothing. The silence between them was filled only by the clinking of dishes and the occasional murmur of the TV in the living room.

As soon as breakfast was over, Hikaru grabbed his bag and hurried out the door. He needed answers, and the only place that might offer any clue was the high school. Hikaru wasn’t even sure where to start looking for the boy, but something inside him pushed him forward, a strange certainty that he would find him.

The streets were wet, and the cool morning air brushed against his skin as he made his way to the school. His mind kept replaying the image from the Frame—the warmth in the boy’s eyes, the way he had smiled as if he knew Hikaru. But it was impossible. Hikaru had never seen him before, had he?

The moment he stepped through the gates of the school, the usual bustle of students felt more chaotic than ever. Everyone was moving around him, laughing, talking, existing in a world that felt distant from his own. Hikaru weaved through the crowd, his eyes scanning the faces of passing students, looking for any trace of the boy from the Frame.

He didn’t even know his name.

As Hikaru entered the school building, something strange happened. The crowd of students thinned, and for a brief moment, the world around him seemed to still. His breath caught in his throat. Standing just a few steps ahead of him was the boy.

Ryuu.

Hikaru didn’t know how he knew the name, but it came to him instinctively. The boy from the Frame—Ryuu—stood by his locker, casually leaning against the wall as if he had been waiting for him all along. His golden-brown eyes were just as bright as they were in the memory, and Hikaru’s heart skipped a beat as their gazes met.

For a moment, neither of them moved. The noise of the school faded into the background, and it was just the two of them, suspended in time.

Ryuu’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.

“Hey,” Ryuu said, his voice easy and warm, as though they had been friends for years. “You’ve been staring at me for a while.”

Hikaru’s face flushed, and he immediately looked down, his heart racing. How could he explain that he had been drawn here by a Frame that somehow captured Ryuu’s image without ever meeting him before?

“I—uh…” Hikaru stammered, his words catching in his throat. He couldn’t find a way to explain the strange connection he felt, the reason he had been looking for Ryuu. Everything felt too surreal.

Ryuu raised an eyebrow, studying him with an amused expression. “You’re not much of a talker, huh?” He stepped closer, and Hikaru’s breath hitched. “What’s your name?”

“Hikaru,” he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ryuu tilted his head, his gaze never leaving Hikaru’s face. “Hikaru,” he repeated, as though testing how the name felt on his tongue. “Well, nice to meet you, Hikaru. I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

Hikaru’s heart pounded in his chest. “I… I don’t think so,” he muttered, though his own words sounded unconvincing.

Ryuu chuckled softly, a sound that sent a shiver down Hikaru’s spine. “Maybe I’m just imagining things.” His eyes twinkled with mischief, but there was something deeper in his gaze, something Hikaru couldn’t quite place.

For a moment, Hikaru considered telling Ryuu about the Frame, about how he had appeared in it as if he belonged there. But the thought seemed too absurd, even in his own head. Instead, Hikaru nodded, feeling awkward and out of place.

“Hey,” Ryuu said suddenly, his voice taking on a more casual tone. “Do you wanna get some coffee after school? There’s this quiet café nearby. Good place to sketch, if you’re into that kind of thing.”

Hikaru blinked in surprise. The invitation caught him off guard, and he wasn’t sure how to respond. He barely knew Ryuu, yet the offer felt natural, like the next step in a story that was already unfolding between them.

“I…” Hikaru hesitated, unsure of what to say. But something inside him—the same force that had driven him to find Ryuu in the first place—pushed him to agree. “Sure.”

Ryuu smiled again, the warmth in his expression making Hikaru’s chest tighten. “Great. Meet me by the gates after school.”

With that, Ryuu gave him a casual wave and walked off, leaving Hikaru standing in the hallway, his mind spinning. None of this made sense. How could a boy he had never met feel so familiar? And why did his presence feel so right?

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Hikaru. His mind was consumed with thoughts of Ryuu, replaying their brief interaction over and over again. He couldn’t shake the feeling that their lives were somehow connected, that meeting Ryuu was no accident.

After school, Hikaru found himself waiting by the gates, just as Ryuu had asked. The misty rain from the morning had cleared, leaving the air crisp and cool. He watched the other students leave in groups, their laughter and chatter a distant hum in his ears.

And then, there he was. Ryuu walked up with the same confident stride, his leather bracelet around his wrist catching the light as he waved. “Ready?”

Hikaru nodded, and they began walking together, the distance between them shrinking with every step.

As they walked in comfortable silence, Hikaru couldn’t help but wonder: What kind of Frame would this moment create? Would it glow with the same strange vibrancy that had drawn him to Ryuu in the first place?

And more importantly, what other memories were waiting to unfold between them?

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