"Asami."

A sweet voice called my name.

"We're out of milk. Go to the grocery store for me?"

The way she said it sounded more like a command than a plea.
Still, obediently, I responded.

"Yes, mother."

Then off to the grocery store I went.
Down the usual worn-out path I walked.
Just a corner-turn away...and I would have been at the destination.

...But for some reason that day,
my footsteps, moving with their own intentions,

took me towards a different spot directly on the opposite side:

a nearby bridge.

There,
the sun was just beginning to set,
painting the skies with deep oranges and reds.
A gentle breeze blew-- causing my dark hair to flip onto my face.
The stray locks that landed in front of my eyes blurred my vision,
but even so...

I saw him.