1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

the first time he saw her, he was about to open the art studio where he worked part-time.

it was a wednesday, something he remembers just because it is the only day of the week when he comes to work straight from school; he recalls that he was about 5 minutes earlier than usual, but he decided to open the studio nonetheless.

that's when he saw her.

she was wearing a blue-green coat with black pants and a black beanie on her head; any other day, he would not have noticed her, nor what she was wearing; however, just when she was passing behind him, she laughed at something another girl said, making him turn around and see her.

her clothes were not exactly the first things that he noticed once her paths crossed. to be honest, the first thing that claimed his attention, was her smile.

it was a very pretty smile.

he saw her again some days later while walking aimlessly through the park. he had been feeling a bit short of inspiration and decided to walk around in hopes of finding something worth painting.

he thought that maybe the sights near the lake could be worth a try, especially since this time of the year, different types of birds liked to fly near its surface.

once he was near the lake, he noticed a familiar figure leaning on the railing; she was lost in contemplation, looking at some point beyond the horizon, or maybe at a point on the other side of the lake. she was wearing a pink sweater that looked soft to the touch and a black headband keeping her long blue hair in place.

it was late evening and the sun was just about to set. its reddish light bathing everything, giving the park a molten look that was just so alluring to keep watching.

birds were flying around the lake, reflecting their shapes on the lake's surface and making an interesting play of lights and shadows with the rest of the background.

this went mostly unnoticed, as eagle's attention was held elsewhere. he was completely distracted, watching how the sunset light was reflecting on her blue hair, giving it the appearance of it being a few shades darker and lined with gold accents. the wind playing with her long locks and the wistful expression on her face made her look ethereal, like a sunset nymph just for his eyes to see.

a slightly stronger

eeze made him turn his eyes away, and by the time he was able to look back, she was already gone.

several days after, eagle found himself back in the studio playing with his oil paintings. he was idly combining colours, looking for something that could inspire him, that could help him express whatever his mind and heart was trying to communicate.

for some reason, every single combination made, turned out on a shade of blue; and even when he tried to use those mixes to paint something, the things that came out from his

ushes were not exactly exhibition material.

they had no shape or order, no semblance of an actual idea. they looked more like prototypes of something… something that was not ready to be out yet.

giving up on it for the time being, he decided to head out for fresh air and to buy some groceries. he was getting hungry and the weather was starting to get colder. he certainly was not fond of the idea of going out later when the cold would hit full force.

when he finally met her, it was by sheer coincidence; not that his previous sightings had been meticulously planned.

he was supposed to meet his best friend's girlfriend, and since she was going to be hanging out with another girl, they decided to arrange for a double-blind-date between them.

this sounded like it was about to end in a disaster date, but just for lantis, he decided to take the risk.

he met with his friend outside a cosy café; he was early for a chance and this let him ask his friend for any clue about the girl he was supposed to meet aside from his girlfriend.

lantis, the beautiful person that he was, just limited himself to offer him an intriguing smile before telling him to "not worry, i'm sure you'll like her. you'll just have to wait a bit more".

eagle scoffed sceptically; yes, lantis was his oldest and closest friend, but they tended to have very different opinions on what was good or bad for the other.

he still remembered that time when he tried to pair him with a friend of his

other in law. the blonde girl was pretty, but she kept talking about her purple haired ex-boyfriend to the point that he ended giving her tips on how to get him back as soon as possible.

yes. he loved lantis like a

other, but he was a bit scared of how this new acquaintance will turn out.

the first one to arrive was a very pretty redhead. she came bouncing up to the two men, sporting a huge smile and throwing herself to his best friend's arms. eagle had little time to speculate about her identity before lantis looked back at him with a smile as big as the redhead's while telling him to "meet hikaru, my girlfriend".

the couple didn't separate themselves after the introductions, which started to make eagle a little bit uncomfortable; that was when he remembered about their other companion for the evening. as if summoned, another girl approached them; this time, one eagle recognized even if he hadn't properly met her.

she was wearing a beige coat and her long blue hair was up in a ponytail. her long steps were projecting a confidence that her smile was downgrading a little and her eyes, so very blue eyes were shining with a determination to that made him wonder exactly what was going through her mind.

her smile was still beautiful.

he wanted to see her smiling some more.

"umi ryuuzaki, nice to meet you"