Repair (Seeking Everything)

The rooftop door was shoved open with a sudden gust of wind, and Airi Sakura appeared in the doorway, stumbling slightly. "I'm sorry, Watanabe-kun, I kept you waiting." Her voice was noticeably breathless, and the wisps of hair on her forehead were dampened by sweat, clinging tightly to her smooth skin.

She wore a dark crossbody bag, its strap digging deep into her slender shoulder. The heavy weight of the bag pulled at her waist, swaying with her movements; it was clearly packed with something substantial. As soon as she steadied herself, she braced her hands against her thighs, her upper body leaning forward involuntarily as she gasped for air. Her chest heaved violently, as if she had run a long distance. Fine beads of sweat rolled from her hairline down her cheeks, dripping onto the collar of her uniform and blooming into small, dark water stains.

Watanabe Hayabara had been leaning against the railing, gazing at the distant sky, but he turned around the moment he heard her. Seeing Airi Sakura hunched over and gasping, he didn't hesitate for a second, quickly striding over to her. He first reached out to gently support the heavy bag, taking much of the weight off her, and then pulled a clean handkerchief from somewhere, offering it to her.

"Wipe your sweat, Sakura-san." Watanabe Hayabara wore a gentle smile, his tone filled with consideration.

"Oh... thank you." Airi Sakura looked up slightly. When her gaze met Watanabe Hayabara's, she froze for a moment, as if she hadn't quite processed the situation. A few seconds later, she snapped back to reality, hurriedly taking the handkerchief with trembling hands and wiping her cheeks in a fluster. The faint, clean scent lingering on the fabric helped her ragged breathing gradually steady, though her earlobes turned an involuntary shade of red.

After wiping the sweat from her face, Airi Sakura clutched the handkerchief tightly in her palm, her fingertips gently tracing the texture of the fabric. She kept her head down, her long eyelashes casting shadows that hid the expression in her eyes. Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum: "Th... that, Watanabe-kun, I'll wash this and return it to you. I'm sorry." Her tone was incredibly sincere, as if she had committed some grave error, and her shoulders hunched slightly with a trace of subtle unease.

Watanabe Hayabara watched her, a gentle smile blooming in his eyes. He shook his head softly. "Why are you apologizing, Sakura-san?" He paused, his gaze falling on Airi Sakura's still-heaving chest, his tone filled with regret. "If anyone should be apologizing, it's me. Not only did I trouble you, but I also caused you so much hardship. I'm sorry." With that, he bowed sincerely toward her.

Seeing Watanabe Hayabara suddenly apologize, Airi Sakura froze, and the handkerchief nearly slipped from her hand. She quickly reached out to gently steady his arm, her voice laced with panic: "Eh, Watanabe-kun, please don't do that..." Her fingers pressed slightly against his arm, her cheeks flushed bright red, and her eyes darted away, clearly unsure of how to handle the situation.

Feeling the soft pressure on his arm, Watanabe Hayabara straightened up. Seeing Airi Sakura's bewildered state, the smile at the corners of his mouth deepened. "I was too abrupt. I scared you, didn't I?" His voice softened further, as if he were soothing a startled animal.

Airi Sakura quickly let go and hid her hands behind her back, her fingertips nervously twisting together. She shook her head. "No... you didn't scare me. It's just... you don't need to apologize. I'm happy I could help." Her voice grew quieter and quieter, the final words nearly dissolving into the wind, while her ears turned red enough to bleed.

Watching her flushed ears and flustered demeanor, Watanabe Hayabara reached out and gave her shoulder a light pat, his tone gentle. "Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Did you bring the camera?"

Airi Sakura finally seemed to remember the task at hand and nodded hurriedly. She reached for the buckle of her bag, her movements still clumsy; she clearly hadn't fully recovered from the previous embarrassment.

"Give the bag to me, Airi." Watanabe Hayabara held out his hand, palm upward, wearing a gentle smile. His tone was so natural it was as if he had used that name a thousand times before.

"Mm, okay." Airi Sakura replied almost subconsciously, handing over the heavy bag with both hands. Her fingertips brushed against his palm by accident, causing her to tremble as if electrocuted, and she quickly pulled her hand back. As she looked down, she carefully folded the fragrant handkerchief into a neat square and tucked it into her uniform pocket, completely oblivious to the subtle change in how he addressed her.

Watanabe Hayabara took the bag and unzipped it with a soft sound. He pulled out a silver-gray camera; the body had visible dents, and the lens cap hung crookedly. His long fingers flicked over the device, and the moment the screen lit up, he let out a sigh of relief. He looked up at Airi Sakura and smiled. "The memory card isn't broken. The photos and videos are all still here. Let's go, Airi. I'll take you to a digital repair shop. I know the owner quite well."

"Mm, okay." Airi Sakura nodded obediently, but as she took half a step forward, she stopped as if she had stepped into thin air. She jerked her head up, her eyes wide, her cheeks turning the color of a ripe red apple in the blink of an eye. The intimate name he had used finally exploded in her mind. She lowered her head again, her long lashes hiding her panic, and she stood there in silence, clutching the hem of her skirt, her ears burning red.

Watanabe Hayabara quickly sensed something was wrong. Seeing her head buried low and her shoulders trembling slightly, he quickly dropped his smile and apologized. "I'm sorry, I acted on my own accord, Sakura-san." He scratched his head, his tone tinged with nervousness. "Then... may I call you Airi? We're good friends now, aren't we?"

Airi Sakura's shoulders gave a small quiver. She bit her lower lip in silence for a few seconds before replying in a voice as faint as a mosquito's: "Mm, then... then we're good friends from now on..." She paused, as if gathering all the courage she possessed, and lifted her flushed face. Her eyes sparkled with timid anticipation. "May I call you Hayabara-kun?"

Watanabe Hayabara looked into the light in her eyes, feeling as if something had gently struck his heart. He nodded vigorously, his smile brighter than the sunlight. "Of course you can, Airi."

Hearing the name repeated, Airi Sakura's cheeks turned even redder.

On the way to the digital shop, Airi Sakura remained silent, keeping her head down, her face flushed a deep, vibrant red, lost in her own thoughts.

"The reason we find flowers on a cliff beautiful is because we stop our feet at the edge of the precipice, rather than stepping out into the sky like those fearless flowers," Watanabe Hayabara said out of the blue.