"Nozomi, what do you want to do today?"

Eli bent her knees, her two hands resting on top of it. She looked at the girl in front of her, the one sitting on the side of the bed, and Eli gave her the most loving eyes and a smile too sweet for anyone to handle. Except Nozomi, of course. Nozomi always loved seeing that smile from Eli.

"Today?" Nozomi said. She pouted, a sign that she was thinking. Half of her body bended sideways, just enough to see the scenery outside the room and beyond the sliding glass doors. Eli did the same as she turned her head to her back, as if trying to see the same thing that Nozomi was looking at.

"I want to go for a walk."

They walked together side by side at the park with Eli holding the umbrella for them. It was a sunny day, the trees were green and the flowers were in bloom. Birds were happily chirping and flapping their wings on branches and the sky was as blue as it can be.

Walking under the sun with Nozomi was always one of Eli's favorites. The sun complemented the purple-haired female's beauty very well, making Nozomi appear more radiant than she normally was. Eli always thought that Nozomi was an angel whenever she saw this magnificent sight of her partner. It really looked like Nozomi was a gift of God to her and only her.

"It's a fine day today, isn't it?" Eli asked. Her left arm was wrapped on Nozomi's shoulders, protective and tender.

Nozomi nodded with a smile at the question. She seemed to be eyeing something in near distance as her eyes squinted with amusement. She broke off from Eli's arm and skipped her way to a white bench, footsteps very light and playful.

Eli followed suit with a pleased look in her features. The magnificent sight was there again - Nozomi happily basked under the sun while she sat on the bench, her pink dress fluttering as it tried to follow where the wind was going. A big and bright smile was also stitched on her lips while her eyes were closed, relaxed and curved upward in content.

Ah, how lucky Eli was to have an angel in her life.

"This is delicious! I want to eat this everyday!" Nozomi exclaimed, her eyes in circles as she took another scoop.

They were now in their favorite ice cream parlor where mouth-watering parfaits were served. Well, Eli's mouth literally waters on anything chocolate but the parfaits were really scrumptious no matter what the flavor.

"I really like their chocolate chip parfait here," Eli shared with stars dancing in her eyes. She buried the long spoon on her cup, already halfway finished with the delectable dessert. "Can I have a taste of yours, Nozomi?"

Nozomi paused, the spoon still stuck inside her mouth as her eyes jumped between the strawberry parfait in front of her and Eli on the opposite side of the table. Both her eyebrows were raised, obviously contemplating if she wanted to share any of her sweets.

"Hmm… Sure~ Just one scoop, okay?"

Eli smiled and took the spoon from her cup.

Nico bumped into Nozomi and Eli while the two were on their way to a yakiniku restaurant. It's been a while since they heard from Nico given that she was busy with her life as an up-and-coming celebrity. Today was one of the rare days off for the idol, so Nico decided to spend it in the shopping district of the city, reasoning that she might never be able to do this anymore once she got her big break.

"You guys ate parfaits first before having a proper meal. Why am I not surprised." Nico commented, acting as if she's bothered that she got dragged to the yakiniku restaurant. She had known Nozomi and Eli since high school and quite frankly, they were the closest friends she made then and until now.

Nico was thankful of them course, although when the two officially started dating during their senior year, the smaller girl always had the third-wheel feels on her back much to the enjoyment of their other peers.

But Nico never took it to heart. Nozomi and Eli were really good friends to her and she was very happy for them.

"Well, I wanted Nozomi to try the strawberry parfait since she mentioned two days ago that she wanted strawberries. I thought of it first before remembering that we haven't had lunch yet," Eli scratched her cheek with her index finger. Nozomi was busy reading a book.

"Typical Eli," Nico smirked and raised an eyebrow, but the smirk was one of fondness. Her friends never changed.

The blonde just shrugged with a shy smile, noting quietly how it felt just like the old times when the three of them were together after school.

"So, how are you, Nico?" Eli asked.

"I should be the one asking that," Nico said as she changed her expression to a serious one. "How are you?"

The sudden change in Nico's air made Eli close her lips into a line and her back straightened. Nico may be all smiles and silly normally, but when the twin-tailed girl turned the atmosphere into a serious one, she meant business.

"We're okay." Eli answered, her eyes and smile softened. "Doing better every day, if I may say so myself."

Nico glanced at Nozomi with a blank expression, but her eyes gave away a small hint of longing before she looked back to Eli.

"I see."

After their entertaining lunch and catch-up session with Nico, the couple went over to another park, one with a calm river to view and children happily flying kites. They sat on the green grass, their arms touching each other's as they hugged their knees.

"I've never flown a kite," Eli shared.

"Kites…" Nozomi said as she stared at a yellow kite that one boy was currently trying to throw into the air. "They look fun."

Eli stood up, patted the invisible dirt on her pants and turned to Nozomi with a childish smile.

"Do you want to try flying one?"

With some help from the kids at the park, Nozomi and Eli were able to fly their own kite. A young girl happily offered them hers, a blue one, probably delighted that two grown adults were joining them as if they were just kids like them.

The blue kite made of paper and thin sticks was steadily soaring in the afternoon sky. Nozomi and Eli both held the end of the thread in their hands, left for Eli, which was on top, and right for Nozomi, which was closely below.

"They say that flying a kite is like watching someone from afar," Eli started, her head tilted up to the airborne object.

"The string connects you together even if there's a big distance between you. It will always connect you together, no matter what. Funny because I actually heard it from a series I watched when we were younger. It made sense to me just recently."

Nozomi looked at Eli with puzzled eyes. "What if the string gets cut?"

"The kite will go off on its own? And land somewhere else, eventually."

Eli lowered her grip on the thread and closed her fist over Nozomi's hand, letting off all the gentleness and warmth on the touch. She stared back softly at the girl beside her as she continued.

"The owner will still hold on to the string, but once the separated kite is out of sight in the skies, only then will she let go."

The sky was beginning to darken its color, signaling that night time was already making its dreaded approach.

Eli and Nozomi finally ended their day outdoors and returned to the comfort of the room with sliding glass doors and overlooking scenery. Maki was there too, wearing her usual whites and slanted eyes that greeted them back as they entered the insides of the four-walled hall.

"Nozomi, did you have fun today?" Maki asked. She also looked at Eli who just gave her a smile and a small wave while still standing a few steps from the room's door.

Nozomi gazed at Maki as if to study her, but she eventually nodded after a while.

"You should say thank you to Eli. I hope you didn't bother her so much today."

The older of the two raised both her eyebrows in confusion.

"Who's Eli?"

"Aren't you tired?"

Maki gave a sympathetic look to Eli, one that was not always worn by the redhead except for talks like this with the blonde.

Eli looked down at the cup of tea on the table, melting it with her stare as several people wearing whites came in and out of the pantry.

"I suppose I am," Eli began. "But she doesn't push me away anymore like before. At least that makes me feel relieved. It makes me forget that I'm tired."

Maki sighed. "Are you still hoping for anything?"

"To be honest, I want to say no. She doesn't even know my name anymore."

Eli wrapped her hands on the cup.

"But I can't stop myself from hoping, can I?"

Hearing this from Eli was never a good thing for Maki but she always felt the need to keep the girl firmly footed to reality. The questions were needed to be asked every time, even if it hurt them both.

"I won't stop you from visiting her everyday, Eli. I don't think I even can."

"But... you do understand that she will never be able to remember you anymore at this point, right?"

Eli smiled.

"Her heart remembers me."

Nozomi opened her notebook. It's crammed with random words and writings, some doodles and messy lines, and sketches of a face she didn't recognize.

"Kites…"

She started drawing a kite with her pencil as she sat on the porch of her room. First, the kite on the top left corner of the paper, and then a stick figure on the bottom right, one of a girl's with arms lifted up to the direction of the kite on the top. She also bothered giving a detail on the stick figure's head with a ponytail.

A pause lingered on Nozomi's drawing hand. She stared at the kite she drew and decided to write her name inside the four lines.

She drew the string next, starting from the bottom of the kite and down to one of the stick figure's arms. The line was not straight, but it connected the two drawings from the top and bottom corners regardless. She looked at the completed drawing with satisfied eyes.

And Nozomi smiled.

A/N: I guess I can't say happy birthday Nozomi. Kill me pls.

And in case anyone needs the fyi, Nozomi has Alzheimer's.

Thanks for reading.