It was a lazy summer afternoon when You felt something catch the fabric of her pants. She had just enough time to think about what that meant before she fell flat on her face with a yelp of surprise.

Groaning, the brunette picked herself up and huffed with annoyance as she turned to throw a glare at the metal fence behind her. "Stupid fence," she muttered as she dusted herself off. "There isn't even a reason for it to be there."

But as she looked up and saw the familiar trail worn into the side of the hill by generations of travelers, a smile returned to her face. She was almost there, almost at the summit of the town's tallest hill. One could see quite a distance from this hill, from the faint outlines of mountains in the west to the distant shores of other islands across the waters of the east.

It was the water that You loved to watch the most. Ever since she was a child, there was something about the ocean that captivated her, everything from the soft rolling of gentle waves to the powerful crashing of white water striking the shore. And in the summer, it meant something extra special to the brunette, because summer was when her father came home.

Ever since she was thirteen, You would clamber over the annoyingly pointless fence on the first day of summer and race to the hilltop, just so she could catch a glimpse of her father's ship as it crested the horizon, to be the first one to know he was home.

As her hands ran over a ragged patch of fabric and made contact with bare skin, You looked down with a grimace. Her jeans now featured a large tear in the center of her thigh, only an inch away from showing off too much. "Well, mom's definitely gonna scold me later," she lamented with a sigh.

It wasn't long before she perked up. "Oh well. Nothing I can do about it now. Besides, patched jeans are a thing, right? I can totally make 'em a thing!" She giggled as the idea took root in her head. "Yeah! By the time I'm done with these, they'll be the talk of the town. And in a good way too!"

With that bright thought in mind, she continued her journey up the trail.

Chika stared at the small coin held between two fingers as she leaned against the cold stone of an old wishing well, pondering. With a small sigh, she clenched the coin in her fist and closed her eyes, concentrating deeply on her wish before dropping the coin into the darkness below.

As she heard it land, she exhaled softly and opened her eyes once more.

Her family had only moved to this small seaside town a week ago as the result of one of her mother's grander flights of fancy. The whimsical matriarch had visited the area on a vacation some time prior and had fallen in love, somehow arranging for the family to live in and take charge of the traditional ryokan in which she'd stayed.

The rest of her family seemed to be adjusting well enough. Shima welcomed the chance to partake in the hospitality industry, and Mito was grateful for the shorter commute to her university. Her father was just glad to be with the family, and even her dog Shiitake had found a few new playmates at the local park. Now her family was enjoying a relaxing summer picnic on the side of a hill, taking turns flying a large white kite while Chika explored the area.

Still, even though this humble hamlet wasn't too different from the small seaside town she'd grown up in, Chika's heart was held firmly by the hand of homesickness. That was natural, of course. It was right. And Chika, a bright and energetic girl by nature, knew she would adapt sooner or later to the relocation.

But right here, right now, in the company of none save an old stone wishing well, she let herself be sad, let herself channel these emotions so she could resolve them and move on. She didn't need a grand display of sadness, nor an episode of emotional turmoil.

All she needed was the comforting quiet of nature and the faint magic of a fleeting wish.

"Sometimes even a normal monster like me gets their wish granted," she murmured with a faint smile.

The sound of footsteps caused Chika to turn.

Her scarlet eyes locked onto vibrant cerulean irises, and after a quick blink of surprise, Chika could have swore her heart skipped a beat.

Standing before You was a girl she'd never seen before, a girl of similar height with flaming orange hair. And You couldn't help but notice the deep red of the stranger's eyes. They shined, like a pair of glittering rubies.

You felt paralyzed. She didn't know what to do. These little adventures to see her father had always been undertaken in solitude, a quest where she was alone but never lonely. Now she was neither.

There was a small shift in the stranger's eyes and You followed her gaze to the ripped hole in her jeans, the walk up the trail having widened the tear. A small blush blossomed on her cheeks and her hand moved to cover the exposed skin. Slowly, the stranger's gaze moved back to You's face.

You took that as her cue to speak. "Hello," she offered calmly. "I'm You. Nice to meet you."

Chika couldn't help but smile. She found it admirable how this brunette, You, moved past the issue of her ripped clothes without being waylaid by embarrassment. She wasn't quite ashamed, but she wasn't playing coy either. "It's nice to meet you too. I'm Chika."

The brunette tilted her head in thought as she gave Chika a quick look over. "So... I've never seen you around here before."

"Yeah, you wouldn't have," replied Chika. "I just moved here a week ago."

"Oh. Well, welcome to our humble little village," said You with a smile. "We may not offer much in the way of modern amenities, but we've got a spectacular view of the ocean, a quaint little marina, a few orchards of mikans, and that idyllic country-life feel."

A small giggle fell from the normal monster's lips. "You sound like a tourist guide," she remarked.

"Hmm, I suppose I do," agreed You. "Speaking of the view, I'm going to be watching the horizon for a bit. Do you mind?"

Chika shook her head. "Not at all."

From there, the two lone girls spent their time atop the hill in companionable silence, looking out over the ocean and listening to the gentle sounds of mother nature. They weren't there for long, no more than a handful of minutes, but the unexpected comfort of the other's presence made it feel like an eternity.

But all good things must come to an end.

"Oi! Chika!" called Mito in the distance.

"Coming!" Chika shouted back. She returned her attention to You and gave her an apologetic smile before turning to head off. You's eyes followed her every step of the way, right up until she stopped. "Actually..." murmured the ginger. She reached into her bag and pulled out a pen and a small slip of paper before furiously scribbling something down.

Chika turned back to You, her smile bright and confident. She closed in on You before grabbing You's free hand and depositing the paper slip in it. "Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy... But here's my number. So, call me maybe?"

~END~

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AN: Does this count as a song fic? :P