My Favorite Hat 

Just before she could climb into bed for the night, her phone vibrated, the text tone loud in the otherwise quiet room. Her brows knit slightly. Who would text her this late at night? Had Sawa made the mistake of watching a horror movie before bed again?

 

A faint smile found its way to her lips when she picked up her phone and read the sender’s name. Ukyou. They’d only been dating for about a month, but she couldn’t deny that she was already falling for him. The attraction had been instant, ever since she saw him that day in March. That day she saw him crying. It seemed like fate had brought them back together in Tokyo, so far from where they had first met. It was exciting to think about what else fate might have in store for them.

 

Before she could daydream any further, however, she opened the text.

 

“Sorry to message you so late! You weren’t sleeping yet, were you? If so, I hope I didn’t wake you up… Anyway, I know this is sudden, but I was wondering if you’d like to go shopping with me tomorrow. I totally understand if you already have plans…”

 

Her smile grew as she finished the message, and she felt her heartbeat pick up for a moment. Despite school being out, she and Ukyou hadn’t had the opportunity for many actual dates. After all, she was often working at the cafe and he had his photography job. He came to see her at the cafe every chance he got, but that wasn’t nearly the same as being on a date, just the two of them. As abrupt as this invitation was, she was ecstatic that they’d get to spend some time together. She wasted no time typing back a reply.

 

“I’d love to! And don’t worry, you didn’t wake me up.”

 

It wasn’t long before Ukyou messaged her back.

 

“Oh, good. I would’ve felt bad. I’ll meet you in front of the station tomorrow. Is 10 okay?”

 

“Sure, sounds perfect! I’ll see you then. Good night, Ukyou.”

 

“Sweet dreams. See you tomorrow!”

 

She stared at the screen for a moment longer before closing her phone. She wasn’t sure how she was going to fall asleep when she couldn’t stop grinning, but tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

 

The next morning, she arrived at the station fifteen minutes to 10. She told herself it was just out of courtesy—she didn’t want to keep him waiting, after all. Truthfully, it was mostly because she couldn’t wait to see him. She tried to wait patiently, but her eyes kept scanning the rush of people, hoping to catch sight of him.

 

When he came nearer, he wasn’t hard to spot. His long hair flowed behind his tall, lanky frame, catching the light. He seemed to be looking for her.

 

“Ukyou!” she shouted. “Over here!”

 

His eyes darted to her, blinking in surprise. Almost instantly, a smile spread across his face. He wove his way through the crowd in long strides, nearly colliding with a few passerby in his hurry to get to her.

 

“Good morning.” he said once he reached her. “Have you been waiting long?”

 

She shook her head. “No, not at all.” Twenty minutes was hardly nothing, but it was a small price to pay.

 

“Oh, good,” he sighed. “I was running late, so I took a shortcut, but...well, it didn’t quite work out.” His words faded into a mumble by the end and he sheepishly averted his eyes.

 

She fought the urge to giggle. This wasn’t the first time this had happened. Was he directionally challenged by nature or was it just because he hadn’t been in Tokyo long? Either way, it was kind of cute.

 

“Don’t worry about it.” she said, giving him a reassuring smile. “Anyway, what did you need to shop for today?”

 

Ten minutes later, they were browsing through different hats at a small boutique in Harajuku. She had never been much of a hat person, but she couldn’t help but be amazed at all the different styles and colors that lined the shelves, topped the clothing racks, and hung from the walls. Furthermore, this shop was only one of many.

 

“Are you looking for anything in particular?” she asked. If they didn’t narrow it down, they could be shopping all day. Not that she would mind.

 

“Um, not really.” he said with a slightly nervous chuckle. “I just thought it might be time for something new.”

 

Her eyes automatically drifted to the hat he was currently wearing. Black with a checkered band. She could count the number of times she’d seen him without it on one hand.

 

Before she could speak, Ukyou removed his hat and held it out to her.

 

“I think I found one I’d like to try on. Would you mind holding this for me?”

 

“O-Oh, sure, no problem.”

He looked so different without a hat on. Younger, maybe? It was hard to describe. He’d turned his attention back to shopping, so she forced herself to look at the hat in her hands to keep from staring.

 

It was so familiar, this hat. It was obviously well-loved, too, the fabric along the brim beginning to wear out in spots. She could feel that it was slightly warm from his body heat. It was just so...him.

 

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt a strong urge to try it on, as if it would make her feel closer to him somehow. But would that be too presumptuous?

 

After a quick glance, it was clear that he was distracted with his task. Maybe if it was just for a moment…

 

She turned aside, pretending to look at some T-shirts, then slowly put the hat on her head. Just a few seconds later, she heard a familiar chuckle behind her.

 

“I think it’s a little big.”

 

She whirled around to face Ukyou, her cheeks heating up. “S-Sorry, I just—”

 

“It’s fine. It looks cute on you.” His eyes drifted away from hers after he said that. Was it just her imagination, or was he starting to blush, too? “I-Isn’t it kinda sweaty, though?”

 

“N-No, not at all!” she said, maybe a little too loudly. “It’s fine.”

 

He tucked a piece of hair behind his ear and looked back at her, then started to tap his finger against his chin. “It’s not quite the right style for you, though. Maybe something like…” He looked along the selection of hats before pulling one down. “Ah. Here, try this.”

 

She carefully removed Ukyou’s old hat and let him place the beret on her head.

 

Ukyou took a step back and smiled, looking rather satisfied with himself. “There. That’s much better.” He pointed to a nearby mirror. “Take a look for yourself.”

 

A bit hesitantly, she walked up to the glass and looked up at her reflection. On her head was a black beret decorated with two pink roses and a white bow along the brim. She tried to ignore the fact that her cheeks were still the same hue as the flowers. It was a cute hat, and more importantly, Ukyou had chosen it just for her.

 

“Yeah,” she said with a smile. “I like it.”  

 

Several hours later, the sun was starting to set as they walked towards her apartment, hand in hand. She was actually rather shocked that he’d asked to hold her hand today, given how much he’d stuttered the first time. It had started out as a way to make sure they didn’t lose each other as they walked through Harajuku, but there were no longer any crowds in this residential district. Now it was simply a way to feel connected to one another as they walked.

 

“Sorry we didn’t end up finding you a new hat, Ukyou.” They’d shopped for a while, but nothing had seemed quite right. In the end, the only hat they’d left with was the one she was wearing now.

 

He smiled down at her, his eyes crinkling. “That’s all right. I had a lot of fun just spending time with you.”

 

“S-Same here.” she said, feeling a blush on her cheeks. After they’d given up on finding him a new hat, they’d gone to a cute little cafe and had a long conversation over some tea and a piece of cake. She’d asked him about his time overseas and he’d asked her about her pursuits in psychology. Before she knew it, it was already evening.

 

And now he was walking her home, the comforting warmth of his hand in hers, a reassuring sort of understanding in the silence. Being with him was both comfortable and exciting, a roller coaster of quiet moments and indescribable giddiness.

 

All too soon, they reached her apartment. She released his hand, albeit reluctantly.

 

“Thanks for today. It was really fun.” She wanted to say more, but she couldn’t bring herself to. “Oh! And thank you again for the hat. I’ll treasure it.”

 

Ukyou chuckled warmly. “Not at all. It just seemed like it was made for you, so I was happy to buy it.”

 

A pause. They both knew they needed to say goodbye, but neither wanted to be the first.

 

“Well,” he started. “I should let you get inside. I’ll see you later.”

 

She fought the urge to reach out for his hand again. “Yeah, of course. Good night.”

 

With one last smile and a wave of his hand, he turned to leave. But—

 

“Um!” he said loudly, turning around again. His posture was stiff, as if it was taking everything he had to say this. “C-Can I…” he trailed off, his face turning red.

 

“Can you…?” she prompted, urging him to continue.

 

He took a quick breath and tried again. “Can I give you a good night kiss?”

 

Her eyes widened at the sudden request and it took a moment for her to find her voice. “O-Oh. Um, s-sure. I’d like that.” Though her face felt like it might catch fire, the admission was an honest one.

 

Without another word, he closed the distance between them, slowly reaching out to hold her face. His eyes were as gentle as his touch as he gazed at her. After a long moment, he leaned down. She let her eyelids drift closed…

 

“Hey!”

 

She jumped when a sudden shout jolted her awake. Her surroundings were familiar to her, but it took a moment for her to realize that she was in the breakroom at Meido no Hitsuji. She must’ve dozed off. Rubbing her eyes, she tried to recall what she was supposed to be doing.

 

“You should go home.” Shin snapped. “You’re gonna catch a cold napping here.”

 

She immediately stood up from the table. “B-But what about the rest of my shift?”

 

“Things have been slow anyways,” he said, his tone softening a bit. “and you look like you could use the rest. You’d just get in my way by staying.”

 

“Oh. O-Okay. I guess I’ll get changed, then. Thank you.”

 

“Whatever.” Shin just shrugged before leaving the room.

 

Normally, she’d be more hesitant about leaving work early, but her head felt kind of heavy. Maybe Shin was right and she was catching a cold.

 

With a sigh, she walked over to her locker and opened it, then grabbed her phone out of her purse. Just a text from Ikki about their date tomorrow. She’d reply after she changed out of her uniform.

 

Wait, a date with Ikki?

 

She shook her head. Something about that concept seemed strange somehow. But Ikki was her boyfriend, wasn’t he? What was weird about going on a date with him? She felt like she’d had a rather vivid dream while she was napping. Maybe she was still disoriented.

 

Blinking aside the confusion, she reached for her clothes. Sitting on top of her outfit was her favorite hat: a black beret with two pink roses along the brim.