When the Sky Hums Softly.
Chapter 1
“Some people speak in colors. Others, in melodies. I only knew how to listen.....until he arrived.”
University Courtyard:- Early Morning
The small town of Miharua is just waking up. Students drift through the cobbled campus paths with steaming coffee cups and half-zipped backpacks.
Somewhere, a guitar strums faintly.... Warm, uneven, like someone testing a new chord.
Aaron sits under an old oak tree with his sketchbook balanced on his knees. He isn't sketching the tree or the students; his eyes are on the music building across the courtyard. The faint sound of the guitar seems to pull his pencil along the page.
The world blurs into shades of graphite and morning light.
Mia (MC. frnd)
(appearing beside him with a smoothie)
You've been staring at that building for then minutes. Planning a heist or sketching ghosts again?
AARON (MC)
(without looking up)
Neither... Just... listening.
Mia (MC. frnd)
(Teasing)
Listening with your eyes? That's a new art form.
Aaron smiles faintly, pencil moving in soft, careful strokes.
Mia (MC. frnd)
What got you so inspired, huh? You look like a poet who just discovered heartbreak.
AARON (MC)
(shrugs)
It's the guitar. Someone's playing something different today. Not the usual club stuff.
Mia (MC. frnd)
You can tell?
AARON (MC)
(nods)
Yeah. It sounds like it's trying to find words.
Mia watches him for a moment, her grin fading into something softer.
Mia (MC. frnd)
You're werid, you know that ?
They both laugh quietly, the kind of laugh that lives in long friendship.
Music Building:-
Same Time
Inside, Ryu sits cross legged on the floor, adjusting his guitar strings. The room is empty except for him and a soft patch of sunlight.
He hums a melody under his breath... A half written songs, one he can't quite finish.
RYU (ML)
(murmuring)
The sky hums softly... Yeah, that's not bad
He stops. Sighs. Strums again. A string snaps.
RYU (ML)
(groans)
Not again. Guess that's my cue for coffee.
He stands, tucks the guitar under his arms and walks out.
Aaron closes his sketchbook as the sound of footsteps nears. A breeze stirs the pages just as Ryu walks past, humming lightly.
Aaron looks up.. And sees him for the first time.
Golden morning light catches on Ryu's hair, a few loose strands falling into his eyes. He carries his guitar case with one hand, effortlessly confident, completely unaware of being watched.
For a brief second, the world goes quiet except for the sound of graphite rolling off the page. Aaron has started sketching without realising it.
Mia (MC. frnd)
(whispering)
Don't. You're staring.
AARON (MC)
(barely audible)
I know.
Ryu glance in the direction, just for a moment. Their eyes meet.
Aaron pencil stills.
Ryu smiles... A quick, warm curve of lips.. Before turning away.
Aaron exhales only after he's gone.
Mia (MC. frnd)
Well, that was.... Cinematic.
AARON (MC)
I wasn't staring.
Mia (MC. frnd)
You absolutely were.
AARON (MC)
(closing the sketchbook)
He plays guitar.
Mia (MC. frnd)
(grins)
And you draw. Look at that... The universe ships you already.
Aaron chuckles softly, but his heart beats a little too fast.
He doesn’t know Ryu’s name yet.
He doesn’t know that in a few days, they’ll be paired together for a cross-department project.
He only knows that for the first time in a long time, the silence around him doesn’t feel empty.
It feels like a melody waiting to be finished.
Chapter 2
“Fate doesn’t always arrive with fireworks. Sometimes it just walks in holding a guitar.”
Art Department Hallway:-
Afternoon
The sun is slanting through high windows, filling the hallway with soft gold. The noticeboard near the studio door is crowded with flyers- workshop, poetry nights, and the one poster everyone's buzzing about:
*Interdisciplinary Art & Music Collaboration — Sign Up! Create something that blends visual and sound.*
Aaron stands in front of it, sketchbook clutched to his chest, reading the details for the fifth time.
Mia (MC. frnd)
(appearing again, sipping bubble tea)
You're not just going to read it into existence, you know.
AARON (MC)
I'm thinking about signing up.
Mia (MC. frnd)
(mock gasp)
The hermit leaves his cave?
AARON (MC)
(smiles faintly)
I just.... I want to try. Art with music. It feels right.
Mia (MC. frnd)
Then do it. Worst case? You get stuck with someone who can't carry a tune. Best case? You meet someone who can make your sketchbook hum.
Aaron rolls his eyes, but he writes his name anyway– Aaron Vale, Fine Arts.
Ryu is sprawled in a chair, guitar in his lap, talking to Leo, his drummer friend.
Leo (ML frnd)
So, this art Collab thing.. You're actually signing up?
RYU (ML)
Yeah. Sounds fun. Music needs colour sometimes.
Leo (ML frnd)
Or maybe you just want to flirt with the art students.
RYU (ML)
(grinning)
Maybe both.
He scrawls Ryu Takahashi– Music on the form, humming absently. His guitar sits beside him with a missing string - a casualty from earlier that morning.
The studio smells of paint, paper and a faint trace of coffee.
Aaron is quietly setting up his easel when professor walks in with a clipboard.
Professor
Good afternoon everyone, the art and music collaboration list is up. Check your partners on the board.
Aaron tenses slightly, trying to look casual as students crowd around. He flips through his sketchbook while Mia reads over her shoulder.
Mia (MC. frnd)
(grinning wide)
You're with.... Wait for it.. Ryu Takahashi.
AARON (MC)
(blinking)
Who?
Mia (MC. frnd)
The guitar guy. The one you were sketching yesterday.
Aaron freezes, pencil half way to the page.
AARON (MC)
You're kidding.
Mia (MC. frnd)
(sing-song)
The universe really does ship you.
Art Room:-
Later That Day
Ryu walks in, casual as ever, guitar slung over one shoulder, missing string and all. He looks around, scanning for his new partner. His eyes land on Aaron - quiet, focused, sitting by the window, sketching again.
Ryu approaches, tapping the guitar case lightly.
RYU (ML)
Hey. You're Aaron, right?
Aaron looks up, startled.
AARON (MC)
Uh, yeah. You're.... Ryu?
RYU (ML)
That's me. Music major, string destroyer, professional late sleeper.
Aaron blinks, unsure whether to laugh.
AARON (MC)
(awkwardly)
Nice to meet you.
RYU (ML)
Likewise (grins) so, what's our grand plan? I draw, you sing?
AARON (MC)
(small smile)
That's one way to fail both grades.
They both chuckle, and the awkwardness softens a little.
RYU (ML)
(glancing at his guitar)
I should warn you, I'm currently operating with one broken string. Tragic accident this morning.
RYU (ML)
You heard my broken string?
AARON (MC)
(shrugs)
I was sketching outside. You play near the courtyard sometime, right?
Ryu tilts his head, amused.
RYU (ML)
You recognized me by sound? That's new.
AARON (MC)
(quietly)
You sound.... Different. Not like most people who play around campus.
Ryu pauses, watching him .
RYU (ML)
Different good or different bad?
AARON (MC)
Good. Kind of.... unfinished. Like it's still looking for something.
Ryu blinks, then laughs softly.. Not mocking, just surprised.
RYU (ML)
You really do talk like an artist.
Aaron's cheeks colour slightly.
RYU (ML)
Don't be. I like it.
The silence between them feels strangely comfortable.
They sit side by side at the long table, brainstorming.
Aaron sketches quick shapes - waves, lines, bursts of colour - while Ryu strums softly, experimenting with melodies.
It's clumsy and quiet at first, then something clicks.
Ryu hums a tune that seems to fit Aaron's pencil rhythm perfectly.
AARON (MC)
(without thinking)
That sound -
RYU (ML)
- matches your sketch. I was thinking the same thing.
Their eyes meet briefly, and both smile before looking away.
Mia (MC. frnd)
(from across the room, whispering to another student)
Look at them. Two frequencies, same wavelength.
By the end of the hour, they haven’t finished a single piece of work.
But something invisible has started - an ease, a rhythm, a quiet recognition.
Aaron doesn’t know what to call it yet.
Ryu just knows it makes him want to play again.
RYU (ML)
(packing up)
Same Time Tomorrow?
AARON (MC)
Yeah (pauses) And maybe bring an extra string this time.
RYU (ML)
(grinning)
You got it, artist.
Aaron watches him leave, a small smile tugging at his lips.
The echo of Ryu’s laughter lingers long after he’s gone.
Chapter 3
“Sometimes, you meet someone whose silence sounds like your favorite song.”
University Art Room:-
Late Afternoon
Soft sunlight spills through tall windows, painting golden lines across easels and paper scraps. The campus outside hums faintly... footsteps, laughter, the faint bark of a dog. Inside, it's peaceful.
Aaron sits at a table, his sketchbook open, pencils spread neatly in a little semicircle. Ryu enters, guitar in hand, backpack half-zipped, a smile already tugging at his lips.
RYU (ML)
Hey artist, you beat me here again.
AARON (MC)
(smiles)
I like quiet rooms.
RYU (ML)
(grinning)
So you claim this rooms yours before anyone else can. Smart.
Aaron shrugs, amused, as Ryu pulls up a chair.
RYU (ML)
So... Our big collaboration. You had any ideas?
AARON (MC)
A few. But they're more like... Moods.
RYU (ML)
Moods are good. Half of songwriting's just mood swings.
Aaron chuckles softly, flipping through pages of his sketchbook. Ryu leans in a little, studying the drawing - delicate sketches of skies, hands, blurred faces, all wrapped in a quiet melancholy.
AARON (MC)
Yeah. Just rough sketches.
RYU (ML)
(whistles low)
They don't look rough to me.
(pause) you draw like you're trying to remember something.
Aaron hesitates, unsure how to respond.
There's a short silence - not awkward, just thoughtful. Ryu starts plucking soft notes on his guitar, almost without realising. Aaron's pencil begins to move again, lines flowing to the rhythm.
Time slips quietly. Ryu hums under his breath, Aaron sketches beside him. The air feels full but not heavy - like they're both breathing easier.
RYU (ML)
(stopping mid note)
I think I've got something.
AARON (MC)
(looking up)
Play it again.
Ryu repeats the short melody. It's simple but full of feeling - wistful, like sunlight filtered through rain.
AARON (MC)
(after a moment)
It feels.... Like remembering someone you never met.
RYU (ML)
You really do talk like your sketches.
AARON (MC)
(quietly)
You sound like them.
Their eyes meet- a flicker of connection, brief and tender. Both look away, pretending to focus again.
They're sitting across from eachother at a small table near the window. Ryu insisted they take a break. Aaron's sipping tea, Ryu's nursing a coffee that's mostly sugar.
RYU (ML)
So, tell me something about you that's not on your student file.
AARON (MC)
(thinking) I like quiet places. Drawing by the river.
(pauses) I used to play piano. A little.
RYU (ML)
Seriously? That's awesome. Why'd you stop?
AARON (MC)
(shrugs) Life got loud.
Ryu studies him for a second, then nods slowly.
RYU (ML)
Yeah. Happens to the best of us.
AARON (MC)
What about you?
AARON (MC)
Something not on your file.
Ryu smirks but his voice softens.
RYU (ML)
I write songs i never show anyone.
RYU (ML)
(looking out the window)
Some things feel safer when they stay unfinished.
Aaron nods, understanding without needing to reply. The rain outside starts to fall, soft and rhythmic, blending with the cafe's background chatter.
The evening slips by in shared silences and half-smiles.
Aaron learns Ryu stirs sugar into his coffee five times.
Ryu learns Aaron sketches clouds whenever he’s thinking.
Neither of them realizes it yet, but they’re already memorizing each other in small, unspoken ways.
Walking Back:- Campus Path
The rain has eased into a drizzle. They walk side by side beneath the same umbrella - Ryu holding it, Aaron clutching his sketchbook to his chest.
RYU (ML)
You think the rain makes people honest?
AARON (MC)
Maybe. It hides the parts we don't want others to see.
RYU (ML)
(grinning)
Deep. Remind me to steal that line for a song.
AARON (MC)
(smiles)
Only if I get credit.
They reach the fork in the path - art dorms one way, music the other.
RYU (ML)
Same Time tomorrow?
AARON (MC)
(Nods)
Yeah. Same room.
RYU (ML)
(pauses, softer)
don't forget your moods.
AARON (MC)
(quiet laugh)
Don't forget your strings.
Ryu chuckles as he walks away, humming that half finished melody. Aaron watches him go, the rain tapping gently against his sketchbook.
Later that night, Aaron opens his sketchbook to the page where he’d drawn Ryu’s silhouette under soft light.
He doesn’t finish the drawing - just adds one line at the corner of the page:
~“The melody sounds like sunlight through rain.”~
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