During the autumn season, the temperature gradually becomes cooler, resulting in the leaves on the trees turning yellow, orange, red, and brown. The daylight hours grow shorter, and colder temperatures prevail.

Due to her school schedule, I refrained from visiting her. However, today I have a day off and she has no classes. Therefore, I have decided to pay her a visit. I am dressed in a dress and sandals, but I have also taken wearing socks. 

“Agnes, where are you going?” my mother inquired as I was about to leave.

“I am visiting Athy. I must let you know that I intend to see her consistently,” I turned to face her and replied. 

To my surprise, her serious expression melted away and she wore a smile. I noticed a change in her demeanor as she went into the kitchen and returned with a small lunchbox in hand. 

“This is strawberry shortcake. Give it to her. When she was a child, she adored it. Please send my regards as well,” she said with a smile on her face, and I took the box.

“Yes, I will, Mother,” I assured her. She left ahead of me, and I made my way out of the house.

The area is a subdivision with a smoothly textured middle road. On both sides of the road, there are sidewalks with pavement-style ground and road verges. Every house has light poles and trees in front of them.

While contemplating the place, I walked towards the house. I entered without needing to ring the doorbell.

Upon entering, I noticed that the house had a marble floor, white walls, and a white ceiling with strip lights. On one side, there were couches for lounging, and in front, there was a coated glass. On the opposite side, there was an open kitchen. 

As I stood in front of the door, I placed my sandals on the shoe rack to the side, and behind me was a closet room. I proceeded forward.

I noticed her older brother wearing pajamas, sitting on the couch, engrossed in his cellphone.

“Gio, where is your sister?” I asked, curious about her whereabouts. 

Gio and I have been friends since childhood and we are the same age. Despite his continued focus on the phone, he resembled her in appearance. However, I noticed subtle differences, such as his thin eyebrows compared to his sister's thick ones.

“My sister is currently in the bedroom,” he stated, his attention fixed on the phone.

“Is that all?” I inquired.

“Yeah,” he responded calmly. 

It was astonishing to witness him ignore me and divert his gaze solely towards the phone. Perplexed, I furrowed my brow and proceeded towards the staircase. 

As I climbed, I noticed that the area resembled a square with corridors on each side. I chose one of the sides and headed to her modern bedroom. 

The door was ajar, and I quickened my pace, eventually reaching a point where I could peek inside.

There she was, seated at the desk with her head focused on a book, engrossed in her studies. 

I couldn't help but feel annoyed, as he failed to mention that she was occupied with studying.

She was also wearing pajamas, even though it was morning. I thought that the siblings had not yet dressed.

I entered her room, my footsteps causing a slight disturbance. I halted, but she appeared oblivious to my presence and continued her studies. 

Tentatively, I began walking towards her, making sure to move slowly. 

While I was behind her, I watched her serious face from the side.

It became apparent that her attention was completely fixated on whatever it was she was focusing on, oblivious to her surroundings. 

Unbeknownst to me, I found myself suppressing a bout of laughter as I approached the bed and took a seat. 

“...Alright, the final challenge awaits, and it's none other than geometry,” she sighed, seemingly in conversation with herself.

At this juncture, I have gained valuable insight into her peculiar trait of introspective dialogue.

“May the souls of Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton bestow their brilliance upon my mind,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. 

“No, I must be delusional. Indeed, no one is perfect, although the individuals I have mentioned are undoubtedly wonderful in their own right. I must avoid thinking such thoughts and stay focused,” she continued speaking, while I struggled to contain my amusement.

“...The discipline of geometry serves as an illustrative demonstration of objects and structures possessing both size and angles, such as houses, buildings, and various other commonplace items. Humans can also be aligned with the principles of geometry, serving as yet another example,” she uttered these words while talking to herself, and I could not stop laughing. 

It felt as though my laughter was about to escape my mouth, and I instinctively covered it with my hand.

“In the context of geometry, the inscribed angle appears to be narrower when measured from the base's edge, while the central angle appears wider from the edge due to the measurement of the intercepted arcs,” she stated in a soft tone.

“...There isn't enough time to give a detailed explanation. I'll just write the formula.”

I remained seated on the bed while she fell silent. My laughter had already subsided. It took a minute for her to respond, during which I gazed upon her serious expression, unaware that I was smiling.

“It is finished,” she murmured in a low tone, rising to her feet. 

“I must maintain a focused and confident demeanor as I study and learn, all for her, so I can understand everything,” she whispered softly once more.

For her?

”As I study, the words I learn can be linked. It makes me understand everything on her behalf,” she continues to speak, gazing out the window.

I'm quite intrigued, but I suppose it might pertain to her friend.

As I observed her, she suddenly stretched her body and began doing push-ups. 

So she exercises, and I couldn't help but chuckle softly. 

Suddenly, she turned her head towards the bed and spotted me. 

“Oh....” she uttered in surprise, ceasing her movements. 

“Oh?” I responded, and we lapsed into silence for a moment. 

“When?” she asked in a hushed tone. 

“When?” I repeated, and she rose to her feet slowly. All I could infer from her was that she wanted to know when I arrived. 

“...G-Good day, I hadn't realized you were already here,” she stammered, visibly embarrassed as she lowered her head. I looked at my watch, which is a timepiece.

“I've been here for 40 minutes, silently listening while you were talking,” I replied, realizing I was stifling laughter once again. 

“I-I see,” she responded.

I exhaled in order to suppress my laughter. 

“Please look at me and come over here,” I said from my seated position. She complied and approached me, at which point I handed her the cake. 

I informed her that my mother had gifted it to her and conveyed her regards. 

“...Ah, I see. This happens to be my favorite cake. I am delighted to be receiving such a delicious treat. I will personally express my gratitude to your mother,” she happily exclaimed. Placing the cake on the desk, she noticed a bottle of water and promptly handed it to me. 

“Thank you,” I acknowledged before opening the bottle. However, it appeared to be sealed. I proceeded to drink from it as she observed me. 

“Please join me and sit beside me now,” I requested after finishing the drink. She followed suit and took a seat next to me. 

“As I forgot my phone, may I use yours to save my contact information and engage in texting?,” I inquired with a smile. Responding with a nod, she retrieved her black phone from her pocket, remaining silent and maintaining her gaze on me.

“The wallpaper on your phone is incredibly beautiful,” I remarked as I unlocked the screen. 

Her wallpaper, the ocean, was illuminated by a sunset orange sky.

“Thank you,” she replied with a beaming smile, “I captured that image during a memorable outing with my friends.”

“I see,” I responded while saving my contacts onto her phone. 

Suddenly, a group chat notification appeared, and out of curiosity and with her still looking at me, I proceeded to open it.

[Look guys! She has seen our messages.]

[No way, she must be busy, right?]

[Athy! You should spend time with us again.]

[Exactly, don't be a stranger, it hurts my feelings!]

[Hey, be careful with your words, are you still joking even in text messages?]

[Technology exists to bridge the gap between us, even when we're physically apart.]

[Is that a joke? I'm curious to know more!]

[I understand, you want to know more? Then I'll come visit you at your house.]

[Those two seem really close.]

[I believe that's how my parents started their relationship.]

[Okay.]

[Okay.] 

[I noticed that the responses were simultaneous, indicating the collective nature of their response.]

[Let them be. Refrain from interfering and consider the possibility of hiding yourself when they see you.]

[Everyone, may I direct your attention to my canine companion, sleeping peacefully on my lap? (Attached is a photo). Unfortunately, due to the presence of my dog, I found it a bit difficult to get up from the couch.]

[Such a charming sight, indeed.]

[It is important to put the welfare of our pets first instead of focusing only on our personal thoughts or concerns.]

[Are you being serious?]

[I love pets, though!]

Having made these observations, I decided to hand the phone back to her with a smile.

“So, this is characteristic of teenagers, I see,” I remarked, handing her the phone. She appeared perplexed, and I let out a chuckle.

“You should respond to your friends since I accidentally opened the chat,” I explained.

“Yes, I was planning to message them anyway, so don't worry about it,” she replied with a smile, her fingers swiftly typing on the phone. 

I couldn't help but be curious about the contents on her screen, but I respected her privacy.

Afterwards, we decided to grab a bite to eat and spent time together, discussing our respective days.