When You're Not Thinking About Anything

After school, in the library. Side by side. One earbud each. Late afternoon light coming through the window.

Yui “Sota, what do you want to do with your life?”

Sota “That's sudden.”

Yui “Did you fill out the career form?”

Sota “Turned it in blank.”

Yui “You didn't get in trouble?”

Sota “They told me to think about it.”

Yui “Aren't you thinking about it?”

Sota “I am. But when I put it in words it feels wrong.”

Yui “I get that. I wrote down saxophone, but I have no idea what I want to do with saxophone.”

A silence. Salvant's voice moves through their earphones.

Sota “…What do you think about when you're playing sax?”

Yui “Nothing. Probably nothing at all.”

Sota “That's fine then.”

Yui “Thinking nothing is fine?”

Sota “Yeah. You're not thinking anything, but you're doing it right. That's kind of amazing when you think about it.”

Yui “…What do you do when you're not thinking about anything?”

Sota “Listen to music. Like this.”

Both of them go quiet. The afternoon light stretches long. Just Salvant's voice. The song ends. A short silence. Yui taps her phone and puts on another song by the same singer. Nothing is said.