The sound came first.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Then the slower rhythm of a plane gliding across cedar.
The workshop had its own music.
Kamui had begun noticing that.
At first every sound had blended together.
Now he could tell who was working without looking.
Daichi’s hammer was quick.
The old carpenter’s movements were slower, heavier.
Kamui…
Well.
According to the old carpenter, Kamui’s tools spent half their time making unnecessary noise.
“They’re expressing themselves.”
“They’re distracting me.”
Near midday, Daichi looked toward the doorway.
“…We’ve got a visitor.”
Kamui turned.
Naruto stood outside with his hands behind his back.
He wasn’t coming in.
Just looking.
Kamui raised a hand.
“Afternoon.”
Naruto nodded.
“…Hey.”
A few seconds passed.
Neither spoke.
Finally Kamui asked,
“So…”
“…are you here to rob us?”
Naruto’s eyes widened.
“What?!”
“I figured I’d ask.”
“I’ve never robbed anybody!”
“Good.”
Kamui nodded.
“That would’ve been awkward.”
Naruto rolled his eyes.
“I was just walking.”
“You’ve been standing there for three minutes.”
“I like standing.”
“In front of carpentry shops?”
“…Maybe.”
Daichi quietly looked away before he started laughing.
Naruto eventually wandered inside.
His eyes moved from one workbench to another.
There were chisels of different sizes.
Bundles of wood stacked against the wall.
Half-finished furniture.
Everything smelled faintly of pine.
“You really make all this?”
Daichi nodded.
“Most of it.”
Naruto ran one finger along a smooth tabletop.
“…Looks hard.”
“It is.”
“Do you ever mess up?”
Kamui answered before Daichi could.
“Constantly.”
Naruto looked surprised.
“Really?”
Kamui walked over to a shelf.
From the back he pulled out a strangely shaped block of wood.
One side had been carved beautifully.
The other…
Looked like something had attacked it.
“My first attempt.”
Naruto stared.
“…What is it?”
“I think…”
Kamui tilted it.
“…it was supposed to become a bird.”
Daichi laughed.
“I remember that.”
“It became firewood.”
“It almost became firewood.”
Kamui corrected.
“The old man made me keep it.”
Naruto couldn’t stop staring at the wooden disaster.
Then…
He laughed.
Not loudly.
Just enough that he had to cover his mouth.
Kamui grinned.
“Go ahead.”
“It’s funny.”
Naruto pointed.
“The beak’s backwards.”
“I noticed eventually.”
The old carpenter walked over.
Without a word, he picked up the ruined carving.
He placed it beside a beautifully finished wooden crane.
“See the difference?”
Naruto nodded.
“Yeah.”
The old carpenter looked at Kamui.
“He made both.”
Naruto blinked.
“…Seriously?”
Kamui scratched his cheek.
“There were…”
“…several attempts between them.”
The old carpenter snorted.
“Several?”
“Hundreds.”
Naruto looked from one carving to the other again.
His expression slowly changed.
He wasn’t looking at the beautiful crane anymore.
He was looking at the ugly bird.
Longer.
As though it mattered just as much.
A customer entered.
“I’ve come to collect the cabinet.”
Daichi excused himself.
Kamui helped carry it outside.
Naruto watched silently.
The cabinet wasn’t flashy.
Just clean.
Solid.
The customer ran his hand over the wood.
“Excellent work.”
He smiled.
“My wife will love it.”
As the man walked away, Naruto asked quietly,
“Does that happen a lot?”
“What?”
“People saying thanks.”
Kamui thought for a moment.
“…Sometimes.”
“Feels good?”
“It does.”
Naruto looked down at his shoes.
“…Must be nice.”
Kamui looked at him.
He almost said something.
Instead…
He simply handed Naruto a folded cloth.
“Hold this.”
Naruto blinked.
“…Why?”
“I’ve got sawdust on my hands.”
Naruto instinctively took it.
Kamui wiped his palms clean.
“Told you.”
Naruto stared at the cloth.
“…You could’ve used your own.”
“I could’ve.”
Naruto frowned.
“You’re weird.”
“I’ve accepted that.”
As Naruto prepared to leave, something caught his eye.
The broken stool.
Or rather…
What remained of it.
One leg was missing.
Kamui noticed him looking.
“How’s your project?”
Naruto scratched the back of his head.
“…Not good.”
“I figured.”
“I kinda destroyed it.”
Kamui nodded once.
“Happens.”
“I don’t think I can fix it.”
“Probably not.”
Naruto sighed.
“…Guess I failed.”
Kamui shook his head.
“No.”
Naruto looked up.
“You failed…”
“…at making a stool.”
He smiled.
“That’s much smaller.”
Naruto stood there for a second.
Then he laughed.
“…Yeah.”
“I guess it is.”
He tucked his hands into his pockets.
“I’m going.”
“See you.”
Naruto started walking home.
Halfway down the street he turned around.
“…Hey.”
Kamui looked up from sweeping the floor.
“Can I come watch again sometime?”
Kamui rested both hands on the broom.
“Of course.”
“You don’t have to help.”
“You don’t have to talk.”
“You can just sit there if you want.”
Naruto nodded.
“…Okay.”
This time…
He left without pretending he’d only been passing by.
That evening, Daichi finished locking the workshop.
“You know…”
Kamui looked over.
“He likes it here.”
“I think so.”
“Why?”
Kamui watched the empty street.
The smell of fresh-cut wood still lingered in the evening air.
“I don’t know.”
After a moment he smiled.
“But…”
“…everyone should have at least one place where they don’t feel like they’re in the way.”
Daichi looked toward the doorway where Naruto had stood earlier.
He didn’t answer.
He simply slid the lock into place.
The sound echoed softly through the quiet street.
Then the two of them started walking home.