#bxg

(YN)'s hands were placed inside the pockets of his coat. The usual burning hot and humid weather was replaced with the cool winds and the rain that came with the new season arriving so a coat was almost a need.

The scent of freshly made coffee soon engulfed him as he passed by the many open coffee shops. The same goes for the scent of hot, freshly made bread as he passed by bakeries offering the doughy delight.

The small bus stop soon came into view from a distance. The benches were empty which would make sense as it was still pretty early in the morning. 

He walked upon the bus stop and stopped just before the benches, not even looking at the wooden seats. He raised his hand quickly, cocking his sleeve back. A silver watch shined dimly back at him as it sat on his wrist.

Looking at the seconds fly by, he started counting down to when the bus he always used for transport was going to arrive. A minute had passed when he turned his head further down the road and as if on queue, the bus came turning from a corner.

The bus made its way down the road. The vehicle's soft hum from the engine slowly became more and more imminent. Soon, the bus arrived in front of the small bus stop. The doors creaked open, letting the man walk inside.

(YN) went up the steps and stopped to tap his card at the front of the vehicle. He turned towards the mostly empty seats, some of the seats were already taken by the passengers that got on before him. Fortunately for him, his favorite seat wasn't taken.

The man walked towards the back end of the bus and counted three rows just before the last set off seats. He sets his shoulder sling bag down on the right seat before sitting down on the seat in front of the window.

(YN) felt the bus slowly go back into motion. He placed an arm on the window sill. He placed his head over his hand as the bus soon made its rounds around the city.

-

The bus came to a halt in front of another bus stop. (YN) was now paying no attention to the world outside as he was focused on a book in his hands. He was so focused that he didn't even see that most of the bus seats were already filled and that some people were already standing, holding onto the handles that hung from above.

A couple more people came through the bus doors, making the vehicle more densely packed as it should be. 

"Excuse me! Oh pardon me, moving through!" A soft voice said amidst the crowd. The voice kept repeating the same phrases while moving through the people, trying to find a seat.

*BEEP!*

The bus unexpectedly halted in the middle of the road. The sudden stop sent some of the people back but luckily they were able to hold onto something either it be another seat, a pole, a handle or even..

another person?

(YN)'s book suddenly fell to the floor. A stunned expression was now on his face as two hands were placed beside both sides of his head. He blankly blinked as a pair of wide eyes belonging to a girl looked at him closely. 

"O-oh I'm sorry!" The girl immediately pushed herself off him and straightened the sleeves of her checkered sweater before she did the same with her pants.

"It's fine.." (YN) softly replied. The girl shyly looked down when she glanced at his bag on a seat next to him. Remembering how cramped and packed the bus was, she could really use a seat.

"Do you mind if I take this seat?" The girl asked. (YN) turned his head upwards to look at her, she had quite the height.

"No, go ahead." The man grabbed a hold of his bag and placed it in the space in front of her legs. With a smile, the girl nodded and sat down next to him.

(YN) adjusted himself in his seat before looking out the window. The girl glanced at him, still slightly embarrassed about what she had accidentally done earlier.

"I-i'm sorry about earlier." The girl shyly stammered out.

"Oh it's fine, not a big problem."

"I'm Kazuha, by the way. Nakamura Kazuha." She reached her hand out slightly.

The boy looked at her as she looked back with her wide eyes. She wore a small, and gentle smile, expecting him to reply to her kind gesture.

"Do you just introduce yourself to everyone you bump into?" (YN) replied, with a hint of sarcasm.

"No, but I was told that it makes me seem friendlier." Kazuha's smile grew into a wide grin before she watched the man quickly shake her hand.

She seemed to be quite the bright character, from her smile to simply the aura she gave off. The girl focused back onto her bag, or what was her burlap sack from the man's point of view.

(YN) focused back on the window beside him, watching as the bus passed by the tall buildings and trees that went alongside the city streets.

The girl continued to rummage through her things inside of her bag, creating a ruckus beside the man. He grew curious of what the girl was doing so he glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

He watched her pull out a small notebook paired with a pen to the side. It had a brown cover, almost making it look like a scrapbook.  She then continued scribbling things down onto its brown pages.

(YN) could care less with what she was writing down so he decided to just focus on his business. He stared outside the window until he felt a tap over his shoulder.

"Is this your book?"

He turned his head back to the girl next to him. She held up a closed book close to his face, the same one he had dropped earlier when she unexpectedly fell on him.

"I almost forgot about it, thanks-" (YN) tried to get the book from her when she suddenly pulled it farther from him.

"Looks like you were reading. . .a fantasy book?" Kazuha looked around the novel, from the massive title in front to the smooth cover that held it together.

"Yeah, is there something wrong with it?" The boy slipped it out of her hands before holding it close to him.

"No. . .I just wanted to take note." The girl continued writing in her notebook before closing it loudly.

(YN) glanced at her at the sides of his eyes, thinking of her unusual behavior. Maybe she was some massive book worm that liked to write down every novel she saw. Whatever the reason was, he hoped she wouldn't bother her the rest of the way.

Little did he know that she seemed to just get started.

As he watched the bus continue to make its way around, the girl next to him slowly leaned closer to him. He didn't notice it at first but once he saw the small camera poking from the side of his vision, he immediately leaned back on his seat.

"W-what are you doing?" He stuttered out, startled in his seat.

"Trying to take a picture of the view outside, what else?" She softly replied, trying to steady the small camera in her hands.

(YN) wouldn't have been bothered if she wasn't so close to him, her arm was pushing up against him at this point. He looked away with his eyes slightly closed, hoping she could just finish up what she was doing.

"You're not going to get a good picture if the bus is still moving." (YN) told her, trying his best to move away from her but from the limited space he had, he could barely do much.

Just then, the bus stopped from what he assumed was right in front of a traffic light. It might have been a gift from the heavens since it allowed her to quickly snap a photo of the view outside.

She leaned back to her seat, a wide grin on her lips. To her, the view must've been one of the best in the world even if it was just the side of the building.

(YN) readjusted himself on the seat as he continued to glance between her and the floor, making sure she wasn't going to do anything else.

"This will go perfect with the rest." He heard her tell herself with the soft hum coming from the camera as it slowly printed out a picture.

This was the first time he had seen someone like the girl, someone who you'd think would know a thing or two about personal boundaries and someone who wasn't shy to look into someone's business.

"You really are bizarre." (YN) muttered, resting his head over his hand.

"You really think so?" Kazuha turned her head back at him.

"It wasn't meant to be a compliment." He replied back with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Well I think it's one, I think it's pretty cute actually." She giggled softly.

He squinted his eyes at her, one that looked to be disapproving of her whole existence.

(YN) wasn't sure if she was just provoking him or if she was simply naive as he thought her to be. For someone he has never seen in his life, she really did make a huge impression on him, one that wasn't really quite good. 

The boy held his bag closer to him and looked outside the window once more. His eyes snapped to the bus stop in the distance. For a moment, his heartbeat quickened its pace.

This might be the only time he got excited seeing the blue bus stop. He counted each moment the bus took to slow down and steer to the side of the road.

Once the bus completely stopped and he heard the soft hum of the doors opening, a wave of relief washed over (YN) but it could only last for a short while. 

As he stood up from his seat, the girl next to him followed. They both slung their bags over their shoulder and glanced before they at one another. Quickly looking away, he quickly took to the side and slid his way past her without uttering a single word at her.

He tried to pay no further attention to her when he followed the rest of the people out of the bus. As he stepped out, he had no hesitation with going on with his way with the hopes of never seeing the girl again or at least never bumping into her again.

.

As the day went through its cycle, it eventually landed on the time where people got out of their jobs and the time where students were dismissed from school. The city streets were flooded with the cheers and noises from its people.

Through the golden rays of the sun that shone down on the city as it continued to sink into Neverland, a boy walked in between the green patches of grass in a nearby park.

His eyes were focused on the clouds that peacefully floated above. The wind pushed his hair back slightly, letting it flow to the back of his head.

With each step he took, the bag behind him seemingly got heavier and heavier so he looked around for an empty bench. He was fortunate to find one with a direct view of the water fountain that was in the middle of the park.

(YN) sat down on the bench, placing his bag next to him. He heaved in breaths of air. Making his way back to the bus station was a good way to relieve himself from the stresses of school but it was sure to be tiring at times.

He took in another cold breath as he gazed upon the sights of the park. He looked at the people that were scattered around the place. It was such a weird thought that each and every person has their own thoughts and lives to attend to.

As he gazed upon the serene view that was the setting sky, he was quick to notice shapes flying along with the wind. Tracing the thin rope attached to them, he found that they were held by some kids playing near the fountain.

He focused his eyes and found that one of them stood out from the rest. One that stood slightly higher than the rest as they guided the rest of the kids around them. The clothes they wore stood out to them, recognizing them as the same checkered sweater someone he bumped into was wearing in the morning.

The person went in his direction and there was no mistaking that he had bumped into the same girl from the bus.

"W-why did I feel a chill down my spine?" He shuddered, feeling a gust of cold air hit his back. The only thing providing him warmth was the thought that she wasn't going to bother him anymore.

(YN) quickly picked his bag back up and wore it over his shoulders once more. He took one last look at the girl at the fountain that was now sat upon its steps, watching the kids play with their kites.

She turned her head in his direction. Eerily enough, the man felt like she turned to stare at him directly even if there was some distance between them.

He jumped back slightly as he was once again surprised by her antics. Snapping his head away, he started to get back on his way back to the bus stop just after the park.

.

"Out of all the places she could be, why the park?" (YN) told himself, weaving through the sea of people that littered the sidewalk. He had his hands in his pockets, shielding them from the cold air.

He approached the blue-roofed bus stop in the distance. Little to no people were under it and if he was lucky, it would be the same case inside the bus so he hastened his pace.

.

"I guess it really is time to go home." A girl not too far from him said. She looked upon the stars above, gazing at them as they sparkled through their dark canvas. She was swaying her arms about, one might even say that she was imitating how penguins walked.

"Too bad he didn't show up." The girl said, stretching her arms out in front of her.

She continued the path down the bus stop when she saw someone familiar walking in the distance which was weird, she hasn't felt the feeling of familiarity for a while now.

Through the heads of people walking in front of her, she saw a familiar boy walking ahead. She wasn't mistaken, he was wearing the same academy uniform as the grumpy person in the bus.

She then found him standing before the same stop she uses. He was busy looking off into the distance as he tapped his foot on the ground, maybe looking for the same bus she always uses.

"It’s you again." She suddenly said, approaching him slowly. She raised a hand to wave at him but once he turned to look at her, he seemed to have tensed up in fright.

"I-it's y-you again!" He stammed through his words. Trying to look away, he tried his best not to give her any attention.

"I have a name y'know. It's Kazuha." The girl replied, putting up her hands on the sides of her hips.

"I don't care what your name is, I just don't want you to bother me any more." The boy said bitterly. He glanced at her from the side of his vision before looking back at the road.

"Bother you? Since when did I bother you?"

"You really can't remember? You crashed into me earlier than you kept on invading my personal space." He continued to explain with a scoff.

"For the record, I fell in an accident! And how was I invading when all I did was take a picture of the window?" Kazuha argued back, her voice raised as much as his.

Noticing the stare from the people passing around them, the boy turned away from her completely. 

"Just get lost." He lowered his tone at her.

"Fine, I will!" The girl said right back. Instead of walking away though, she fell silent as she stood beside him.

She crossed her arms across her chest and began tapping her foot on the concrete below, matching the boy's pace.

"What are you doing. . .?" (YN) looked at her with a brow raised in confusion.

"What do you think? I'm waiting for the bus." 

"Out of all the buses in the world, you have to use this one." He grumbled under his breath.

"Why do you care? You just have to suck it up a little more then~" Kazuha replied, a tone fit for a tease mixed in with her voice.

"I never thought I'd meet someone as annoying as you." (YN) hoped and prayed for the bus to just appear in front of him. He himself wasn't sure if he could take another second of the girl's presence.

Just then, as if the heavens heard his words, the bus turned around the corner and made its way down the wide stretch of road. As it pulled over to the side, the pair could see that it was almost full of people.

Nevertheless, the pair were determined to get to a seat or at least try to. As the vehicle pulled over to the side, the doors on the side slowly opened up.

They both rushed their way inside, almost jumping into the thin pathway inside. Somehow, the girl nimbled her way through and got ahead of the boy. They excused themselves through the people that were standing up and found themselves shoulder to shoulder, approaching the back end of the bus.

Once the doors closed on themselves, the bus' engine roared as it began to move forward. The sudden force was enough to push the boy off balance, making his knee bump into one of the poles.

He bit his lip in pain as he crouched down to reach his knee. The girl took this chance and leaped forward to claim the last empty seat at the back of the bus.

(YN) slowly looked up and found her staring back at him. No words were exchanged and there was no need for it. Even if he tried talking, it would have mixed in with the bitter taste of defeat.

He could have sworn he saw her stick her tongue out at him. That was enough to plant a seed of resentment within him, one that would lead him to a whole new world of hatred. . .or maybe something else.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧* The Next Day .｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.✱───

On Weekdays, Hidetoshi (YN) took the same route out of his home, the same road that led to the stop and rode on the same bus that led him to the same destination at least five times a week.

It was a routine, at this point. He took off and went to the same places everyday. It would have led him to insanity if it weren't for the fact that he was simply just going to school.

He walked through the chilly morning air with his hands inside of his pockets. The air was colder than usual, which would mean  that the season was changing into the cold winter that made everything outside so brittle.

Looking at the bus stop in the distance, he saw a lone figure standing underneath its roof.

(YN)'s eyes widened at the sight of the figure. It might have been a small city unlike the likes of Tokyo and Kyoto but he would've bet on never seeing the same person he lost sleep over the night prior.

He stopped in his tracks, not wanting to share another bus ride with her. Pulling back his sleeve, he looked at the small wrist watch he wore. He could use the extra time he had to grab a snack and wait for the next bus to arrive.

Fortunately, he found himself standing in front of a convenience store. He went off his usual track and went through the doors without a second of a doubt.

Walking closely next to the side where the windows were, he continued looking at the bus stop where the girl stood. He looked at her with eyes filled with ferocity and bitterness while she did nothing back.

"How could she just stand there and act like she didn't do anything yesterday. Aish, why am I already so annoyed?" (YN) muttered under his breath.

He went off to the back end of the store and looked at the shelves filled with food. If he was going to wait inside, might as well get something to eat.

Scanning across the heatable meals and snacks on the wall, he didn't notice that someone new entered the store. He scanned the long shelf that spanned almost the back of the store and eventually spotted the last onigiri on the shelf.

The rice ball snack was small yet it was an effective meal that could last him the whole morning. With the cold air outside, it could really help with warming himself up.

He slowly reached his hand out towards the snack before. . .

*clasp!*

Another hand came into view of the boy. A hand that was now holding onto the same onigiri as he did. Now feeling the slender and smooth hand, he slowly traced it back to whoever was trying to grab the last snack on the shelf.

"W-what are you doing here?!" (YN) suddenly shouted in pure shock as he looked at the girl who managed to give him the worst first impressions.

Instead of bickering back, the girl didn't say anything. All she did was stare blankly at him with her wide orbs before her nose scrunched up as she smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile rather, it was as if she was smiling to excuse herself towards someone she didn't know.

(YN) was so stunned at the sight of her that he stumbled back. The girl bowed down slightly before taking off with the snack on the shelf. She walked in between the shelves and he could watch her head move towards the cashier over them.

"S-she took the last one. . .wait!"

He rushed over and followed her to the register. Once he caught up, he tapped her shoulder making her turn back to face him.

"That's. . .that's mi-i mean, I got that snack first." He pointed at the small rice snack in her hands as he tried to regain his breath.

The girl glanced between the snack and at the boy in front of her.

"Really? I don't see if you have a name on it, mister." She replied, shaking it in her hand. She still had the same tone, the same one that got on his nerves.

"Listen, I already forgave you for what you did yesterday so please don't start again today." (YN) tried to reach for the snack but she placed her hand behind her.

"Yesterday? You must be mistaken, mister. I have never met you before."

(YN) was once again left shocked. He wasn't sure if she was simply playing with him as she looked and sounded serious about never having seen him before. 

"How could you not? You rode on the bus yesterday and you sat next to me mind you. I also saw you at the par-Aish, just drop the act!" The boy pleaded but it was no use.

"H-how do you know where I'm going today? Are you a stalker? Just so you know, the police station is nearby!" She took a step back, clutching the snack on her chest.

"What? That's literally what happened yesterday. Did you hit your head or something? How could you forget?" He argued back, but she didn't seem to budge.

"I don't know what to tell you, I really don't know what you're talking about." The girl replied.

"You can say that but there's no doubt that I met you yesterday."

"Fine if that's the case, what's my name? I would have told you if I really did so." She asked, thinking he wouldn't be able to answer.

"It was Ki. . .Ko. . ." (YN) looked off to the side in thought, while the girl stared at him.

"Aha! It was Kazuha! I remember it now." He suddenly exclaimed when he saw the same bewildered look of the girl.

"Wuah, stalkers are really good these days." Kazuha took another step away from him.

"H-hey, you got the wrong idea! I'm not a stalker!" The boy crossed his arms together in denial but she didn't turn away from the counter to pay for the snack in her hands.

"Aish, what is with you?" He took a step closer but she briskly turned around and bowed at him slightly before she headed for the exit of the store.

His eyes followed her until she pushed the door open. As she walked out, a small notebook fell out of her bag. It looked to be the same one he remembered from yesterday.

Paying the shopkeeper his respects with a polite bow, he made his way towards the glass doors. He pushed them open before leaning down and grabbing the small brown notebook.

(YN) looked around the sidewalk, trying to see if Kazuha was still around but he couldn't find her from the heads of people walking down the side of the road. 

She might have her hair tied up neatly yet he could still recognize the ugly sweater she wore from a mile out. Glancing down the street, he came to the assumption that she had gotten onto a bus already.

With a cold sigh, he looked down at the notebook and then at his watch. The notebook was small enough to fit in his pocket. He didn't know what to do with it. An option was to hope he'd bump into her again though he wouldn't want that if the girl thought of him as some stalker.

Another option was to simply keep it and hold onto it until he somehow sees her again. He had no intention of reading it so he thought that was the best thing to do.

Glancing at his watch, he saw that he might've used too much of his time inside the store as he began sprinting off to the nearby school hoping he'd get there before the bell rang.

.

.

*RING!~*

.

.

Hidetoshi (YN) placed his head down on the table in front of him. As the bell rang through the halls, the other students in his classroom moved out of their chairs to enjoy their break time except him.

He was fortunate enough to reach class before it started but in turn he got tired from almost sprinting across the city. 

"You look like you've been through a tornado."

"Actually, he looks better than that."

(YN) heard two voices speak before his table. Lazily putting his hands to the side of the table, he lifted his head up where he saw a short haired girl next to a boy who both wore the same uniform.

"What are you two looking at me for? Go have your breaks, let me take a nap." (YN) groaned out, gesturing the two to walk away from him.

"You're coming with us. Better head to the canteen before they run out of sandwiches or before Hina starts kicking you off your seat." The boy told him, tugging on his sleeve.

"Can't you see I'm resting? You guys can just bring me food here." (YN) tried to lay his head down when the girl took on his other sleeve.

"But why are you already tired? Taiki said he saw you running through the halls earlier and you seem weird this morning." Hina said, tilting her head to the side.

"I. . .i just missed the bus. I didn't want to tarnish my record with a tardy so I ran all the way here." (YN) lied with a chuckle, he wouldn't want them to know the real reason why he ran all the way to school.

"Then we could get you an energy drink!" Hina tugged on his arm harder.

"Then maybe you could try out for the track team next." Taiki jokes, ruffling the boy's hair.

The boy sitting down could do nothing but groan as he was pulled out of his seat. An occurrence that happened one or two times with his two friends around.

As he was forced to leave his classroom for the school's canteen, he had to wander through the school's hallways where some students used their precious break time. 

Taiki and Hina walked ahead of the boy as he slowly followed them from behind. He tried picking out all of the conversations that were happening around him.

All he heard were incoherent chats, finding the noise around almost nauseating.

"I heard that Nakamura Kazuha. . ."

(YN) suddenly stopped in his tracks, hearing the only thing he could through the crowd. He looked off to his left where a small gap was left open in the teacher's lounge.

He looked and leaned his head closer to the door, trying to hear more to feed his now newfound curiosity.

"Is that true? Gosh, I really feel bad for he-"

"(YN), are you okay?"

His attention was immediately brought back as Hina slowly walked back towards him. He breathed in a sharp breath to chase him back into reality.

"Y-yeah, just spaced out that's all." He replied before feeling himself be tugged away by the smaller girl through the halls.

-

"No way, she studies in this school? That crazy girl goes here?" (YN) mumbled through the food he was busy chewing. He had trouble wrapping his head around what he heard earlier. 

If it was true, how come he hasn't seen her anywhere before? What if she was supposed to be a transferee? Or maybe he just hasn't bumped into her inside the school, it was the biggest in the city after all.

He clutched his bag that was over his desk. He reached for the zipper to the side but suddenly stopped. It wasn't right to intrude in her privacy like that, it would make him more of a stalker if he did.

"(YN), you okay? I've never seen you space out this much before." Taiki placed a bottle of an energy drink down at his table. 

"W-what? I'm just still a little winded after you two dragged me around the whole school." (YN) shook his head.

"It's not as if we do that everyday. Anyways, are you guys free on Saturday? I saw that the new monster film is coming out by then, I wanna check it out." Taiki asked, sitting down  on the desk before his friend.

"You could ask your girlfriend, there's no need to bring us with you." Hina raised her arms to form a cross in between her sips of her small milk carton.

"She's already joining but she asked me if you guys also wanted to go. So, are you guys going or what?"

"I can if you plan on going on Sunday. The dance club is going to hold auditions and I have to come watch." The girl explained, slightly chewing down on the plastic straw.

"I heard about that. Why are they doing auditions again? I thought you guys were full already." (YN) chimed in.

"I'm not really sure myself,  they simply told us that the auditions were for the seniors who graduated and the ones who left. Though I did hear something about one of them getting into an accident." Hina continued just as she emptied out her drink.

"Who did. . .?" (YN) asked.

"One of them left before school started because of an accident but that's all I know." She replied quickly.

"How did you get all of this? How would we know you didn't make any of that up." Taiki stood beside the smaller girl and nudged her shoulder.

"You should ask the girls from 1-C if you won't believe me!" Hina suddenly exclaimed.

"1. . .1-C? Alright. . ." (YN) mumbled.

There was not much reason to believe that the crazy girl he bumped into was the same one Hina was talking about. He shouldn't act when he could care less about that weird girl but one thing did bug him.

Why couldn't she recognize him?

Her memory must be very bad to just forget him overnight.

(YN) wouldn't say that he had the most recognizable face around but she could surely remember the face of someone she bumped into in the bus.

He pushed the thought to the back of his head yet it kept bugging him throughout the day. Soon, a seed of curiosity was planted within the boy, one that might sprout into something he wasn't expecting.

.

*RINGGGG!*

.

It was now the time of every student's favorite period, dismissal. As the bell loudly rang through the halls, the feeling of relief and happiness spread through each pupil. Some took haste to pack everything into their bags except for one boy who seemed to stare into his bag as if it were an endless abyss.

(YN) stared at the small notebook inside of his bag. A thought bumping into the girl passed his mind that that was a bit too far fetched. It would be a wild coincidence if they somehow met again but he couldn't just keep it to himself.

Throwing it away would be a waste if he did bump into her and keeping a girl's diary makes him look like some creep. Ultimately, he didn't know what to do with it.

"Going home already?"

The boy looked up to see his two friends walk towards his table.

"Yeah, are you guys going with me?" He asked before watching them shake their heads slightly.

"I have something to do with the dance club, you guys can go ahead." Hina excused herself.

"And Akari and I will go to the mall. Unless you want to go with us, you can go home first." Taiki nodded his head to the door softly.

"Unbelievable. . .another day of walking alone." (YN) squinted his eyes at his friends.

"I asked you if you want to go with us." Taiki told him.

"Forget it, I would rather look at the back of a bus seat than you two walk hand in hand." The boy replied, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"How about you go get a girlfriend? Maybe you two could go on dates when we're not around!" Hina teased.

"You say that as if I could pluck out anybody in a crowd to be my girlfriend. Well, what did I expect when you can't get a boyfriend." (YN) teased back. He chuckled as Hina was ready to pounce on him before Taiki  held onto her shoulders to keep her in place.

-

"Should I really go home?"

Hidetoshi (YN) now found himself walking down the sidewalk after leaving through the school gates. With each step, he wondered about what he could do with his free time.

Most would head home or go with their friends but what was the use of free will if one can't think about what to do with it.

He continued down the path. Even if he didn't have his brain on, he had gone this path so many times that now it had become  second nature.

"Maybe I should stop by the park." (YN) stopped by the entrance of the park, looking up at the front gate.

Another nice, therapeutic walk in the park would be nice after a long day. A plus side is he might bump into Kazuha again.

"Just for a walk." He shook his head quickly, brushing the thought away. It was a pretty big world, after all.

-

"Guess she's really not here." (YN) stretched his arms behind him before they met in front of his body with a clap.

Contradictory to what he thought, he was looking around the park, with hopes of spotting the girl and finally giving her notebook back.

"What was I expecting? She couldn't be at the same place two days in the row." He told himself, shaking his head. 

The fountain was not too far away but something was different compared to yesterday. It seemed less lively, little to no people were around sitting on the benches and the kids with kites yesterday were absent.

The sky that was usually filled with colors from the heavens also had its life disappear as only gray clouds made their way across the canvas that was the sky.

He headed for the exit, thinking that the sky might start pouring at any second. Maybe he could bump into her another day.

-

Another walk to the bus station for a ride was what he needed to do before he could finally make his way home. The cold air ran through the streets, starting to cool the city for the rest of the night.

Walking through the sea of people on the sidewalk, his eyes locked onto the blue roof of the bus stop. Through the monotone colors in front of him, he spotted something that immediately caught his eye. 

He didn't need to double check, he was sure that it was the same ugly patterned sweater that Kazuha wore. Trying to peek over the heads of the people in front of him, he could see a glimpse of her standing under the bus stop.

(YN) began to walk faster to approach her and finally returned her notebook. He apologized to the people he bumped into and to the people he walked past.

"Kazuha!" He shouted out once he had gotten closer. Yet she didn't turn her head and he watched her enter the bus.

He jogged towards the bus when it ultimately closed its doors shut and started to go down the street.

The boy was stunned, he didn't know what to do next except wait for the next bus. With a cold and defeated sigh, he sat down under the stop and leaned his head back, hitting it at the wall behind him.

.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*Later That Evening✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.✱───

.

Hidetoshi (YN) continuously rubbed a towel over his damp hair as he entered his bedroom. He closed his eyes, relying only on his memory of the room to navigate himself inside.

*THUD!*

His foot suddenly collided with a chair, making it tumble over to the floor in a loud crash that echoed throughout their home. He cursed the chair for being there under his breath.

He threw his towel to his bed to pick up the chair where he had placed his bag earlier. Some things flew out of his bag including the small brown notebook that he had no other choice but to keep.

Picking up the notebook, he placed it over his desk. He wouldn't lie, he had gotten curious about whatever was written inside.

"I shouldn't, I wouldn't want to learn more about her even if I was forced to." (YN) told himself, laying down on the soft cushions of his bed.

"But what did she write about me?" The boy immediately stood back up and took a step closer to his desk. He bit down on his lip lightly, letting curiosity take over him.

"It wouldn't hurt to just take a little peek, right?" He reached out his hand for the book and flipped open the cover.

"I really shouldn't, I'll just prove to her that I'm a stalker." He turned around.

"But she isn't here, isn't she." He turned right back around and sat down in his seat and flipped through the pages of the notebook. Page after page, he noticed that it was filled to the bottom and some even reached more pages than one.

"She's just writing about her day. . .what was I expecting?" He sighed out, flipping through more pages.

"Yesterday was the seventh, I'll try looking for that." He looked atop of each page, trying to look for the date. He soon spotted that something was off with the notebook or the one writing rather.

Written on top of each page was the same date. It was the same on each page, down to the day. She couldn't have miswritten it when it was on every page.

Now he was really confused, maybe that was her favourite date or maybe something memorable happened during that time. To learn more, he decided to skim through one of the entries.

". . .I woke up to the sound of birds outside my window, just as the sun was starting to peek through. Summer mornings are so bright and warm—it's like the whole day is already full of energy before it even starts. After breakfast, I decided to head into town. I took the bus, like usual, and grabbed my favorite window seat so I could watch everything pass by. The streets were still a bit sleepy, with only a few people out and about: joggers, a couple of people walking their dogs, and a delivery truck unloading crates near the grocery store. . ."

"Glad to see I'm not the only one who enjoys that seat." (YN) sarcastically said, reading through the passage. Everything sounded just fine, like it was a normal diary but it still didn't give anything about the repeated date.

". . .I wandered into a nearby café, ordered an iced americano, and found a cozy spot by the window. I watched people come and go, scribbling a few random thoughts in my notebook as the ice melted slowly in my drink. Eventually, I took a walk around downtown, stopping by a bookstore to browse. I felt like I’d read every book I picked up before, even though they were brand new releases. It was unsettling, but maybe I’m just tired. . ?"

"So she goes from a cafe before going to the bookstore. Hmmm. . ." The boy continued reading, pushing the thought of him intruding in her life to the back of his head.

He flipped to another page where another entry awaited him. It started off the same as others, her writing about her morning and how she got to the bus in the exact same seat as she claimed to be.

Reading through it more, something caught his eye.

". . .When I got off, I wandered toward the restaurant where I had planned to meet someone. I don’t know why, but the thought of walking there filled me with this strange, heavy feeling in my chest. As I approached the crosswalk just before the restaurant, it hit me even stronger, like something was trying to get my attention. It was unsettling, like I was forgetting something important but couldn’t quite grasp it. I shook off the feeling and kept walking, convincing myself it was nothing.

At the restaurant, I asked for a table, just like I’d planned, but the host looked at me blankly, telling me there wasn’t a reservation under my name. It felt odd—like this wasn’t the first time I’d heard those exact words. I stood there for a moment, feeling a bit weird, before heading back outside. I decided to make the most of the day and wandered around downtown instead. . .

I walked along the streets, passing little shops and cafes, taking in the familiar sights. The bookstore, the ice cream stand by the corner, even the busker near the fountain—it all felt like pieces of a dream I’d seen before. I tried to enjoy the moment, but that strange feeling from the crosswalk still lingered in the back of my mind, casting a faint shadow over everything. I don’t know why, but it’s almost like I’m waiting for something… something I don’t even remember. . ."

"It sounds like something is wrong with her memory. Either she's really forgetful or something else entirely. That would explain how she couldn't remember me." (YN) talked to the silent air in his room.

He flipped back and forth between the pages, trying to find something more other than repeated passages about the repeated things she did from day to day. Eventually, he landed at the last page where after reading through her morning routine, he finally found something interesting.

". . .Once the bus arrived, I took my usual seat—three rows back from the rear, right by the window. I love this spot; it feels like my little nook in the world. Today, however, was different. It was so crowded with people that I could barely pass through. I excused myself through the people that stood before me  and suddenly, I found myself almost tumbling into the lap of the boy sitting next to me!

His name was Hidetoshi. . .(YN), I think. I could barely see the name on the book I knocked off his hands. He had such a startled look on his face when I accidentally knocked into him. I felt terrible! After I composed myself, I introduced myself, and I could see a hint of sarcasm in his responses. He doesn’t seem like the type who opens up easily, which makes me even more curious about him. . ."

"S-she was curious about me? All of that annoyance just because she was curious about me? Unbelievable, really." (YN) scoffed in disbelief.

". . .I grabbed his book that he dropped, and he looked at me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t quite solve. Maybe I was being too forward, but I just wanted to connect with him in some way. I never expected him to be sarcastic when I tried to compliment him on his book!"

"I'm not sarcastic, I'm just saying what's on my mind." The boy mumbled.

". . .At one point, I leaned closer to take a picture of the view outside, like I always did to capture the views of my life, and I noticed him stiffen in his seat. I can’t help but giggle at his reaction; he’s so easily flustered! But then he told me I was bizarre, and I couldn’t help but feel a little flattered. It was cute how he pretended not to care about me while clearly being affected by my presence."

"Cute? Wow, she has really lost her mind but she doesn't sound as bad as I thought she was." (YN)'s opinion changed for the better. Though they could've had a better first meeting, he'll still try to return the notebook back and maybe befriend her along the way.

If the notebook told him anything else, it would be that she followed almost the exact same routine every morning, down to the time she went outside. If he could meet her in the morning, he could give her diary back to her.

He would rather do anything else than see her again but having something as private as her diary in his possession felt wrong. It wasn't much of an obligation to give it back but it would be best if he did.

With the weekend coming up, he had nothing to do. Perhaps he could sneak in some time to put in some effort for her. That is if everything aligned up for him to wake up on time.

-

Day 3

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

(YN) flinched himself awake, his heart beating through his chest. He took in a heavy breath before taking in another before painfully swallowing down a breath. His eyes finally focused themselves on the room around him. The dimly lit room stayed silent as the boy shifted himself upwards on his bed.

Looks like his alarm clock did work as planned, unfortunate as it may be.

The boy turned to look at his side where his alarm clock was still blaring out a loud ring before he turned it off. He stared at the time that the clock displayed, finding himself awake in the earlier part of the morning. With a sigh, he decided to throw his blanket off himself and get on with his only errand for the day.

-

On a weekend, Hidetoshi (YN) decided to use his time to go back into the city streets on another chilly morning. He squinted his eyes as he walked step by step, feeling the cold hair brush past them.

He locked his eyes on the sidewalk in front of him, focused on the simple task of giving back the girl's diary.

If he could find her and maybe just drop the notebook near her, maybe she’d notice it quick enough for him to go home.

There was that, and there was simply throwing the notebook at her but that wouldn’t be very civil, would it? Approaching her directly isn’t exactly in the cards either. If Kazuha didn’t recognize him, she would be very much alarmed if some stranger came up to her with her diary in hand.

Either way, he was determined to give it back no matter what way he did. He adjusted the coat over his shoulders, glancing down at the pocket inside that held the small notebook before he got closer to the bus stop up ahead. 

“Where could she be?” (YN) asked himself, his eyes looking around the bus stop without finding the girl standing under its blue roof. If he remembered correctly, she would be standing under the blue roof of the bus stop around this time. As he continued on with his step, there was a slight issue, she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Not under the bus stop nor anywhere around the sidewalk. 

He looked around, glancing over at the people that passed by with hopes the girl would just magically appear right around the corner. But as time passed, she hadn't come about.

He closed his eyes and sighed. She had to be around, somewhere. All the pages on the notebook replayed the same events she did again and again everyday, they couldn't be wrong.

As (YN) thought of what he could do, a bus pulled into the bus stop. He glanced his eyes upwards, looking as the doors opened themselves before looking at the seat he always chose.

He felt his heart jump up slightly seeing a girl sitting beside the window, looking at the view before she turned to lock eyes with the boy.

It was a brief and fleeting stare. What else would he have expected when she had no idea who he was. With the doors open before him, he stepped inside. His eyes wandered around the bus, looking for a seat. The seat next to the girl was already occupied but he had no plans on sitting next to her. Instead, he drew up a plan to discreetly give her the notebook, so discreet that even she wouldn’t realize it happened.

He eventually settled at the back end of the bus, one that was diagonal to her seat. He continued to glance over between her and the other sides of the bus. She seemed to be acting like the first time he met her on the bus, scavenging through her bag and pulling out whatever was inside but this time, she seemed to be worried. She scooped through the contents of her bag, looking for something that wasn’t there in the first place.

“Where’s my diary?” She said, closing her bag. The girl turned her head across the floor of the bus, sweeping her eyes around the area before she eventually looked over her shoulder.

(YN) was in the middle of pulling something out from his jacket when he looked over to his direction. Instantly, he froze in place. From acting out his secret plan, he completely stopped to look as innocent as he could be. 

As she turned her head away, he sighed out a heavy breath and completely pulled out the notebook. The bus' engine roared loudly as it surged forward, it was the perfect time to enact his plan.

The boy turned his head away, dropping the notebook on the floor before his leg pushed it forwards headed to the girl's seat.

It was all going to plan, all that's left was for her to notice the small notebook on the floor and until then, he stared at the window.

“Excuse me, you dropped this.”

His attention was suddenly brought back to Earth when a man behind the girl's seat picked up the notebook and offered it back to him.

“W-wait, I don't own-” He suddenly stopped in his words, seeing the bus slowly pull over to the side of the road. His panic further worsened when the girl stood up from her seat and headed to the open doors.

“Right, sorry about that.” (YN) took the notebook back before he stood and followed in the girl's footsteps. He approached the doors and stepped outside. Looking towards one side and to the other, he tried to search for her but through the people that walked along the sidewalk, his search came back with no positive result.

“Where did she go?” He mumbled, cursing his luck. Fortunately for him, he still had her notebook and if that told him anything, it would be where she would be headed next. So he moved with it in hand, to continue his search for the girl.

-

“The Cafe should just be here.”

Kazuha looked at the signs over her head. She glanced back down to her phone before looking up, trying to match the sign that was on her screen. She searched urgently, trying to locate the small cafe that she had always wanted to try. Reading every sign above her, she continued her way down the stretch of road.

“Found it, the blue meadow!” She shouted out, looking over at a blue sign in the distance that had the simple design of a blue flower that resembled a forget-me-not, her favorite flower.

Kazuha rushed her way over, her bag bouncing around on her side as she jogged over. She arrived in front of the cafe’s door. Looking inside, she saw the simple interior of the cafe that consisted of wooden chairs and tables that sprawled all over the floors with lights that hung from the ceiling. It was simple but it was the good kind as it also provided the warm sense of coziness.

The girl opened the door and the sweet smell of coffee immediately hit her. She walked deeper into the cafe, now hearing the soft hum of the coffee machines and the soft clinking of cups in the brewing area. She looked around the place, glancing over the cleanly painted white walls before her eyes landed on a vase with the blue flower perched upon a table. Her eyes curved up, as she smiled before she headed over to the register to order.

She stood before the register, her eyes now focused on the wooden menu boards hung above.

“Good morning, ma’am. I’m guessing you would like the regular?” 

Kazuha turned her head down to find one of the baristas standing across from her, holding a small cup and a marker that was ready to jot down her name. 

“The regular? But today is my first visit.” A light chuckle escaped the girl’s lips as she looked back up the menu board.

The barista blinked as they looked at her, confused.

“I’d take an Iced Americano.” She spoke calmly, as if she was sure that she wasn’t going to pick anything else. She quickly pulled out her small wallet from her bag and paid the exact amount for the cup she ordered.

“Alright, one Iced Americano for Miss Kazuha.” The barista didn’t need to ask for her name as they’ve seen her wander in the cafe for a while now, each seemingly having a new version of herself but with the same order every time.

The girl looked for a comfortable seat around the cafe, she looked at the different seats available for her before she eventually chose to sit in front of the window to watch the calm view of the street outside.

She placed her bag over the table in front of her, sighing out the unfortunate loss of her notebook. She could’ve sworn it was inside of her bag with the rest of her things. To her, it was one of the essentials when she went around the city.

Kazuha blankly stared into the rays of sunshine that passed through one of the trees’ branches. She glanced up, looking at the leaves floating their way down to Earth before being swept by a gust of wind. She continued watching the outdoors, waiting for her drink. From the leaves falling to the sunrays shifting their shape whenever something blocked its path and to the eventual stranger that walked by, she stared at almost everything in front of her.

Another stranger soon came into her view, and she sensed that he was in a rush with how they frantically moved his head around as if he were looking for something or someone before continuing on their way at a briskly pace. She locked onto the person’s navy blue jacket as they went further down the street.

Kazuha wondered what they were up to, each person had something on their mind at the moment and she became curious enough to conjure up what his deal was. Maybe he was a thief that stole something from the other end of the street or maybe he was in a rush to meet up with a friend. With all the possibilities in the world, she wondered which one was correct.

Such a fun thought, wasn’t it?

“Miss Kazuha, your drink is ready!”

.

.

.

“I swear she was just here.”

(YN) groaned out as he stopped and took a moment to catch his breath. Through the morning, he was busy trying to search for the girl who always snuck out of his view. Whenever he took a turn to wherever he thought she went down, she would end up in the other direction. It may have happened one too many times but this time, he was sure that she went down the street where plenty of shops were located.

He might have started to doubt himself as he found himself at the end of the street, with his search ending with no end product. He started to walk back to the way he came, his head hung low. He wanted to give her notebook back but maybe it could wait if he had to search the entire city for her.

For the moment, he searched around the street for somewhere to cool off from the burning sun. If the sun stayed hidden behind the clouds, his blue jacket would have been more convenient but now it was more of a hassle to wear.

Walking under the sign for a shop and then under the shop for antiques, it proved quite hard for the boy to find a place to cool off.

He suddenly gasped sharply, finding what looked to be a cafe in the distance, at least that was what he thought it was from the blue flower that was its sign. He squinted his eyes as the doors were pushed outwards and watched as a girl walked out of the building, immediately recognizing her as the girl he was chasing around the whole morning.

A sense of relief washed over him, taking his tiredness away and replacing it with the sense of urgency to hand her notebook back to her, no more secret plans and no more dropping and kicking it over to her.

He jogged over to her, thinking of a good reason as to why he had her diary in the first place but he shrugged. Maybe he could just think of a way to wing it.

KRING! KRING! KRING!

The girl was abruptly thrown off balance, her steps faltering as a bicycle rushed toward her, swerving at the last possible second. The rider’s frantic movements barely avoided disaster, and he, too, was forced to lunge aside, the blur of the speeding bike whipping past. Yet, even as his pulse raced, the sudden chaotic scene faded—his attention locked solely on her, worry eclipsing all else.

“Are you alright?” (YN) asked, looking down at the girl as she held the part of her back that hit the ground.

“They should’ve really watched where they were going.” The girl winced out, trying to bring herself back to her feet. Seeing that she was still in pain, he offered his hand.

“Eh. . ?” The girl turned her head and looked up at the boy next to her.

(YN) looked into her wide-eyed expression as she fell silent. He could feel her stare gliding around his face as if she were examining the entirety of his expression and identity. He looked down shyly, averting her gaze while he waited for her to help herself up. 

“Thank you.” She mumbled, exhaling a soft giggle as she took his hand and slowly got back up to her feet.

“What kind of person is crazy enough to ride that fast on a sidewalk? Oh, I'm hurt.” The girl complained, turning to dust off her clothes before noticing the red scratches on her hand.

They weren't deep enough to get her to bleed, they were merely grazes but it didn't mean that they didn't hurt.

(YN) glanced over, in concern and found that she was correct. “You should probably get a bandage for that.” He said, stating the obvious. Suddenly, he remembered what he was supposed to be doing.

“Are you Nakamura Kazuha, by any chance?” He asked, despite being completely certain of who she was.

“Oh? How’d you get my name?” She raised a hand to cover the soft gasp she let out.

(YN) quickly reached for his pockets, fearing that she might come to the wrong assumption of him being a stalker. “You dropped this on the bus earlier.” He lied through his teeth as he pulled out her small notebook.

He heard her gasp louder. The girl quickly took the notebook into her hands, almost snatching something very important.

“I was wondering where this went, I thought I lost it forever. Thank you mister!” She replied as she bloomed into a wide smile. From the corners of her lips, they curved upwards in a way that felt tender and genuine.

“But if you don’t mind me asking, how did you find me here?” The girl asked a question that the boy didn’t have an answer for. He couldn’t say what he was actually doing so he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“By chance? Yeah, let’s go with that.”

“Really? You'd be really lucky if you found me again.” She let out a giggle that was as soft as a breeze flowing through soft leaves.

“I guess so but are you going to do anything about that?” (YN) pointed over to her hand.

“I guess I should do something. Is there a store nearby?” Kazuha asked, as she held onto her hand with the other. She turned, looked around and peeked over his shoulder, looking for somewhere to get a bandage.

“There should be a convenience store down the road, there should be some for you there.” He pointed to the road behind her. The girl turned to look and nodded her head, understanding his directions.

“If that’s all you need then I should get going. Take care.” He nodded his head down at her as he wished her farewell. His shoulders felt lighter now that he had completed the only thing he needed to do today.

Or so he thought.

“Hey, mister!”

He heard the girl call for him loudly and it was soon followed by her quick footsteps that got louder as she got closer. He sighed lightly, turning around to meet her now standing before him. She had this wide grin on her face, one that was teeming with childlike innocence and curiosity.

“Would you mind if you took me there? I’m not quite sure where that is~” She asked, following a soft tune in her voice.

(YN) leaned his head back, unsure of what he should do as he now turned to the side. He could only answer her with a soft and unsure mumble of his words.

“Sure, follow me.”

.

.

.

Hidetoshi (YN) crumbled up the receipt for the small pack of bandages in his other hand. He turned back around the convenience store, his eyes now focusing on the girl sitting in front of the window.

“Would these do?” He placed the pack on the table before sliding it over to her. The girl picked up the bandages and looked at him with the same grin she always had.

“You got these just for me? Gotta say, they're really cute.” The girl replied, picking up the pack of bandages that had patterns of animals on them.

“Don't be too picky.” He shook his head, hearing a chuckle come from her. Taking a seat next to her, he went to sip on his soda can that he left on the table.

The girl began to treat the scratches she got after tumbling to the ground. She hummed out a soft tune as she did, replacing the silence in between them.

“You know, you haven't told me your name.” He heard her ask, in between her tunes.

Right, he completely forgot about what she had going on with her memory. But come to think of it, he wasn't really sure if he had introduced himself during the times he had bumped into her.

“Why do you want to know?” (YN) asked, trying to keep things to himself.

“For one, you returned my precious notebook. Secondly, you helped me when that bike almost bundled over me. Lastly, you guided me here and you bought these for me.” She replied, listing all the reasons that came to her to convince him.

“Counter point, I only helped you stand up and I used your money to buy the bandages.” (YN) replied, in an attempt to correct her.

“And? You still helped either way so are you going to tell me your name or will I have to force it out of you?” She joked, giggling through her words.

He sighed, glancing at her. She was persistent, he'll give her that and there seemed to be no consequences if he told her his name, she'll have forgotten it the next time they meet anyways.

“It's (YN), Hidetoshi (YN).”

After telling her, he heard Kazuha gasp. “Really? That sounds cool. I would introduce myself but you already know who I am. Look, all better now!” She raised her bandaged up side of her hand. (YN) glanced over and the cute patterns really made up for what it covered.

“That’s good then. If you don’t need anything else, I’ll get going now.” The boy stood up, an empty can now in hand. 

“Where are you off to now, (YN)?” Kazuha soon followed, standing from her seat with the trash the bandaids left behind in her hand.

“I don’t know. A part of me feels like I should go home but another feels like I should go somewhere now that I'm not burning up in this jacket.” He replied, adjusting the sleeves over his arms. This was new, speaking to her casually felt really easy. The words were rolling out of his mouth as if she wasn’t some stranger.

“Ooh! Can I tag along?” She got closer to the boy and stood on her tiptoes before placing her hands behind her.

“You don’t even know where I'm going.” He replied, taking a step back but she persisted with a step of her own.

“Well, any ideas on where to go next? Ooh, how about a manga shop? I haven’t been to the one beside the mall in ages!” 

(YN) looked at her eyes sparkled as they widened, or was it only the reflection of the lights from the store? Either way, going to the manga shop didn’t sound that bad of an idea besides from the fact that she was tagging along. At least, he gets to see if the series he liked had a new volume out.

“Fine, you can come along. Let’s head there quickly.” He turned towards the door and gestured to her to follow along, which she did gladly.

The pair wandered through the city with the intention of going to a manga shop on the other side of the city.

Everything was going normal for the two, with the boy being as silent as he could be and the girl being the opposite because she continued to hum a soft tune on each of her steps.

“You've been awfully quiet.” Kazuha asked, looking down onto the floor and matching her foot on the square tiles of the sidewalk.

He glanced over to the girl who had her arms stretched out from her sides as she tried to keep balance, “What, you were expecting me to tell you my life story on our way there?”

“Not exactly, but I want to get to know my new friend at least!” Kazuha hopped, sticking the landing on a tile. She had the same grin on her face as she always had. It seemed like there was no way to wipe it off of her.

“We’re friends?” (YN) asked, glancing his head over his shoulder.

“Are we not?” She answered with a question of her own.

“We haven’t really said that we were. . .” (YN) trailed his voice off, looking off to the side.

“Gosh, you really want me to ask if I could be your friend? Should I also send you a letter to complete it? But it stings, I really thought we were friends.” Kazuha joked before she continued to pout out her lips.

He wasn’t surprised that she was talkative, whether it was from her bubbly and enthusiastic personality or not, he could tell she likes talking about anything that came to mind. She had a knack of filling the void of silence with anything but noise, be it the smooth tone of her voice or her rhythmic steps.

“Do you really want to become my friend?” He asked, full of naivety and sure enough, she pounced on him with an answer.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I say no? You’ve been nice to me so far and I wouldn’t lie when I say that I'm pretty comfortable around you. I’m sure that all of you make all your friends feel that way.” There it was again, a simple tilt of her head accompanied by her soft voice that was softer than a leaves shaking along a tree.

The boy thought otherwise, he thought that both of his closest friends would rather go through war and back than say anything about him but that was how he knew they held a close bond. As for the girl before him, he had no idea how to take in her words. Were they meant to be taken as lightly as a compliment or was it her way saying that he was too quiet for her own liking?

“Thank you. . ?” He said, still gathering his thoughts together.

“You’re welcome~!” She replied ecstatically, her joy tipping over the smile she had on.

The boy simply nodded his head and with a shrug, he continued on with his way. The footsteps behind him never stopped, telling him that she was always a couple of steps behind. When the pair finally reached their destination, they pushed through the doors of a building not too far from the central shopping center of the city that towered over the rest of the other buildings. They were greeted with many different colors throughout the floor as shelves upon shelves of colorful volumes of mangas lined up across the whole store.

They were divided into different sections, one where the mangas for the younger audiences were stored, the other meant for action themed mangas with one meant for slice of life books standing right next to it and so on and so forth. (YN) decided to breakaway from the girl he was with, excusing himself to look for a specific volume of a manga that featured the themes of highschool struggles with the sport of volleyball mixed within it.

The girl, on the other hand, decided to wander through the other shelves of the store. Colorful pieces of literature were seen all around her and she felt like she couldn’t pick which one to pick up first. She turned her head to one side of the shelves where one volume stood out from the rest, and she couldn’t resist but pick it up.

She flipped through the pages, scrolling through before she stopped at the first page. She read through the volume and through each word that was printed on each of the pages, she began to feel a strange sensation. It was a sense of familiarity as if she had picked the same story before without ever remembering so.  A ringing sound slowly got louder through her ears, to the point that she was too stunned to move.

The book slammed down on the floor as she crouched down, covering the sides of her head  to stop the ringing that could pierce her eardrums at any moment.

“Kazuha. . ?”

A voice of clarity through the sea of noise was all it took to shake her out of her own head. The girl flickered her eyes open, dampened with the tears that had formed in them. Her amber orbs could only focus on the figure standing before her when her knees completely fell weak, making her sit down. She took in a shaky breath, feeling the sensation of her heart trying to beat out of her chest.

“What happened?”

(YN) leaned down next to her, picking up the novel that fell while stealing glances on the girl’s wide-eyed expression. He felt her head lean onto his arm that reached for the book on the floor before feeling her head press against his arm.

“I feel dizzy. . .” She said with all the strength she could muster up.

He already knew that something was off when he found her standing idly in the middle of the aisle, worsened when she didn’t respond to him calling her name and finally took a nosedive when she fell to the floor. He looked down at the girl, a hole of pity and empathy deepening its course within him.

“Yeah, I got you.” He offered her a hand, just like prior. She took his hand over hers, using it to slowly lift herself back onto her feet. 

“Are you okay now? Scared me to death when you fell to the floor.” (YN) worriedly said, watching her gather her balance back on her feet.

“I don’t know what happened. I just picked something up from the shelf before my ears started to ring and then-” Kazuha frantically tried to recall what happened when she felt a hand over her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, calm down and you’ll be fine.” He reassured the girl. His words were enough to lift her head up and face him with a light nod.

“Do you want to take a seat somewhere?”

She answered with another nod as the boy began to look around. He spotted some tables not too far away, just by the corner of the store. He began to make his way until he realized that she hadn’t moved from her place so he walked back to her.

“I’ll help you to the tables, if you don’t mind.” With another nod as his confirmation, he reached down for her wrist. He made sure that his grip wasn’t tight before he began making his steps to the tables. 

The girl still felt light to her head but she was finding her way down to Earth. She looked at the boy pulling on her arm. In a way, she was glad that he was around and she was even more glad that he found her, she wouldn’t have known what to do if it had gone differently. Throughout their time in the comic shop, her eyes were only glued onto him.

She didn't know how much time had passed, stealing glances from him before she just simply stared. A feeling of warmth and gladness formed within her, she could call herself lucky that she bumped into someone like him today. With dilated pupils, a part of her wished she had met him sooner, and another thinking she should just cherish this moment with her new found friend.

“What are you looking at?” The boy asked, feeling the gaze coming from the girl.

“You.” She was quick to respond.

(YN) snapped his head back at her. She laid her head down to an arm that acted as a cushion. A small smile on her lips, her eyes curving into crescents close to her brows. Her cheeks had regained their soft color, decorating them faintly with the color of pastel pink.

“Feeling better?” He placed the novel down on the table.

“Much better.” She leaned back up with a shallow yawn, as if she had just woken up from a nap.

“Are you going to do anything else today, (YN)?” Kazuha asked, scooting her chair closer to the boy.

“Not much to do on a Saturday anyways so I might just head home.” The boy sighed out.

“Saturday? It’s the middle of the week, silly~” Kazuha chuckled, correcting the boy but seeing the concerned look on his face come back made her worry.

“Right, it’s still the middle of the week.” He replied, hesitantly playing along with the girl’s perception of time.

“How about we head to the park?” Kazuha offered.

“The park, are you sure? What if you suddenly feel off again?”

“I feel much better now! I was just getting bored of this place so why don't we head somewhere else?” The girl moved her chair back and stood up before the table.

“Fine, I guess we could.” (YN) shrugged. He had no reason to go with her but when he thought of the state he found her earlier, it would be good if she had someone whom she ‘knew’.

He returned all of the books on his table back to their shelves and afterwards, Kazuha led the way towards the exit of the building with a smile on her face with the boy following her tail.

The walk to the nearby park was as uneventful as it could be. They walked through crowds and passed over sidewalks and through it all, he watched over her each step.

She walked at a modest pace but by the way she swung her arms about, she seemed to be skipping along the sidewalk.

He wondered if she herself knew of her condition, whatever it may be. Maybe each day was still a new one for her or maybe she was just reliving the same one in her head.

But how could someone as innocent and bubbly as her endure something like that, or did she even know she was enduring something so harsh.

If he was in her place, he wouldn’t know what he’d do. Maybe he would worry about the next day after where he’d be reliving the same actions of today or maybe find something to be more anxious about but she seems to be a different case. He continued to watch her figure in front of him, she walked as if flowers bloomed with each step, and she lived her life as if tomorrow was only an idea. Through his empathy, a part of his mind grew admiration for her. 

“Kazuha, wait up!”

-

The park was as lively as it could be on a weekend afternoon. People littered all around the park, doing whatever they could to pass the time outside. Some were playing with all kinds of things on the grass and some casually walked along the cement pathway that led throughout the entirety of the park. The sun had set itself lower as time moved throughout the day, making the trees all around the perfect place to go under for shade.

“So. . .what do you usually do in the park?”

(YN) looked along the blades of grass, looking at them as the wind flew through them.

“Nothing much, really. I just walk around until I find something to do.” Kazuha perked her head up, walking alongside him with her arms still resting upon her back.

The boy looked back at her with a judging look in his eyes.

“How about the last time you've been here? If you could remember.” Maybe he wasn't the best at choosing his words.

“I've always thought that the fountain was pretty cool, so I stick there most of the time.” The girl pointed at the water fountain by the center of the park that spewed out liquid in different patterns from the center. There were a group of kids that were running and playing all around the fountain, and he could have sworn they were the same ones that were playing the other day.

“Ooh, looks like the kids are having fun by the fountain. Why don’t we join them?” Kazuha suddenly suggested, nudging an arm forward.

“Join them?” He asked.

“Yeah, we could join in on their games or we could help them fly their kites, the wind might take them away if they aren’t careful enough.” Kazuha didn’t wait for an answer from the man as she started walking to the fountain.

(YN) had no other choice but to follow her albeit having a fair distance between them. As they continued their way to the fountain, the once distant cheerful laughter and shouts of the children grew louder.

“Look, onee-chan is back!” One of the children turned and pointed at Kazuha. That seemed enough to gather the rest as they grouped up to meet her.

The pair was left confused, more so for the girl’s side. She had no recollection of meeting any of these kids, their faces seem unfamiliar yet familiar at the same time but she still had no remembrance of meeting them before. 

(YN) stood behind her, watching as the kids ran over to her.

“Onee-chan? You must have mistaken me for someone else.” Kazuha chuckled, leaning down to meet the kids.

“Eh? But you played with us the other day!”

“We played tag all around the park!”

“Yeah, you taught me how to fly my kite!”

The kids started chiming in, one after the other.

Kazuha’s breath became awkward as she took in all of the kid’s words. She can’t just deny them when they seemed truthful to themselves so she looked to the ground, trying to think of a way to appease them.

“Sorry guys, this is the only time we’ve been to the park this week. I’m afraid you’ve mistaken her for someone else.”

Kazuha turned to her side as (YN) now leaned down beside her. She glanced over his eyes and saw them curve up with the small apologetic smile he had. His voice was soft, as if he was following a tune as he spoke. Unknowingly, her own smile grew.

The kids shared an unhappy groan, now looking away from the pair.

“But we’re here now so how about I play with you guys instead. I’m sure this big sis of yours will come back around soon.” Kazuha chimed in. 

Each of the kids shared their own confused look towards her but still agreed nevertheless. “Great, you guys could just call me Kazuha. So, what games do you guys have in mind?” The kids couldn’t wait for her answer as some of them dragged her by the hand closer to the fountain before their games began.

(YN) took the moment to sit down by one of the steps that led to the water fountain. He watched her play tag along with the kids, chasing them before running away herself to avoid being ‘it’. He took in a breath, looking off to the other side of the park.

It was unfortunate that the kids remembered her while she didn’t. That line of thought led him to wonder if other people remembered her while she had no recollection of them. How did she deal with that? Other than with confusion, he had no clue.

“Tag, you’re it.” 

The boy looked back and found Kazuha standing next to him, her hand over his shoulder. She still had her cheeky grin, like she was enticing him to play along.

“Last time I checked, you were playing with them, not me.” He told her.

“Well, you could join in rather than sitting there being all lonely.” She smugly replied.

“I don’t mind. I’ll just be here, I promise.” He replied, looking away from her.

“C’mon, live a little!” Kazuha leaned down and tugged on his arm until he gave in and stood up before you.

(YN) looked at the undeterred look on her face. Maybe having some fun wouldn’t hurt too much.

“Fine. I’m it, right?”

Kazuha nodded her head before she felt him quickly tap on her arm.

“Guess, I’m not now” He chuckled. 

“Hey, no fair! You didn’t give me a chance to run.” She complained, tapping him right back on the arm.

“You didn’t say I couldn’t do that so. . .you’re it again.” (YN) swiped at her arm.

Kazuha’s brows furrowed in annoyance, looking at the cheap grin on his lips. She grit her teeth as she enacted her revenge. She quickly pushed him back slightly just as she turned her heel to run away.

“Now, you’re it!” She shouted into the warm afternoon air.

(YN) let out a silent gasp, falling back onto his back foot. He shook his head, focusing his eyes only onto her running figure. He took a step forward, and then another before he broke into a sprint, chasing after her.

Around the fountain, through the field of grass and between the bushes and trees, he played along with whatever act they could come up with.

One thing he noticed throughout the afternoon was that the kids absolutely adored Kazuha. Might the reason be from her happy-go-lucky attitude or just from the fact she played around with them but it was impossible not to notice.

Just like how the rays of faint sunlight wrapped her in an angelic hue, blooming her eyes into flowers that had the color of amber and how her smile radiated the same as the sun above.

As they now headed to the exit of the park, he couldn't stop himself from stealing glances at the girl beside him that had a pink clip with a cartoon character pasted onto it in her hair that was braided by one of the kids.

“Seems like you had fun.”

Kazuha perked her head up towards him. “Mhm. You had fun too, didn't you?” She giggled, her eyes glancing between him and the small flower she picked from the grass.

“I guess so. What are you doing with that?”

“Oh nothing, I just thought it was pretty.” The girl replied, before she began plucking the petals one by one while she mumbled two identical phrases.

“He forgets me. . .he forgets me not. . .”

As (YN) heard her mumbling, he can't help but sigh at the grim irony of it all.

“And. . .he forgets me not! Aha! The flower says you'll not forget about me anytime soon.” As the last petal flew off her fingertips, Kazuha raised the stem up.

He stopped in his tracks and she followed, stopping right beside him. He looked at the petalless flower in between her fingers.

Her head tilted off to the side. She still had this blissful and innocent grin, pointing to the fact that she knew nothing of herself. For all of the times he’d seen it today, it always had the same effect on him. Seeing it in front of him, made his heart feel light, his shoulders drop and feel like a gust of wind fly by with a mix of a small ache in his chest.

“What’s with that look on your face? You’re not glad that you won’t forget me?” Kazuha spoke up, breaking him free from the almost trance-like state. 

“I’m glad.” 

His reply was short, delicate and simple, yet it held a multitude of unspoken words, things he wanted to say that could explain many things but he held back. He looked back at her eyes, drowning into her brown orbs. Through what her mind could rummage through and with the disarranged fragments that made up her memory, she began forming one for today.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*TIMESKIP!✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.✱───

As the days turned into weeks, he began to know more about the girl. Meeting her at the beginning of the day, in or around the bus stop became some kind of routine for him. She might have not known him but he made the extra effort for her to notice him, from small talk about the weather to nice simple compliments about her appearance.

Through their interactions, glimpses of hope began to shine through. She finally got time moving along with her again, she’d forget the date sometimes but she slowly remembered the day, the month and the year. In other times, she'd say something that happened in the other days and she mostly got them right. She even started to remember him as she got his name right without ever reminding her of it.

As she slowly started to remember him, the boy was a completely different story. He completely remembered all of her. From her favorite color to her little habits like how she runs her hand through her hair every other minute making them fall perfectly over her shoulders, how she placed her arms behind her as she walked to wherever they went, and how she hummed a playful rhythm absentmindedly.

He didn’t notice the exact moment his world shifted, only that time seemed to slow when he saw her.

It happened when they were quietly sitting on a park bench on one fateful day. Through the falling autumn leaves, she just sat there, her dark hair cascading like silk over her shoulders, her plaid shirt casually draped as if she carried no intention of being noticed and yet, she was impossible to ignore. She noticed his gaze and she turned to him in her silence and smiled. Her smile wasn’t overly bright, but it lingered, soft and sincere, as though it belonged only to the moment she occupied.

He felt something tighten in his chest, an ache he couldn’t quite place, as if the air around him had suddenly thickened. Her gaze held a quiet warmth, and without realizing, he found himself searching for more, caught in a current of curiosity he didn’t understand.

It wasn’t love, not yet, he wouldn’t dare call it that. But something unspoken had rooted itself deep, a seed planted in silence. As he looked away, forcing himself to breathe, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just witnessed something important, something that had already begun to change him.

With this feeling, he sometimes headed out much earlier than her. He would simply make an effort to go through the places they frequented and asked for a favor or two. He couldn’t arrange the world that made her who she was nor take away all of the pain and sorrow she may have gone through. He also couldn’t give her the moon nor the stars or even everything she wanted. Despite that, he tried. He held no power yet he changed the world, changed it in a way that it was fairer for her.

The barista already knew what drink they were going to make just as they entered the cafe. Her favorite series and it was somehow already reserved just for her, every single issue. For the kids, they just simply played around with them though it didn’t happen every day. Sometimes, they’d go somewhere else entirely. A brisk walk all around the shopping center, a visit to the local cat shelter and an exciting visit at the local arcade were on the menu on some of their encounters.

Today, he expected more or less the same.

Hidetoshi (YN) made his way down to the bus stop for a ride around the city which conveniently led to the places they usually went to. He carefully walked along the other people on the sidewalk. He carefully fixed the scarf that was snugly wrapped around his neck.

As the last month of the year arrived, the temperature continuously dropped as the winter season completely rolled around. Only thing that was left to appear was the annual snowfall but fortunately, the city was still clear. And as the last month rolled around, he only expected one thing besides the holiday spirit and that was Christmas break.

He kept his eyes forward.

Through the heads of the people in the crowd before him, he could see glimpses of the blue roofed bus stop. As always, she was there, standing under and minding her own business as if she was in her own little world. Unlike the typical attire she wore, she was using a simple black coat over her shoulders as opposed to the many ‘ugly’ sweaters he had seen her wear before.

(YN) began to weave his way through the crowd, passing by the people with short excuses as he made his way to her. 

The girl stood quietly at the bus stop, a still figure amid the bustling crowd. Suddenly, someone rushing past collided with her, the impact sending her to her knees.

The scene made his heart drop and sent him bolting through the crowd. His footsteps carried him closer to her. He saw the person leave the scene as if they had no clue of what they did but that was the least of his problems.

“Are you okay?” He crouched down next to her, watching as she tried to pick herself from the floor.

“I got you.” He softly took in her hand, carefully helping her up.

The girl was startled but she carefully placed herself back to her feet as she stole multiple glances at the boy. “(Y-YN)?” She mumbled.

“Yeah, let's get you up.” He carefully helped her back onto her feet. He watched her hand slip  from his grasp as she carefully dusted herself off.

“What was their problem?” (YN) mumbled out, looking at the sidewalk and trying to stop the person who bumped into her.

“Don’t worry about it, they must have been really in a rush.” Kazuha replied.

“But they bumped into you and-”

“It’s fine, It’s not like I got hurt or anything.” She chuckled through her assurance.

He looked back at her, glancing up to her wide eyes before shyly looking away. He heard her light hearted giggle, it was the kind of giggle that made him smile before he even realized it.

“So. . .I was planning to head to the mall today, wanna tag along?” She asked, putting her arms to her hips.

“Sure. That’s perfect actually, I have my own errands to do there.” He answered but even if he didn’t have anything to do, he still would have tagged along.

“Ooh, what’cha off to do there?~”

“Some of my relatives are visiting for the holidays, so I was tasked to buy them gifts.” (YN) answered.

“That’s great! I take myself as a pretty good gift picker so it’s very fortunate that you chose to come with me!” Kazuha replied as the bus slowly pulled over beside them. The pair glanced at the shuttle before finding their way inside through the open doors.

Inside the bus, Hidetoshi (YN) usually took the same seat. Three rows just before the back seats and just next to the window but  once he was familiar with the girl, he gave that seat up just for her to gaze outside the window, mesmerizing herself in the sights of the city.

“So how about you, what are you going to do there?” The boy asked, settling down next to her.

“My dad asked me if I wanted to go buy groceries for us with the added incentive that I could go to all of the stores there so I said why not? Maybe I could do a little bit of shopping myself. Ooh here, I have my own list too.” Kazuha reached around for the small bag she had and reached for a small notebook. She flipped the cover over the top and showed him all of the things she wrote inside.

It wasn’t a lot but it was still a decent amount. “Maybe I could help you with that too.” He offered, her answer being a quick nod. As all of the people came in and occupied the seats in the bus, it slowly began to move forward to its trip that led around the city.

-

The mall was as busy as it could be during the holidays. The place was sprawling with life throughout the floors and throughout the many shops and stores it had inside. Holiday decorations were hung from the railings of each floor, displaying the holiday spirit through cartoonish depictions of all the characters associated with it. A massive christmas tree was in the mall’s center, adorned with many warm and cozy lights that provided an attraction for the people to take pictures of.

Just like the people before her, she pointed her lens towards the tree, trying to capture the whole attraction selfishly in her small camera. (YN) watched from behind her. She leaned down, tried different angles and almost completely walked around the massive tree. He held her groceries in her hands. Fortunately, they were light, only some packs of biscuits, ingredients for a holiday meal and a loaf of bread.

“I just can’t get it into frame-”

“Have you tried taking a step back?” Kazuha heard him say from behind.

The girl pouted her lips before taking a step back but it still wouldn’t work. She took another and then another until she felt hands over her shoulders. “You should watch where you’re going too.” She heard his voice over her ear. It almost made her gasp but she kept silent. 

“Let’s take another step back and let me adjust your hand.” (YN) guided her to another step before he softly held the palm of her hand and pulled it closer until the camera screen showed the perfect angle that showed the tree and all of the decorations underneath.

Kazuha felt her ears flare up, the heat spreading to the rest of her face.

“There, that should be better.”

The boy let go of her hand and stepped away, leaving her blankly holding her camera. Once she got her bearings back, she snapped the picture. Looking down at the small screen, she saw the perfect picture of the massive christmas tree.

“T-thanks.” Kazuha mumbled out, turning back around to see him already looking at her.

“Do you need to do anything else or should we go and pick out my gifts?”

Kazuha shook her head and saw him nod. “Let’s get going then, I might actually need your opinion on this one.” She heard tell her but all she could answer back was with a soft hum as if all the words she knew disappeared from her mind. 

They slowly passed by shop by shop, looking at what they had in store through their windows. Clothes were too typical and didn't seem good enough, he wasn't sure what cosmetic items he should get and why would he get them food? 

His concern grew when he ran out of gift ideas.

Kazuha had another concern. As she followed his steps, her eyes drifted down at his hand that closely swung back and forth. She remembered when he briefly held onto hers, it was gentle and for an even shorter moment, she felt a kind of warmth that she'd never felt before and she wanted more of it.

(YN) turned his head to the other side of the floor, maybe there were some shops that piqued his interest.

TUG!

He stopped in his tracks when he felt his sleeve be pulled from behind. He turned his head over his shoulder and found Kazuha holding onto his sleeve, her gaze looking away to avert from his.

“Do you need anything?” He asked but she shook her head.

“Do you feel dizzy again? We could take a seat first if you want.” He asked again just to be answered with another shake of her head.

“Just don't mind me, continue walking.” Kazuha almost stammered out, urging him to turn back forward.

His lips formed a smile, looking at the bright red tips of her ears. He continued on as he now walked with a steady pace, feeling the weight of her pulling on his sleeve.

“So who are you giving these gifts too?” Kazuha finally spoke up.

“Just for my cousins that are going to visit, my parents will find ones for their parents.” (YN) explained.

“Are they younger than you?”

“Oh, much younger than me. They’re three young siblings so I’m trying to figure out what’s the best gift for them.”

“You should get them toys! I’m sure most kids want something new to play with when Christmas comes around.” Kazuha chimed up.

“That’s what I thought off too but then again, I have no clue on what they like.” (YN) replied back.

“No worries, I’m here! Tell me about them and I'll let you know what you could give them.” She tugged on his sleeve harder as she got closer to his side, her shoulder brushed just below his. 

He turned his head to the side finding that she already had that optimistic look crested upon her eyes. If flowers had time to bloom, so did her smile and that was when she was genuine. Her moment of genuinity comes when she is excited for something, her cheeks rise up and her lips separate when revealing a wide smile.

“The toy store is right over there, c’mon!” She practically pulled on his sleeve along the way to the toy store. It wasn’t ideal at all but she worked with what she had but with a turn of his wrist, he softly held onto her arm. Her smile grew but she didn’t turn her head to show him but she instead focused on the way to the store.

-

“Are you sure these are good enough?”

(YN) looked down onto the paper bag in his hands where boxes for remote controlled cars and a doll were.

“Yeah, trust me your cousins will love them!” Kazuha replied, her elbow nudging him softly. Keeping his trust in her word, he nodded along. They began to go with the flow of the other people inside of the mall, following the trail that led them to many other stores inside.

The girl still had the same predicament as earlier, which she answered with the same remedy. She held a piece of his sleeve as she matched his pace, making sure she didn't fall behind and making sure she didn’t pull hard enough to drag him back.

She kept her small smile, walking around the mall and scanning around the shops.

“You really like my sleeve, huh?” Turning her head at him, she heard him snicker.

Kazuha gave him a playful look, her lips curving with the hint of mischief. “Well, I guess your sleeve’s just... reassuring,” she said. “Plus, it’s soft.”

“Oh?” he laughed, raising an eyebrow. “You’re judging my fashion now?”

“I didn’t say it was fashionable,” she grinned. “I said it was soft.”

He shook his head with a chuckle, adjusting the shopping bag in his hand.

They turned the corner of the second floor, walking past the food court, when suddenly Kazuha slowed to a stop. Her hand slipped from his sleeve.

(YN) looked back at her.

She stood frozen, eyes fixed on something—or someone—just ahead.

A man was approaching, tall and well-dressed in a gray wool coat and glasses perched on his nose. There was something about his face—something gentle yet worn, like someone who carried the weight of many sleepless nights.

“Kazuha,” he said, voice low but sure.

Her eyes widened slightly. “Dad?”

(YN)’s hand unconsciously gripped the paper bag a little tighter.

The man’s eyes darted between the two of them. “I thought I might find you here,” he said, offering his daughter a small smile. “I came to check if you needed help with the groceries… but I guess you had company.”

Kazuha blinked, then glanced quickly at (YN), unsure of what to say. Her father stepped forward and extended a hand toward the boy.

“I’ve heard about you,” he said simply. “Thank you. For keeping her company.”

(YN) nodded and shook his hand. “It’s really no problem. I enjoy spending time with her.”

Her father studied him for a moment, then turned back to Kazuha. “There’s a café upstairs. Do you mind if I borrow him for a few minutes?”

Kazuha tilted her head, confused. “Just you two?”

“I won’t keep him long,” her father assured with a kind smile. “There are some things I’d like to share. Man to man.”

(YN) glanced at her uncertainly, but Kazuha gave him a small nod. “I’ll wait near the bookstore,” she said. “I’ll be okay.”

With a final smile, she slipped away into the crowd, camera in hand once again, humming softly as she walked

The café was quiet and smelled faintly of roasted beans and cinnamon. They sat across from each other by a window overlooking the skating rink outside.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” her father said, wrapping his hands around the warm cup in front of him. “I see you often, even if she doesn’t always remember to mention it.”

(YN) sat straight, unsure of what was coming.

“She remembers you,” the man said, eyes meeting his. “More than she should. And that’s not nothing.”

A pause passed between them.

“We’ve tried doctors. Medications. Therapy. Nothing worked—until recently. She’s been offered a surgery. It’s risky. But it’s a chance.”

“A chance to remember again?” (YN) asked softly.

“To live normally,” he replied. “Without the fear that everything she builds in a day will be gone by morning.”

He took a slow breath.

“We’re flying out next month. December 29. I haven’t told her everything yet. I didn’t want to overwhelm her. But when the time comes… I will.”

(YN) nodded, a tightness growing in his chest.

“I don’t know what kind of bond you two have formed,” her father continued. “But whatever it is… she holds onto it. Even when everything else fades.”

There was silence again, but it wasn’t cold. It was full, heavy with emotion neither could easily express.

“I can’t ask you for more than you’ve already given,” the man said. “But if you can… just keep being there. For her. Until we leave.”

(YN) stayed silent for a second and then another.

“She has been through so much since the accident. Her mother passed while they were fortunate enough to get her back. Ever since then, she just wanted to be a normal girl again. Attend school, enjoy life with friends but she couldn’t have made a real connection until you came into her life. She is the one of the only things I have left so please.”

The words lingered, fragile yet heavy in the quiet café. They settled into the space between them like falling snow—silent, delicate, and impossible to ignore.

(YN) looked down at his untouched drink, fingers tightening slightly around the paper cup. He didn’t have to think long. He already knew his answer.

“I’ll stay,” he said, voice low. “As long as she lets me.”

Kazuha’s father smiled—just a little, just enough—and gave a soft nod. “Thank you.”

The two of them sat in quiet understanding after that. There was nothing more to say. And somehow, that silence said everything.

Outside the café, the air was sharper than before, the sun dipping lower behind the skyline. The mall’s glass panels caught the orange hue of evening, casting a warm glow on the people walking past.

(YN) found Kazuha just where she said she’d be—leaning against the wall outside the bookstore, flipping through a photo book filled with holiday scenes. She looked up when she saw him, her lips curling softly.

“Done with your secret meeting?” she teased.

He nodded. “Yeah. Sorry if that took long.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I didn’t really mind the wait.”

“If you wouldn’t mind, I was hoping Kazuha and I could finish my errands together.” Her dad took to her side.

“Oh, it isn’t really a problem. I don’t mind at all. I could just meet her again another time.” (YN) bowed his head slightly.

He said his goodbyes to the pair before watching them walk away. Her father turned to look at him over his shoulder, giving him one more assuring nod maybe to thank him once again. 

As (YN) watched, he felt the crowd around him slow down. His eyes drifted to the girl, so innocent, radiating with a life she could never piece together.

He knew what he had to do now. If it was for her, then maybe this will all be worth it in the end.

-

Later that week, on an afternoon when the city seemed quieter than usual and the chill in the air had softened just enough, (YN) asked if she wanted to take a detour.

“Where?” she asked.

He didn’t give her an exact answer.

They ended up at the beach.

It was empty, the sky overcast but kind. The wind was soft, not biting, and the sea breathed gently in and out like a sleeping creature. Winter hadn’t frozen the shoreline yet, though the sand was cold beneath their shoes.

They walked slowly, just the two of them. No crowds. No clocks. Only the sound of gulls and the quiet crush of waves.

Kazuha walked with her hands behind her back, like she always did, occasionally leaning into the wind, her dark hair whipped around her cheeks.

“I didn’t know there was a beach this close to the city,” she murmured.

“Not many people come out here in winter,” he replied. “Thought it might be peaceful.”

She smiled, looking out at the sea. “It is.”

They walked a little farther until she stopped and sat down on the edge of a large flat rock, pulling her knees close. He sat beside her, their shoulders close enough to feel the warmth through their coats.

“Did you used to come here a lot?” she asked after a moment.

“Not really,” he admitted. “But I think I will now.”

She looked over at him, brow raised. “Because of today?”

He nodded. “Because of you.”

Kazuha blinked, then looked away with a small smile that tugged more at his heart than it should have. Her breath fogged slightly in the air, and she traced shapes into the condensation forming on her knees.

“My dad told you about my condition, didn’t he?” 

(YN) turned his head over to look at her and after a heavy breath, he nodded gently.

“You must think I'm weird now.”

“I’ve always thought ever since I first met you, even if you don’t remember how.”

Kazuha pouted, her eyes touting up to meet him.

“But that didn’t stop me.” He continued, looking onto the gray sky.

“From what?”

“From liking you.”

Kazuha’s breath caught quietly in her chest.

The waves kept rolling—slow, steady—as if the sea itself were giving her time to process.

She looked away, down at her knees, her voice smaller now. “You. . .like me?”

He gave the faintest nod. “I didn’t plan to. It just… happened.”

There was no rush in his voice. No pressure. Just truth, laid bare like the cold sand beneath them.

“I know things are complicated,” he said, “and maybe it’s selfish. I know that every day is a risk—that you might not remember, or that one day I’ll become just another stranger to you.”

She didn’t speak, so he continued, softer now, his voice almost lost to the sea breeze.

“But even then, I’d still wait at the bus stop. I’d still talk to you like it’s the first time. And if I had to—if I really had to—I’d fall for you all over again.”

Kazuha turned her face away, blinking hard. She didn’t want to cry. She didn’t even know why she was crying. Maybe it was the tide, the cold, or the way his words settled somewhere deep and unfamiliar.

After a long silence, she spoke.

“I don’t know what tomorrow will look like for me,” she said. “I don’t know if I’ll wake up and feel like this day was just a dream.”

She turned her eyes to him—wet, but focused.

“But right now… I remember. And I don’t want to forget.”

(YN) smiled gently. “Then let’s make today harder to forget.”

Kazuha reached out then, slowly, unsure, and brushed her pinky finger against his—tentative, fleeting, like a promise whispered in winter air.

He laced his own through hers.

They stayed like that, hand in hand, watching the tide come and go.

-

That night, sleep came slowly to him—like snow falling onto still ground. He lay awake longer than usual, his room dim, the faint hum of the heater the only sound. Kazuha’s voice lingered in his mind.

“I don’t want to forget.”

He replayed it again and again, like a melody stuck in his head, until his eyes finally closed.

And then.

A voice.

“Quickly, look at the lights!”

It echoed, not like it was far away—but like it had always been there, waiting for him.

Everything around him shifted into being.

The warmth of the air. The shimmer of streetlamps. The faint buzz of a crowd that sounded both real and imagined. It was like stepping into a memory that wasn’t his—but felt like it should be.

In front of him, a girl stood with her back to him, black wavy hair swaying lightly as she looked ahead. One arm rested behind her waist, the other pointed up.

He followed her hand.

Above them, a cascade of lights filled the sky. They weren’t stars, though they flickered like them. They hung in the air like glowing ribbons—ruby red, soft gold, winter green, and glacial blue. It looked like the city had tried to catch the northern lights in a jar and set them free above its streets.

He tried to move toward her, but his legs were slow, heavy like he was learning how to walk again. Still, he pushed forward. Step by step.

The closer he got, the more real she became.

Her fuzzy sweater. The little blue clip peeking out from her hair. The quiet way she tilted her head when something caught her eye.

It was her. Kazuha.

But not the guarded Kazuha from the convenience store, or the bubbly, teasing one from the bus. This version of her was quieter. Calmer. She glowed—not because of the lights above, but as if the dream had built her from all the gentle moments she’d given him in the real world.

She turned around.

(YN)’s breath caught. The same smile. The same softness. But clearer than ever before.

“(YN), you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said with a quiet laugh, stepping closer. “You brought me here, remember?”

“I did?” he croaked.

She giggled and reached for his arm. “You said you wanted to see the lights with me. And that you didn’t want to go alone.”

Her hand was warm.

As she pulled him along, he didn’t think about whether this was real or not. He didn’t care.

They moved together through a city that shimmered like magic—down roads lined with lanterns, past glowing trees, between crowds that felt like whispers in the wind. She pointed at food stalls, tugged him toward trinkets she said reminded her of him, and laughed like nothing could ever touch her.

He held onto her voice. Her light. Her laughter.

Then, at some point, the sky dimmed slightly. The lights above began to fade—one by one, like stars being blown out.

She turned to him again, slower this time. Her face a little less sharp. Her outline a little more blurred.

“Will you remember this?” she asked.

He nodded. His voice failed him.

She smiled.

“Then I’m not scared.”

And just before everything went dark—

“If I forget,” she whispered, “remind me.”

-

The morning air was brisk, the kind that slipped through jackets and made fingertips sting. The city was still shaking off sleep—storefronts beginning to open, buses sighing to a stop, crosswalk lights blinking patiently.

(YN) stood at the bus stop, scarf wrapped high over his mouth, hands in his coat pockets. He hadn’t said a word since waking up. The dream still clung to him, vivid and unreal, yet heavier than reality. Her voice had followed him out of sleep like a thread he didn’t want to let go of.

"If I forget… remind me."

He didn’t know what it meant. Maybe it meant nothing. Maybe it was just his heart speaking to him in her voice.

But then—she came.

Kazuha arrived the same way she always did. Quietly. Naturally. As though the world had made space for her to appear without fuss.

She wore the same black coat as before, the one he liked on her. A small clip held back a stray strand of hair, and her cheeks were slightly pink from the cold. She stopped in front of the bus stop, her eyes searching—and then landing on him.

There was a second of stillness.

Then she walked towards him.

He greeted her with a nod, as he always did but when she got close,

She lunged toward him. Arms spread out wide, wrapping themselves around his sides.

It wasn’t long or tight, not overwhelming. But it was warm.

And it was her.

For a moment, (YN) forgot about the cold. About the dream. About what could go wrong.

“I don’t know why,” she mumbled into his coat, “but I just felt like… I should.”

His hands hovered for a second before settling on her back.

“You always can,” he said quietly.

She pulled away a little, her cheeks flaring red now, maybe from the cold, maybe from everything else. “Good morning,” she added like she hadn’t just turned his whole morning upside down.

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Good morning.”

As the bus rolled in behind them, (YN) glanced down at her.

“I was thinking,” he started, hesitant, “if you’re free this weekend… There’s this holiday-themed park not far from here. Just lights, hot drinks, Christmas songs playing too loud. Thought it might be nice.”

Kazuha blinked up at him.

“I mean, you don’t have to,” he rushed to say. “It’s kind of silly and—”

“I’d love to,” she said.

He stopped. “Really?”

“Yeah. Sounds nice,” she smiled. “Like something I want to remember.”

He smiled back, his heart quietly tucking that moment somewhere safe.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*DAYS LATER!✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.✱───

The city buzzed with holiday cheer. The sky had turned a dusky blue, and the lights of the Christmas-themed park blinked to life one by one—fairy lights strung through trees, red and gold ornaments dangling, snowflake cutouts drifting in the breeze.

And there she was—already at the gate.

He hadn’t even reminded her.

“Kazuha,” he called as he jogged up.

She turned, hands stuffed in her coat pockets. “You thought I’d forget,” she said, smirking.

He scratched his cheek. “A little.”

She nudged him gently with her shoulder. “I didn’t.”

They walked through the gate side by side. Children ran ahead of them, holding warm cups of cocoa. Carolers stood in clusters near lamp posts. There was a small ice rink, and even a booth that offered hand-carved ornaments with people’s names.

They walked slowly. She hummed softly as they passed by the glowing trees.

But after some time—he noticed her steps slowing. Kazuha's hand lifted to her head, just slightly at first. Then again. A quiet wince between her brows.

“Hey,” (YN) said gently, stepping closer. “Are you okay?”

She didn’t answer right away. Her gaze drifted toward the string lights above, her lips slightly parted like she was trying to remember something just out of reach. A soft breath escaped her lips, visible in the winter air.

“Kazuha?” he repeated, voice lower this time. He stepped in front of her, his hand hovering, unsure whether to touch her shoulder or simply be near.

“I…” she started, but her voice wavered.

A flicker of something—confusion?—passed through her eyes. She reached up again, pressing her palm against her temple like she was trying to steady something inside.

“It’s loud,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “Not here—” she motioned around them, “—but in my head. It’s like… like too many memories all at once. I was doing fine. And then—suddenly—I don’t know.”

He nodded slowly, crouching a little to meet her gaze. “You don’t have to push through this. We can go. We can sit. Anything you need.”

She opened her eyes, and for a moment he saw it—the shimmer of fear behind them. “I was so sure today would be different,” she murmured. “I thought if I remembered on my own, maybe things were getting better.”

“You did remember,” he said gently, “and that’s something. That means something.”

“I didn’t want you to see me like this,” she confessed, her voice barely audible now. “I didn’t want tonight to be another thing I ruined.”

“You didn’t ruin anything.” He reached out then, slow and deliberate, placing his hand over hers. Her knuckles were cold. “You showed up. You remembered. You’re here.”

She looked down at their hands, then back up at him.

“I just… I need to sit down,” she said finally, her voice small.

He nodded right away. “Come on. There’s a bench over there—under those lights.”

She let him guide her, and the two of them walked slowly toward the bench just off the lantern-lit path. The laughter of children and carolers grew distant as they sat down, tucked away beneath strands of golden light that hung from a bare tree. The light glowed softly against the frost-covered ground, making everything feel quieter.

Kazuha leaned forward slightly, elbows on her knees, her fingers threading into one another tightly.

He watched her from the side, not saying anything yet. Just sitting with her. Letting the moment settle.

“I’m scared,” she admitted, the words slipping out before she could stop them. “Not of forgetting—at least, not completely. I think I’m more scared of what I’ll remember. What I’ll have to face again.”

(YN) swallowed, then spoke carefully. “You don’t have to do any of it alone.”

She turned to him slowly, her dark eyes searching his. “You say that like it’s easy.”

“It’s not. I know that. But I mean it.”

There was a pause. She looked away first.

“I know you do,” she whispered.

They sat in silence for a while after that. A gentle, aching kind of silence. The kind that wrapped itself around them like the winter air—cold, but strangely comforting.

After a while, she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“I don’t want to go home yet,” she murmured.

“Then we’ll stay,” he said.

They stayed until the sky turned a deeper shade of blue, until the crowds thinned and the lights glowed a little softer. Kazuha didn’t say much after that. She didn’t have to. And neither did he.

When she did finally ask to go home, it was quiet—like a sigh carried on the wind.

He walked her to the nearest stop, still holding her hand, still tracing the memory of her leaning against him like something precious he couldn’t bear to forget.

And when they parted ways that night, neither of them said goodbye. Because some nights, some things, aren’t meant to end with a word.

-

The next day, Hidetoshi (YN) found himself at the hospital.

When he got the word that Kazuha was there for a check-up from her father, he didn’t even hesitate to head over.

The hospital room was cold and clinical, washed in pale green and off-white. Kazuha sat on the edge of the examination table, hands folded tightly in her lap. Her father stood beside her, silent as the doctor flipped through a chart.

(YN) waited just outside the door, unable to sit still.

The checkup didn’t take long. But it was long enough.

When Kazuha stepped out, she didn’t smile. Her expression was distant, tired. She looked at him, then past him, then back again, as if trying to remember what he was doing there.

He smiled anyway. “How’d it go?”

Her lips parted like she might answer, but her father spoke up instead. “We’ll talk at home.”

That was all it took. (YN) knew something had changed.

-

The next day, he came by their house.

The cold hadn't let up—it bit gently at the tips of his fingers and flushed his cheeks pink as he stood outside their small gate. The street was quieter than usual. A few cars rolled past. Somewhere down the road, wind chimes clinked faintly in the breeze.

He shifted his weight from foot to foot, eyes glancing toward the house. A small plastic bag hung from his wrist—inside it, a freshly baked pack of melon bread, still warm from the bakery. He had gone early to get it, just in case.

Kazuha liked it best when it was warm.

He held it carefully, like the warmth alone could carry the feeling he couldn’t put into words.

The gate creaked softly as he opened it. The front steps were damp with frost, and the curtains in the window were drawn. He stood there for a moment before finally raising his hand and knocking—twice, then once more.

No answer.

He waited.

The quiet stretched.

The sound of his heartbeat filled the space around him more than anything else. He was about to turn back, unsure whether to leave the bag by the door, when he finally heard the faint shuffle of steps from inside.

The door opened just a crack.

Her father stood behind it.

His eyes looked more tired than before—lined with the weight of sleepless nights and the kind of worry that etched itself slowly and deeply over time. His shoulders sagged just slightly, but his face remained calm.

“She’s resting,” he said after a long pause.

He didn’t smile.

(YN) met his gaze. “I just… wanted to see how she was doing,” he said, holding up the bag gently. “I brought her melon bread.”

Her father looked at the bag for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“She had another episode last night,” he said, voice quiet. “Worse than before.”

Something cold settled in (YN)’s chest. “Is it… is it getting worse?”

There was no immediate answer.

The older man’s jaw tensed slightly. Then, without a word, he stepped back and opened the door a little wider.

“Come in.”

(YN) hesitated only for a second before stepping inside.

The house smelled faintly of ginger tea and something stewing on the stove. A small lamp glowed dimly in the corner of the living room, casting long shadows on the walls. The place felt quieter than usual—not peaceful, but careful, like a hush had settled over every object inside.

(YN) followed him through the entryway. He removed his shoes, clutching the bag in both hands now.

“She’s in her room,” her father said as he led him down the short hallway. “Sleeping. She left herself exhausted after all of that.

He opened the door softly, just a crack.

The room was dim, bathed in winter morning light filtered through the curtains. Kazuha lay curled up on her bed, a heavy blanket drawn up to her shoulders. Her brows were slightly furrowed, even in sleep. Her hand gripped the edge of the pillow loosely, like she was holding onto something in a dream.

(YN) didn’t step in.

He stayed by the door, eyes locked on her still form.

“She was lucid most of yesterday,” her father murmured. “She remembered the Christmas park. She even talked about the beach again.”

He paused.

“But by the time we got home…” he exhaled. “She couldn’t even remember if she’d eaten.”

(YN) looked down at the bag in his hands. The warmth was almost gone now.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“You don’t have to be,” her father replied gently. “You were the one thing she held onto the longest.”

They stood in silence.

A moment passed.

Then another.

Finally, (YN) placed the bag of bread gently on the small table just outside her door, like an offering he hoped she would wake up to.

“I’ll head out now,” he said, quietly.

Her father nodded, his expression unreadable, eyes following him to the door.

“Take care, kid.”

-

Days passed with no word. Not a message. Not even a glimpse of her at the bus stop.

On the fourth day, he couldn’t take it anymore.

He went to her house again—just to see her, just to say goodbye.

The front gate was open.

A suitcase sat near the steps. Boxes in the trunk of a car. Her father lifting bags into the backseat.

They were leaving.

He approached cautiously.

Kazuha stood at the doorway, coat buttoned all the way to the top, her bag on her shoulder. She looked up as he came near.

For a moment—he hoped.

But her expression didn’t change.

No recognition. Just polite confusion.

“Can I help you?” 

The words struck like ice.

(YN) stopped in his tracks. “It’s me,”Hhe said, voice barely above a whisper.

She tilted her head slightly. “Do we know each other?”

He didn’t answer.

Her father stepped out of the house behind her. His face paled when he saw (YN), but he nodded solemnly.

“She had another memory crash. She’s… we’re flying out today. For the surgery.”

(YN) turned back to her. Kazuha stared at him, as though waiting for an explanation she couldn’t name.

“I see,” he murmured, almost to himself.

Her father stepped forward. “I’ll. . .I’ll tell you how it goes. If that’s alright.”

(YN) gave a stiff nod.

“I’m sorry,” her father added. “She remembered you for longer than anyone else. I know it hurts seeing her like this.”

Maybe it did.

But right now, all (YN) could feel was the weight of goodbye—one that never got the chance to be spoken.

Kazuha looked down, then stepped into the car. The door closed with a soft finality.

(YN) watched them drive away, the taillights flickering until they disappeared into the early morning fog.

The street was quiet again.

Empty gate. Faint tire tracks in the frost.

No trace of her anymore.

(YN) stood there for a while, hands buried in his pockets, scarf pulled up high. The wind picked up a little, rustling the bare branches above. He didn’t move—not even when the cold settled deeper into his bones.

It wasn’t the kind of goodbye he had imagined. There were no parting words. No last smile. No chance to say everything he’d kept inside.

Just. . .silence.

And yet—wasn’t that always the risk?

He had known from the start that this was how it could end.

That every day with her had been a borrowed moment.

But still.

He had walked her home. He had shared stories with her at the café. He had watched her discover joy in little things—books, bread, winter lights.

And for a time, she had remembered him.

That meant something.

That had to mean something.

He took one last look at the road she had gone down, then slowly turned back toward the city.

The morning was waking up around him.

Shops opening. Buses rumbling by. People starting their days.

He stepped onto the sidewalk and started walking.

The next day, he went to the bus stop anyway.

Not out of habit—though part of him wished it was.

But because that’s where it all began.

He sat quietly on the bench, watching the cars pass, scarf tucked neatly around his neck. The city moved around him, and he let it.

He looked down at the seat beside him.

It was empty.

But in his mind, he could still see her, arms behind her back, lips pursed in thought, eyes curious and wide as she asked him what his name was for the first time.

And maybe, someday, she'd ask him again. Maybe someday, she’d come back.

Until then.

He would remember for the both of them.

“—Okay, but that’s literally what I’m saying,” he continues, twisting the cube. “people only care when it’s dramatic, nobody cares about the in-between stuff.”

Click. click.

He finally glanced down at you, your on your side, already half draped over him. your head was resting against his shoulder, arm thrown over his stomach. Your fingers were absentmindedly playing with the hem of his shirt.

He squinted slightly, “—Are you even listening?”

You hummed softly, pressing your lips briefly against his jaw, just enough to make him blink. He glanced down at you, confused, and returned to twisting the cube.

“You sure? ‘Cause I feel like you’re… not really listening,” he teased, eyes flicking between you and the colorful puzzle.

You tilted your head and leaned in fully, straddling him. Your lips found his in a slow kiss, and he let out a soft, surprised groan. you grabbed the cube from him and held it out of reach, straightening slightly on his lap.

Tate tried to lift up toward you, chasing your lips, but eventually gave in, settling back against the mattress as you lightly wrestled the cube from his hands. You straightened slightly, balancing on his lap.

“How d’you even work this shitty thing?” you say, shifting on his lap. Tate bit back a noise.

Tate exhales softy through his nose, staring up at the ceiling for a quick moment before back at you. “It’s not ‘shitty’ you just don’t know patterns.”

You twisted a row randomly.

“No, shit, see— now you messed up the corner.” he drawled, lazily reaching his hand up to take it from you before you inched it more away from him and he let it drop.

“I thought you were fuckin’ it up on purpose.”

“Yeah, but strategically.” he replied.

“Big word,” you murmured under your breath, a teasing lilt in your voice.

You deliberately twisted the cube the wrong way again, just to push him. His reaction was immediate. One of his hands slid from your hip, fingers dragging slowly over the curve of your waist until they hooked at the hem of your shirt.

His thumb traced along your side slowly before slipping under the fabric. The material shifted with his movement, warmth brushing your skin. His eyes kept darting up, watching you focus on the cube, thinking he might get away with it.

You caught his wrist before he could go any further, guiding his hand away from underneath your shirt and pressing it flat against his own chest instead.

Tate frowned up at you, “Oh my god, fuck you,” he groaned, snatching the cube from your hands. “You’re literally a horndog,” you shot back, though there was a softness in your tone that ruined any attempt at sounding serious.

“No, I’m not,” he replied, narrowing his eyes at you, lips tugging into a crooked half-smirk. “God, you’re such a hypocrite. You’re the one who’s always on me.”

He let the words linger between you.

“That doesn’t mean I wanna fuck, does it?” you countered quickly but before he could respond, you leaned down closer, effectively trapping him beneath you. Your hands came up to cradle his face, thumbs brushing along his jaw as you pressed a trail of light, playful kisses across his cheek, the corner of his mouth, down to his jawline.

He tried to duck away from your mouth, shoulders shaking as you kept pressing quick kisses along his cheek and jaw. “Mmph—quit it,” he laughed under his breath, the protest completely ruined by the grin pulling at his lips.

You only hummed, dragging it out to annoy him more.

He caught your wrists, fingers wrapping around them and guiding your hands down. Using the small opening, he shifted upward, closing the distance himself. he leaned in and pressed a quick, almost mocking peck to your lips.

You blinked at him. “That it?” you asked, barely hiding the grin tugging at your mouth.

He didn’t answer, just leaned in and did it again. Another quick kiss. Just as short. You narrowed your eyes slightly. “Wow. I’m sooo swept off my feet.”

He gave you a look, then leaned in again. Another peck. And another. Each one lingering a fraction longer than the last, like he was testing how far he could push it without fully committing.

“See?” he murmured between them.

“See what?”

“That you’re full of shit.”

You scoffed softly, but he was already kissing you again this time slower, his hand sliding from your wrist to your waist to steady you. The teasing rhythm of quick pecks gradually lost its sharpness. The pauses between them shortened. His mouth lingered instead of pulling away right away.

“Okay,— alright— you win!” You say aloud. You gasped softly, leaning back slightly, but he followed, pressing closer

“Tate—” you sighed, but he pressed one more, long, final kiss, letting a low, drawn-out noise slip into it. “Mmm…” The pressure of the kiss made you lean back, but his hands on your waist kept you from tipping over.

You wake up before the bugle. Not because you’re responsible or motivated or any of that, but because you had maybe three hours of sleep total. Your brain replaying last night in an endless loop. Your dad’s warning, Slovacek’s face, the way he flirted like it wasn’t a joke.

You sit up and immediately regret it. Your whole body aches from yesterday’s work. Perfect. Wonderful. Exactly what you needed.

The barracks are quiet. The guys are still knocked out. Even Slovacek, who usually wakes up at an ungodly hour, is flat on his back, forearm thrown over his eyes, chest rising and falling slow and steady.

You try not to stare and you fail.

How could someone be so hot.

—

By the time everyone’s up, the clouds are still low and heavy, the field too muddy for real training. That can only mean one thing: indoor drills.

McKinnon calls your squad into one of the smaller training buildings, basically a giant warehouse with crates stacked high and mats covering the floor.

“We’re doing close-quarters movement today,” he announces. “Everyone pair up, twenty seconds, or I’m assigning everyone partners.”

You don’t even get a chance to move.

A voice behind you says, low and annoyingly confident.

“Alvar’s with me.”

You turn.

Slovacek stands there, arms crossed, expression unreadable except for the faintest curve at the corner of his mouth.

“Why?” you ask even though you remember last nights conversation.

He shrugs. “Because I said it first.”

You roll your eyes. “That’s not how it works.”

“Sure it is,” he says. “Watch.”

He steps closer, not touching, but close enough that you feel the heat coming off him. Your breath hitches, which is mortifying, and of course he notices.

His voice drops. “Unless you’d rather partner with Cope or Bowman.”

You glance at John Bowman, who’s across the room flexing at himself in a window reflection and then at Cope who’s messing with his fingers.

Yeah. No.

“Fine,” you mutter.

Gosh, Slovaceks smile should be illegal.

—

You’re supposed to practice moving through narrow spaces, maintaining awareness, communicating silently. Slovacek gives you your instructions easy and simple.

“You’ll go first,” he says. “I’ll spot you.”

“That sounds like you don’t trust me.”

“I don’t trust anyone,” he says. “But if it makes you feel better, you’re at the top of my list.”

You look at him sharply, trying to see if he’s teasing.

He isn’t smiling.

He actually means it.

Before you can respond, he steps close behind you enough his breath grazes your neck.

You jump slightly.

“Relax,” he murmurs. “I said spot, not chokehold.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

His hand hovers near your hip, not touching, but close, as if he’s keeping the option open. The proximity is insane. It’s too much. It’s not enough.

You start moving between two stacked crates, squeezing through the narrow gap. Slovacek follows right behind, guiding you with quiet murmurs.

“Left foot here. Slow. Watch your shoulder.”

When your boot slips slightly on the mat, his hand shoots out and catches your waist.

“You good?” he asks.

You nod, even though your heartbeat is punching a hole in your ribs.

His hand lingers half a second too long before he lets go.

—

It’s now break time.

The room bursts into movement again as McKinnon switches drills, and you grab a water bottle, leaning against the wall for a moment.

That’s when Cope approaches you quietly and awkwardly, in a way that instantly tells you something’s off.

He glances around, then at you. “Hey. Alvar. Got a sec?”

“Yeah,” you say, straightening. “What’s up?”

He hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck. “You can’t tell anyone I said this.”

“I won’t.”

He exhales, staring at the ground like the words are too heavy to carry.

“I’m scared I’m not gonna make it through this,” he says finally.

Like he’s confessing a crime.

You soften up. “Cope,”

“I’m serious.” His voice cracks slightly. “Everyone here’s strong as hell. And I’m just…” He makes a helpless gesture at himself. “Me.”

You step closer, lowering your voice. “You’re surviving the same shit everyone else is. That counts for something.”

“Barely,” he mutters.

“Barely still counts,” you say. “And you’re not alone. You’ve got McAffey. You’ve got,” You stop, then smile softly. “You’ve got me, apparently.”

He laughs under his breath, shaking his head. “You’re something else, Alvar.”

“You’ll get through this,” you say firmly. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t believe it.”

He meets your eyes and you can see the relief there, fragile but real. “Thanks,” he says quietly. “I needed that.”

You squeeze his arm, a friendly, grounding touch. And Cope leaves you with a shaky smile, looking a little less like he’s carrying the world on his shoulders.

You barely get two seconds alone before you hear another voice.

“You’re real comforting today.”

You jump. Slovacek stands behind you again, arms crossed, eyes flicking toward Cope’s retreating back.

Jealousy. A very specific, very pointed kind.

“I was talking,” you say.

“I noticed,” he says. “Seemed.. close.”

You blink. “You’re making things up.”

He steps into your space, crowding you a bit. “You sure about that?”

“Positive.”

His gaze drops to where your hand had touched Cope’s sleeve, and something shifts in his jaw.

“I don’t like seeing you upset,” he says suddenly.

You freeze. That came out of nowhere.

“I wasn’t upset.”

“You were trying not to be.”

You swallow hard. His voice is low, deep, too gentle for how he usually sounds.

“And for the record,” he adds, leaning just a little closer, enough that you feel the warmth rolling off him, “if you need someone you don’t have to look far.”

Your heartbeat stutters. “That supposed to be comforting?”

“Supposed to be true.”

You sigh. “Look, Slovacek, whatever you’re trying to do it’s not gonna work.” you say knowing it’s not what you want, but instead what your father wants.

He smirks, his shoulder touching yours. “I’m not trying to do anything.”

You push yourself up from the wall. “See you.”

—

The next drill is a trust fall, but modified. You’re supposed to stand on a crate and fall backward into your partner’s arms. You hate it instantly.

Slovacek quirks an eyebrow. “You scared?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

You step onto the crate anyway.

“Ready?” he asks, hands open.

“No.”

He laughs under his breath, moves closer, and places his hands lightly on your ankles, repositioning you.

“Hey,” he says softly. “I’ve got you.”

You close your eyes and let yourself fall.

He catches you instantly, his strong arms around your waist, your back pressed against his chest.

You feel everything. His breath near your ear, the way his hands settle firmly but gently, the faint tremor in your own body.

“You okay?” he says.

Your voice comes out embarrassingly soft. “Yes.”

He sets you down slowly, hands sliding away like he doesn’t want to but forces himself to anyway.

Your cheeks are on fire. His eyes are darker than usual.

“Again?” he asks.

You shake your head. “Nope.”

He smirks. “Thought so.”

—

When lunch comes around everyone else sits in a chaotic swarm. Slovacek drops his tray across from you like it’s assigned seating.

“You’re following me,” you say.

“You make it easy.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means,” he says, leaning forward, voice low, “you’re loud without saying a word.”

You blink. “What?”

“You’re the quietest one here,” he says. “But I hear you the most.”

You don’t know what to do with that.

You look down at your food. He nudges your boot under the table.

“Hey.”

You look up.

For once, his expression is readable.

“You did good today,” he says. “Better than most.”

“Even you?”

He doesn’t break eye contact. “Especially me.”

You laugh softly. “Finish your food.”

You two are eating in silence until Santos comes around. “Hey, haven’t heard from you all day.” He plops down next to you.

“There’s not much to hear” you say.

He looks at you, then at Slovacek, and back at you. “Is this my sign to go?” he jokes.

“Shut up.” you kick his boot slightly.

—

Mckinnon had us do at least 100 more drills, and back at the barracks, everyone is exhausted. You take your notebook and step outside for some fresh air.

The sun is dipping low, casting long shadows across the berms and walkways. You’re halfway through the track when you hear a voice.

“Alvar.”

You stop without meaning to.

He catches up, falling into step beside you like it’s natural. For a minute you walk in silence.

“You didn’t eat much at lunch,” he says.

“You noticed?”

“I notice a lot when it comes to you.”

Your stomach flips.

You try to deflect. “You don’t have to.”

“Maybe I want to.”

You look at him sharply. His profile calm, except for the faintest smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“You flirt with everyone like this?” you ask.

“No,” he says immediately.

Shit, what can you even say now.

“Oh.”

“Just you.”

You blink. Hard.

He keeps walking, hands in his pockets, like he didn’t just detonate something between you.

“You’re not easy to ignore,” he adds.

“Is that a good thing?”

He glances at you. “You seriously need me to answer that?”

Your breath stops. You reach the barrack steps again and pause. He does too.

His eyes find yours again, warmer, softer, and unguarded.

“You know your father warned me, right?” he says.

Your stomach drops. “What?”

“He didn’t say much. Just made it clear he’s watching.”A slow shrug. “I told him I wasn’t planning on doing anything stupid.”

Your pulse spikes. “And are you?”

He steps closer, slow, deliberate, careful. “I’m trying not to,” he murmurs.

Please can lighting just strike already.

He lifts one hand, hesitating a split second before brushing a piece of loose hair off your cheek. His knuckles skim your skin. They’re rough but comforting.

You freeze and he does too.

Then he steps back, exhaling sharply like he was holding himself together by a thread.

“Goodnight, Alvar,” he says quiet and rough, full of something unsaid.

He turns to walk away.

You stop him without meaning to.

“Hey. Slovacek.”

He looks back, waiting.

You swallow, then say the first truth that wants out, “I notice things about you too.”

The way his expression falters. Just a flicker, just for a heartbeat tells you that you hit something real.

He nods once, slow. Like he’s filing the moment away somewhere only he gets to see.

Then he heads inside, leaving you standing in the humid evening air, heart pounding so loud you swear the whole base can hear it.

And you know, undeniably, impossibly

Whatever this thing is between you two?

It’s getting riveting and you don’t want it to stop.

—

You sit by the steps, writing more in your notebook before stepping back inside. You’re only a few steps from your bunk and your fathers office when the hallway goes too quiet.

Then you hear it, your father’s voice.

And the second one?

Slovacek.

Your stomach drops. You drift closer to the partially cracked office door without meaning to.

Inside, your father’s voice is lower than usual, tired and pulled thin.

“I worry about her.”

You freeze.

“I’ve been hard on her. Maybe too hard.” And then a sigh. “She grew up around Marines, not kids. No space to be young. No space for.. ‘normal things’.”

Your throat tightens.

Then comes the part that makes your heart lurch “She’s never had any real experiences with boys. Nothing. She doesn’t know what intentions look like, not really.”

Heat floods your face.

There’s a quiet shift from Slovacek, a boot scraping lightly on the floor.

Your father continues, “And when someone gives her attention” He stops. A heavy, knowing silence fills the gap.

Slovacek’s voice finally comes, quiet and careful, “You think she’s noticing me?”

It isn’t cocky, but your father doesn’t hesitate.

“I think you stand out to her.”

A beat.

“And I think you know that.”

The silence after that is brutal.

You can practically feel Slovacek’s breath catch.

When he speaks again, his tone is different low, steady, but with an edge like he’s trying very hard not to give anything away.

“I don’t.. approach her. She just looks at me sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” your father cuts in, unimpressed.

Slovacek goes quiet. Too quiet.

Your father’s voice sharpens, “You’re not oblivious, son. I’ve seen you watching her back.”

Your pulse pounds so hard you feel it in your jaw.

Then Slovacek answers even softer than before, almost under his breath, “It’s hard not to.”

You slowly and quietly sit down, then bring your knees to your chest for warmth.

He sounds like he didn’t mean to say it, like it slipped out of him before he could stop it.

Your father exhales through his nose, “That’s exactly what I’m worried about. She has no frame of reference. She’ll attach fast, without knowing what it means.”

A tense beat of silence follows.

Slovacek takes a breath. When he speaks, the words are careful, almost cautious, “I don’t want to confuse her.”

Your father studies him, you can hear it in the pause.

“You already are.”

A couple seconds of silence.

Slovacek doesn’t defend himself.

Doesn’t argue.

Doesn’t clarify.

The quiet answer, the one that slips out almost involuntarily is worse than anything he could’ve said outright “…yeah.”

It’s not guilt.

Not apology.

Just truth he can’t take back.

“Look… she trusts fast. Too fast. She thinks the best of people before she thinks of herself.”

“I don’t want her hurt. Not by anyone. And especially not by someone under my command.”

Slovacek lets out a slow exhale, the kind you release through your nose when you’re fighting something back.

“I wouldn’t… I don’t want to be the reason she gets hurt.”

It’s the shakiness on the word want that knocks the air from your lungs.

Your father cuts in sharply, “Intentions don’t matter as much as outcomes.”

Another quiet shift maybe Slovacek crossing his arms, or bracing his hands on his hips the way he does when he’s irritated but holding it in.

“I keep my distance,” he says. His voice is steady, but there’s tension buried in it. “Half the time she walks into a room, I leave it.”

Your heart drops.

Your father doesn’t buy it.

“Is that you keeping distance,” he asks flatly,

“or avoiding something you don’t want to deal with?”

Slovacek answers reluctantly, “both.”

Your father huffs, not a laugh, not anger, just a tired, disappointed sound.

“So you admit there’s something to avoid.”

Another moment of a silence.

Then Slovacek lowers his voice, almost too quiet to hear “She makes things feel different.”

Your breath stutters.

Your father goes still. You hear his chair shift, leaning forward, elbows probably on the desk, that posture he takes when he assesses a threat.

“Different how?”

Slovacek hesitates you can feel the battle happening behind his teeth.

“She looks at me like she expects something real. And I’m not,” He stops abruptly.

Your father’s tone sharpens, “You’re not what?”

Another breath.

“I’m not used to someone looking at me like that.”

Your chest tightens so hard you press your back against the wall to stay steady.

Your father’s next words cut like a blade, “And what does that look make you feel?”

What the fuck? This isn’t love therapy.

Slovacek’s answer is immediate, too immediate, “Nervous.”

Your father actually goes silent at that, you’ve never heard him speechless.

Slovacek continues, “She sees straight through me. Like she’s waiting for me to be better than I am.”

Your father sucks in a slow breath resetting his temper,“That’s exactly what I mean,” he says, voice stiff. “It’s just that you’re,”

Slovacek mutters, “A bad idea. Yeah. I know.”

“Then act like you know.”

A harsh pause.

“I try.”

Your father doesn’t respond immediately.

“Trying isn’t always enough.”

Slovacek murmurs something unintelligible, maybe, before saying, clearly, “I’ll keep my distance. For her sake.”

You’re not sure whether it’s relief or heartbreak that hits harder.

Your father sounds tired in a way you rarely hear, “I appreciate that.”

Slovacek clears his throat, tone shifting like he’s closing himself off again, shutting the door on everything he let slip.

“Sir, permission to be dismissed, sir.”

There’s a pause.

“Go,” your father says.

You push yourself off the wall, too fast, and shuffle away from the door just as the handle turns.

please comment below / dm me if you’d like to be added to the tag list! - also, i do take requests for stories, fluff, smut, etc! - my smut account: @kazerine xx

Sohyun walked with me into my room, my bed was big enough for the two of us, but what I'm gonna hate tomorrow is that it's the 29th of February.

Why? Because it's leap year meaning the 29th of February is only a day in the calendar once every four years and I'm twenty years old.

Welp, I guess I better prepare myself for the never-ending teasing from the girls.

"Goodnight my little baby~," Sohyun said and lightly pinched my cheeks.

"Noona~! You know I'm sensitive about that!" I complained and she giggled.

"Hey, we know you're an adult, we just like to have fun. It's not a bad thing is it? And besides who wouldn't want to be a kid again? Life was so much simpler back then," She pointed out and I sighed seeing she had a point.

"Yeah... Perhaps I could somehow transform back into a kid, since I'm apparently only five years old… I replied, and she chuckled.

"Right okay, my little baby~," Sohyun teased, and I sighed.

I was too tired to argue and just wanted to sleep. Sohyun was kind enough to let me use her chest as a pillow, which is much more comfortable than my pillow if you catch my drift.

Even though my manager job is hard, it's worth it because I get to be close to Sohyun and the others, even though they are chaotic as hell. But I sometimes wish I could go back to my childhood days... Wouldn't that be something?

~

Next Morning...

Waking up bright and early as usual, I yawned but as my vision cleared up, I was suprised to see I wasn't laying on Sohyun even though she normally stays with me the whole morning.

"Hmm... Guess she needed to get dressed... But we don't have any schedule today, do we...?" I tried to recall.

Suddenly the door swung open, Mayu and Xinyu walked inside, Mayu was holding a tray of breakfast foods and Xinyu walked in with a camera.

"Happy Birthday baby boy~!" They both cheered and I chuckled.

"Oh... Thank you, girls, I didn't expect-" I was about to say but was cut off.

"Girls? What are you talking about baby? I'm your mom and this is your aunt Xinyu~!" Mayu corrected and I raised an eyebrow.

"W-What...?"

"Aww~. I guess the baby forgot today was his fifth birthday!" Xinyu said and my eyes widened.

Wait...? Did she just say my fifth birthday...? Do they really think I'm five years old? This has to be some sort of joke right?

"Uhm... I'm not sure if this is a prank, Noona, but I'm not five... I'm turning twenty-one," I tried to correct and they shook their heads.

"Nu-uh, you are five years old. It seems you still need to work on numbers, but I'm confident your kindergarten teacher can help with that~," Mayu replied, and I was starting to grow more confused and begin to panic a bit.

Looking around for my phone, I realized there was no phone around on my night stand but some iPad, I grabbed it using the screen as a mirror and my eyes widened as I saw I was a little boy.

"W-What the hell...? How could this have happen..?"

"Yah~! We don't use that language here, mister... Unless you want your birthday party cancelled," Mayu warned.

"What birthday party?! There was never one planned!" I swore and they looked at each other before looking at me like I was a crazy person.

"Okay baby, will just leave you here... But don't take too long now because you still have school," Mayu said and they both walked out of my room.

As soon as they left my room, I gathered my thoughts trying to figure out what the fuck was going on and how the hell did I become a kid again.

I don't know how I'm going to fix this, or if I somehow traveled back in time or into another alternate dimension.

"I hope this is a dream... Wake up! Wake up!" I desperately slapped myself but it was no use as nothing changed.

I was still a little boy who was apparently five years old when I very well remember I was turning 21 today and I began to wonder if this is some sick amusement for the Heavens above because my brithday is on leap year.

Regardless, I have no other option but to play along with this alternate universe I am in. I begrudgingly got myself dressed despite how difficult it is with my short height and small arms.

I sighed coming out of my room to see Mayu and Xinyu talking with one another and they turned their attention to me when I came out.

"Oh, Y/N, you got yourself dressed~," Mayu pointed out.

"Aw~. They grow up so fast~," Xinyu cooed with a sweet smile and I sighed.

"Now, sweetie, are you ready for school today~?" Mayu asked me kindly and I nodded.

"Yes No- I mean Eomma..." I answered and she took my hand.

Without further ado, she quickly lifted me in her arms and cuddled me like the child I am even though my mind is that of a 21-year-old man. She gave me one big kiss on my cheek and cooed how adorable I am.

She walked into the garage to her car, opening the backseat door, inside was of course, a high chair... Doesn't make this any less humiliating.

Mayu placed me onto the high chair, buckling my seatbelt making sure I was comfortable and secured to the chair before going into the drivers side.

"Alright, baby boy, time to go~," Mayu cooed as she started the engine and I sighed bracing myself mentally for what's to come.

As Mayu drove down the road, she glanced at the rearview mirror from time to time, making sure I was okay while I thought of trying to find a solution so I can go back to my home dimension.

Arriving the school, the entrance was loud and chaotic as hell with kids running and yelling along with school staff trying to keep things under control.

Mayu parked the car in a spot before taking me off the high chair, there she walked me to the building, down the hallway to which apparently was my classroom.

"Alright, baby boy, I hope you have a good day in school and remember to listen to your teacher okay~? I don't want any teacher's notes," Mayu told me in a soft yet stern tone and I nodded.

"Yes, Eomma," I answered and she smiled before pecking my cheek.

"Good boy~. I'll be here when the bell rings~," Mayu promied and left me alone.

Shortly after waiting for the bell to ring, the teachers opened the doors calling their students to line up but the problem was I don't know my teacher was...

"Yah! Y/N, come line up!" I heard a voice shout and I turn see... Sohyun?

"Y/N, come line up with the class please~!" Sohyun instructed me and I slowly lined up with the rest of the kids.

But before I could I take a step I felt my hand being grabbed and I looked up to see Yooyeon.

"Sorry I was a little late, Y/N, come on let's go to class now~," Yooyeon said and lead me to the classroom.

Sohyun opened the door for us telling us to walk inside and take our seats in an orderly fashion which is not to be expected as these kids are energetic.

There was chaos in the classroom as some of them were fighting over seats and the rest were being annoying as shit.

"Jesus fucking christ... " I muttered to myself as I sat in a empty table.

Sohyun closes the door, kindly telling everyone to shut up and take their seats, soon enough we begin the lesson of learning to read and write which is hella easy for me.

However, since I already know Kindergarten level stuff like the back of my head along with any person that has common sense, I felt like I was gonna fall asleep.

"Yah! Y/N, head up! We're not even halfway to nap time," Sohyun barked at me.

"But Miss Park, I already know this stuff..." I tiredly said and sighed making her raise an eyebrow and Yooyeon was giving me a stern look.

"Yah, Y/N, that is rude! We do not speak to teachers like!" Yooyeon scolded.

"But I do!" I swore.

"Really now? Class, I think we better make sure Mister Y/N here was paying attention... Okay, Y/N, how do you spell cat?" Sohyun asked me.

"C-a-t. Cat," I answered without a stutter and the kids whispered to one another. Sohyun and Yooyeon were surprised.

"Oh... Y/N, looks like you were studying hard last night, huh? Alright, anyway class..." Sohyun said, a bit baffled, and continued on with the lesson.

"Wah Y/N, yesterday you were struggling with that word, and all of a sudden you're a master at it, you must've been studying hard," Yooyeon whispered words of praise.

I sighed deeply as I felt I was being treated like a little kid, even if I was physically, but I remember to them I'm still five years old in this world, and speaking of which, there is still no solution.

Maybe there is something I am missing... Perhaps tomorrow things will go back to normal, or am I stuck in an alien simulation? Nah, that's crazy even for me.

After the lesson was over, it was a break time, allowing the kids to play with the toys in the classroom or enjoy games on the iPad, which allowed me to find a solution to this mess.

Looking at Yooyeon, she was pre-occupied with talking to Sohyun, allowing me to sneak on the iPad. I grabbed an iPad from the cart, opening it up but to my dismay Google and basically the internet was restricted.

"Of course it's restricted... What did I expect?" I sighed in defeat seeing my last hope faded away.

"It's quite strange at how Y/N learned how to spell cat so quickly when yesterday he couldn't pronounce a single word on the alphabet correctly," Yooyeon mentioned.

"Yes, in my years of teaching, I have not once seen a single student spell cat or any word fluently without stuttering, it's impressive," Sohyun replied.

"Perhaps, we should test him? See how far his intellect goes?" Yooyeon proposed, and Sohyun thought for a moment.

"Best not yet, we'd have to get the principal to approve of such a thing, and we don't have enough proof. Why don't you take him aside and test him yourself?" Sohyun asked, and Yooyeon nodded.

"Yeah, I can do that while you're teaching the class," Yooyeon agreed.

With the plan set in motion, break time was over, everyone went back to their seats except me, Yooyeon took my hand pulling me out of the class and into another room that is quiet.

"Okay, my smart munchkin, today, I want you to spell some words and count, can you do that?" She asked in that sweet tone that you speak to a child and I interally groaned.

"Yes... Miss Kim..." I grudginly acknowledged and she raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me? Is that how you're gonna talk to me?" Yooyeon warned me in a dangerous tone and I gulped.

Probably wiser if I change my attitude and drop all my displeasures of being treated like a kid or else...

"Yes, Miss Kim!" I said in a more enthusiastic tone, and she smiled, satisfied.

Phew... Had no idea Yooyeon has her ways with kids... She is bloody scary seeing it first hand.

Yooyeon goes into the closet, pulling out a couple of education card boxes before pulling them out and setting them up.

"Okay, Y/N first word... Can you spell 'please' as in please?" She instructed me.

"P-l-e-a-s-e, please," I answered flawlessly and she seemd impressed as she moved on to the next card.

"Next word, can you spell mother? As in mother," Yooyeon asked me, and I gulped as that word sends shivers down my spine on some nights with the girls.

Best if I not go into detail about it...

"M-o-t-h-e-r... uhm..." I paused nervously and Yooyeon smiled warmly.

"Correct... Can you say mother for me~?" She asked me once again and I gulped.

"Mother," I blurted out making her sing with praise.