The midday sun filtered through the canopies above, casting a warm golden glow over the forest trail the group walked along. Laughter echoed ahead—Tetsu and Eri were chasing Zeek through the woods after he'd accidentally unleashed a mud trap, soaking Mira. Valen was calmly lecturing Zeek even as he ran, and Aiko was quietly sketching something with ice on a nearby tree. The others were scattered, enjoying the peaceful outing.
Kael and Hana walked near the rear of the group, side by side. For a while, neither spoke. The air between them was calm but tinged with an unspoken energy.
As they stepped over a mossy root, Kael's hand brushed against Hana's.
She didn't pull away.
He didn't either.
Eventually, without a word, their fingers laced together—slowly, tentatively—until they were holding hands. The simple contact sent both of their cheeks flushing red.
Hana glanced up shyly, then back down at their hands. "…Kael?"
He looked over, meeting her eyes.
"Yesterday," she began softly, "when you said… 'No one touches my girlfriend'… did you mean it? Or… was it just a slip-up?"
Kael stopped walking for a moment, their hands still linked. He took a deep breath.
"…I don't really know much about romance," he admitted, looking slightly away, unsure.
Hana's face fell a little, her grip loosening. "So it was a slip-up…"
Kael turned back quickly, shaking his head. "No. That's not what I meant."
He looked into her eyes, his voice steady now. "That's how I feel about you. That's… what I want you to be."
Her breath caught, her eyes slowly widening.
"I've never really thought about love or romance," Kael said. "I've always focused on training. Protecting the city. My friends. That's always been my world."
He hesitated—then added quietly, "But for you… I would think about romance. Even if I don't understand it all, I want to try. If you're willing to teach me…"
Hana's heart fluttered. She nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "Yes. I'd love to."
Kael gave a small, uncertain smile. "Then… Hana Yume… will you be my girlfriend?"
Her response was immediate. "Yes!" she said with a bright smile, wrapping both arms around his right arm and clinging to it tightly.
Kael's face turned red again, but he didn't pull away. Instead, he smiled more fully than he had in a long time.
As the sounds of their friends' antics echoed in the distance, Kael and Hana continued their walk—now hand in hand, hearts quietly beating in sync.