It started as a regular day. Hina had just finished her afternoon lecture and was walking toward the literature courtyard when she spotted him.
Yuto stood near the vending machines, his blazer sleeves rolled up, laughing softly at something someone had said.
And beside him was a girl. Tall, with sleek dark hair falling in soft waves past her shoulders. Her outfit was simple but undeniably chic. She wore confidence like perfume, light but impossible to ignore.
The girl smiled as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I didn't think I'd see anyone I recognized here, let alone you."
"I didn't think you'd come to Todai," Yuto said, clearly surprised but not uncomfortable. "Small world."
"I transferred this semester," she said, her voice melodic and easy. "I heard whispers about Daiki-san's son being back in Tokyo. Guess I found him."
Hina slowed her steps as she approached. Her throat felt dry.
Yuto spotted her immediately and gave a small wave. "Hina."
The girl turned, her expression polite but assessing.
"This is Hina," Yuto said, stepping slightly toward her. "We're… close."
The girl smiled. "Ah. You must be the Hina."
That sentence alone made something stir uneasily in Hina's chest.
Yuto glanced at her, picking up on the shift. "Hina, this is Élise. We were in the same math seminar in Paris."
"Only for a year," Élise added with a small laugh. "But long enough for me to hear about a certain 'best friend back home' more times than I can count."
Hina smiled politely. "Nice to meet you."
"You're prettier than I expected," Élise said, tilting her head just a little. "No wonder he never looked twice at anyone else."
"Élise," Yuto muttered, a warning beneath the amusement.
"What? I'm just being honest," she said with a wink. Then, to Hina: "I'll see you both around, I'm sure."
And just like that, she was gone with her heels clicking, hair swaying, the scent of familiarity trailing behind her.
Hina stood still for a moment.
Yuto looked at her. "You okay?"
She nodded too quickly. "Yeah. Of course."
But he knew her too well. "Hina."
"I'm fine," she insisted, walking toward the courtyard. "She's pretty. And smart. And confident. And she speaks French fluently, doesn't she?"
"Yes," he said calmly. "But none of that matters."
"You didn't even look flustered," she muttered.
"Why would I be?" he asked, stepping beside her.
"Because she's obviously from a chapter of your life I wasn't part of." Her voice cracked a little. "And she looked like she was part of yours."
Yuto stopped walking. "Hina."
She hesitated, biting her lip.
He turned toward her fully, his voice soft. "Do you want to know how many girls I met in Paris who reminded me of you?"
She blinked. "What?"
"None." His eyes searched hers. "No one else ever came close."
She looked down, her face flushing.
Yuto gently reached out and touched her wrist, just above the ribbon bracelet. "You've always been the beginning and end of my story. Even when you weren't in the pages."
Hina's heart stumbled.
"That day I gave you this ribbon bracket," he said, voice low, "I already knew. I just didn't know how long I'd have to wait."
She couldn't speak. Her throat felt tight.
So instead, she reached out hesitantly, shyly and touched his arm. Just for a second.
"I don't like feeling jealous," she whispered. "It makes me weird."
Yuto smiled. "I don't mind. A little jealous Hina is kind of… cute."
"Stop talking," she grumbled, hiding her face in his shoulder.
But she didn't pull away.
And he didn't move, either.
Yuto leaned in slightly, his breath brushing her ear.
"If it helps," he murmured, "Élise called you prettier than she expected. But she was wrong."
Hina peeked up at him. "Oh?"
"You're not just prettier." His gaze dropped gently to her lips, then back up. "You're everything."
Hina couldn't breathe. Not properly. Her heart was thudding so loudly in her chest she was sure someone passing by could hear it.
She looked up, eyes wide, lips parted, face flushed from both the compliment and the closeness.
Yuto didn't move, he waited. Always patient. Always steady. But this time, she could see it in his eyes. The want. The ache. The question he wasn't asking out loud.
And for once, she didn't run from it.
She took a small step forward, just enough to close the space between them. Her hand still resting lightly against his chest, tightened ever so slightly in the fabric of his shirt.
"Yuto…" she whispered.
"Yes?" he said, voice lower now, breath soft and warm between them.
"I think I want you to kiss me," she said in a voice so small, it barely made it past her lips.
He inhaled softly, his eyes never leaving hers.
"You sure?" he asked, as if giving her one last chance to pull away.
She nodded and blushing furiously, heart racing, eyes locked with his. "I've never been more sure."
That was all he needed.
He leaned in slowly, deliberately. His hand came up to gently cradle the side of her face, thumb brushing just below her cheekbone, as if he was afraid she'd vanish if he moved too fast.
And then—
His lips met hers.
Soft.
Unhurried.
Like a promise.
Hina melted.
The world fell away—the courtyard, the footsteps, the ache of jealousy and every bit of doubt she had ever carried. All that remained was the quiet, steady certainty of Yuto's lips on hers and the feel of his hand anchoring her like she was the most precious thing he'd ever held.
When they finally pulled apart, she was breathless, her forehead resting against his.
"You really waited for me," she whispered.
Yuto smiled against her skin. "Always."
She closed her eyes, smiling too. "I think… I'm done making you wait."
He didn't say anything. He didn't have to.
Because with that kiss—
She had answered everything. They stood there for a long while with their foreheads gently resting together, breaths mingling in the still afternoon air.
Eventually, Hina pulled back just slightly, her hand still lightly resting on Yuto's chest. Her cheeks were still burning, and her eyes darted downward in embarrassment. "I can't believe I said that out loud."
Yuto chuckled under his breath, the sound warm and familiar. "I can."
She looked up, half-pouting. "You're enjoying this."
"Very much," he said with a quiet grin. "But mostly… I'm relieved."
"Relieved?"
"That I finally kissed you," he replied. "And that you wanted me to."
Hina's heart skipped all over again. She lightly nudged his arm. "You didn't even hesitate."
"I've been hesitating for years," he said, eyes soft. "I just stopped today."
She laughed and stepped back, finally letting herself breathe fully. Her lips still tingled, and her chest was full of a feeling she didn't have a name for yet.
But it felt like peace and something very close to love.
They began walking slowly along the path, side by side again. Yuto's hand grazed hers once, then gently took it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Hina looked at their joined hands. "So… what are we now?"
He glanced at her, thoughtful. "What do you want us to be?"
She considered. "Yours. But… maybe slowly."
He gave her hand the smallest squeeze. "Then slowly it is."
"I don't want to tell people just yet," she added after a moment. "Not because I'm hiding you—just… I want this to be ours first. Before it's the world's."
Yuto nodded. "Then it's just ours."
She smiled, heart full. "Thank you for always waiting."
Yuto glanced at her with that quiet, unwavering gaze she knew so well.
"I didn't wait because I had to," he said softly. "I waited because there was no one else worth moving for."
Her fingers tightened around his.