She leaned in further.

Closing the distance between their lips.

He moved at once.

His hand came up and pressed over her mouth.

Her lips met his palm.

Warm.

She didn’t pull back.

Didn’t even pause.

Her eyes stayed on his.

Red. Steady.

Waiting.

"No," he said.

She blinked once.

Slow.

He didn’t move his hand.

Didn’t ease the pressure.

Her breath pushed lightly against his palm. It came steady.

Unhurried.

She kept looking at him.

Just there.

Then she leaned back.

Not far.

Enough that his arm had to follow for a second before he let it drop.

His hand fell away.

She stayed on his lap.

One second.

Two.

Her eyes still on his.

Then she shifted.

Slid off him.

No rush.

She sat back beside him.

Picked up her chopsticks.

Took a piece of meat from his plate.

Ate.

No comment.

No glance.

The room settled again.

He looked at the table.

The marks on the wood. The edge of the plate. The place where her hand had been.

His fingers curled once, then stilled.

"You are scary"

"You know what I am."

.

He was in bed an hour later, phone resting on his chest as he typed.

you should sleep

we have been texting for more than an hour

Her reply came next, fast.

I’m trying. But I don’t want to.

He let out a small breath through his nose.

that’s not how sleep works

I knowI have the sunflowers on my bedside tableThey smell nice

He paused there, eyes staying on the screen.

The image came to him without effort. The flowers on her table. The room dim. Her lying there with them within reach.

good

Kaito

yeah

today was really good.

His thumb hovered over the screen.

For a second, he didn’t type.

yeahit was

I am glad you came to visit me.

You had me worried. I could finally breathe after seeing you.

haha. my bad.

it’s fine

I’m tired now Kaito.

I will try to sleep.goodnight

goodnightrest properly

I willyou too

A pause.

Kaito

Yes?

You are a really good person.

You flatter me.

I wish I could have met you in high school.

Me too.

Then.

🌻🌻🌻

He looked at it.

The corner of his mouth lifted again.

He set the phone down on his chest and let his head sink deeper into the pillow, eyes drifting up to the ceiling.

The smile stayed.

He reached over and turned off the light.

The room went dark.

For a moment, nothing moved.

Then his eyes shifted toward the window.

Shizuka sat by the window outside.

Still.

Her silver hair fell loose around her shoulders. The faint glow from the street caught in her eyes and held there. Red. Quiet. Watching something far past the glass.

Not him.

The city.

He studied her for a second. The outline of her against the night. The way she didn’t fidget. Didn’t shift.

Just there.

"Goodnight, Shizuka," he said.

She turned her head.

Slow enough that he could see the movement travel through her shoulders before it reached her face.

Her eyes found him through the glass.

"Goodnight, Kai," she said.

Soft.

He held her gaze for a second.

Then he closed his eyes.

The room settled.

His breathing evened out.

Sleep came quickly.

The smile stayed on his face when it did.

Outside, she didn’t move as her gaze drifted far away.

.

The curtains were open this morning.

Kaito rarely left them open.

Last night made it the third time since he had been living in his aunt’s house.

He usually kept them closed because of Shizuka.

She stayed by the window every night and watched him sleep.

Her red glowing eyes through the glass.

Fixed on him.

Not blinking.

Not looking away.

He had never gotten used to that.

Waking up and getting freaked out by her.

But last night he had left them open.

He had been in a good mood.

This morning the sunlight came in flat and warm across the floor, reached the bed, and settled on his face.

He woke up slowly and without dread.

No nightmare today.

Just light.

He lay there and stretched, arms above his head, then let them fall back to the bed.

The morning settled around him.

The city had already started outside.

A bicycle passing.

Someone’s door opening and closing.

The distant roll of a metro.

And...

A new feeling.

Something in his chest felt different.

Lighter.

He stayed with it for a second.

Then Hana came to his mind.

Her face when she laughed in the hospital bed.

The way they fed each other food like a couple.

The sunflower emoji at eleven thirty.

His mouth curved before he noticed.

Hana was probably still asleep.

It was early.

He wanted to send something anyway.

Just good morning.

Something waiting there when she opened her eyes.

Maybe something as simple as:

Good morning, Hana.

You look as pretty as ever.

The thought stayed in his head.

He reached for his phone on the bedside table.

He picked it up.

There were a few notifications. He squinted in the morning light and adjusted his grip.

A message from Hana.

Sent at 4:14 AM.

His smile widened.

It meant that she had woken up early.

She probably couldn’t sleep.

The hospital bed, the quiet, too much time to think.

Maybe she had been lying there staring at the ceiling, thinking about him.

About yesterday. About what came next.

About them. Their onset of romance.

He let out a small breath. A quiet chuckle slipped out.

He opened the message.

Kaito.

I love you.

I’m sorry.

Goodbye.

He read it once.

He read it again.

His eyes moved slower this time, as if that would change something.

He read it a third time.

The words stayed the same.

They did not shift. They did not correct themselves.

His fingers tightened around the phone.

He became aware of the pressure against his palm.

He was confused what it meant.

Are we breaking up already?

He scrolled down.

The university group chat.

A message from the administration account, sent an hour ago.

Only a few lines.

He read them.

We regret to inform you that Hana Karizawa, a first-year student from our university, passed away this morning...

He stopped.

The sunlight was still on his face.

The city was still moving outside.

His grip slipped. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Then his hands started shaking.