The silence stretched between us, both of us simply soaking in the beauty of the moment. But with my personality, I couldn’t let the quiet linger for too long.

  "Keiko, come sit here," I said, patting the empty spot beside me.

  She hesitated, her expression unreadable. Not wanting her to feel uncomfortable, I quickly added, "I won’t do anything weird, trust me."

  Letting out a quiet sigh, I realized that my sudden hug from before might have made her wary of me. I wasn’t even close enough to be considered her friend yet, and besides, Keiko wasn’t the type to enjoy physical intimacy.

  After a brief pause, she gave a small nod and slowly made her way toward me, settling down on the bench. It was progress, I guess.

  "Somehow, it feels really peaceful here," I mused, stretching my arms behind my head.

  "I agree," Keiko said softly.

  Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. "Keiko! Try spreading your arms out!"

  She blinked at me, confused.

  "Like this!" I demonstrated, throwing my arms wide open. "Then close your eyes! Trust me, it feels amazing."

  Keiko gave me a skeptical look, but after a moment, she slowly followed my lead, extending both arms and shutting her eyes.

  "It’s like we’re free, like we’re really living in this moment, right?" I asked, watching her closely.

  Keiko nodded slightly, her face calm, her hands still outstretched.

  I found myself staring. The way the streetlights softly illuminated her face, the way the wind pyed with her hair, the way the cherry blossom petals drifted around her, carried by the gentle breeze, was absolutely stunning—like a scene from a dream—she looked breathtaking. My heart did an embarrassing little somersault.

  And then…

  "Ryuko?"

  I jolted. Oh god. Had I seriously been staring at her for five minutes straight?!

  "A-ah! I was just dazed!" I blurted, quickly turning away. I could feel my face burning.

  Keiko looked puzzled but didn’t say anything. I needed to escape before I made things even weirder. "I-I think I should go home now," I stammered, awkwardly getting up.

  But then—

  A gentle tug on my hand stopped me. It surprised me so much that I almost jumped.

  "W-what is it, Keiko?"

  She wasn’t looking at me directly, but I could see her cheeks were slightly flushed.

  "Can you… stay for ten more minutes?" she asked, her voice unusually soft.

  "Somehow… I like this. The feeling, the scenery… and… not being alone."

  My breath hitched.

  Did Keiko just say she liked my company?

  Without hesitation, I nodded and sat back down beside her. She let out a small breath of relief before spreading her arms again, closing her eyes.

  Damn it. She was too cute.

  If I… If I could… I would hold her close and kiss her without hesitation.

  I had to physically restrain myself from doing anything reckless. Control yourself. Do NOT let your inner pervert out.

  Desperate to distract myself, I blurted out, "Keiko, do you have any memories like this with your family?"

  She was quiet for a moment before answering. "Yeah… I do. This season... seeing the cherry blossoms in full bloom brings back so many precious memories."

  Her voice carried a gentle nostalgia as she continued, "We took our first family photo under the cherry blossoms. Back then, with my husband and Rin… despite all the hardships, we always managed to protect each other."

  Hearing that made my chest tighten. I didn’t know Keiko thought about those moments as much as I did. She rarely expressed her emotions, so I always wondered if she had cherished our time and happy together as much as I had.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and asked hesitantly, "Were you… happy back then?"

  There was no hesitation in her response.

  "I was," she said simply.

  The warmth in my chest spread.

  Then, as if to make sure I really understood, she added, "I was really happy at that time."

  She smiled gently, her expression soft and filled with warmth.

  My heart exploded.

  Omg.

  My heart.

  I can’t do this. Abort mission.

  In a panic, I quickly checked my phone and faked an exaggerated reaction. "Oh wow, it’s already 10:30 PM! I totally forgot, I have something to do with my uncle!"

  Keiko gave me a small amused look. "You’re a terrible liar, Ryuko."

  I coughed awkwardly. "Ahaha… well, um… shall we head home?"

  She nodded. "Sorry for keeping you."

  We walked together in the same direction, the streets quiet, the cherry blossoms continuing to fall around us like snow.

  Inside my heart, I felt a warmth I hadn’t felt in a long time. Back then, in those precious memories, Keiko and I had shared the same feelings.

  Somehow, after becoming Ryuko, I feel like I'm learning more about Keiko's feelings day by day... And I'm grateful for that.