Sweeter Than Sweet Pt. 4

The market was buzzing with life—cheerful chatter, sizzling food stalls, the occasional sound of children laughing or a vendor shouting out a discount. It was the kind of vibrant chaos I usually avoided… but today was different. Mostly because a certain goddess was latched onto my sleeve like an overexcited puppy.

"Aikami, look!" Chloe's eyes lit up like a child. "Those candied dangos look so shiny!"

"I guess we found our next stop," I muttered, already reaching for my wallet like some sad, resigned father on a shopping trip.

The vendor handed her a skewer, and in an instant, she was nibbling away, cheeks puffed adorably with each bite. Her eyes gently closed as she let out a soft hum of delight.

"Mm~ It's warm and sweet… like a hug from the sun." Then, as if realizing something wrong with what she said, she pointed her dango stick at me. "N-not that I meant a hug from Apollo! That's disgusting!"

"...I didn't even say anything."

And she immediately loosened up. "Oh. Ehehe... Oops. Anyway, back to dango!"

I stared at her for a second, dango sauce sticking to the corner of her mouth, and sighed. "Glad to know the sun is affordable at a whopping three hundred yen."

But honestly… seeing her face light up like that—yeah, maybe a little sugar was worth it.

The moment we finished the dango, Chloe stopped abruptly for the fifth time. As if just sensing our next stop, her head twisted to a nearby yakisoba stall.

"I smell noodles…" she whispered like it was divine revelation.

"How did you even...?"

"It's my secret ability."

"And for some reason, that's totally believable."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing, nothing."

Another purchase. Another sigh from my wallet. We found a bench nearby and sat down with warm takeout boxes in hand. Chloe twirled a bite of noodles and happily stuffed her cheeks, humming like she'd ascended to another plane of existence.

"It's so good…" she mumbled between bites. "You wanna try?"

"...You're already eating my portion."

"Oh! Whoops~" she smiled guiltily, shoveling another bite in before handing the box back. "How in the world did that happen?"

"Oh, I don't know..."

I glanced over at the empty box sitting on the bench next to her. She probably didn't even realize she had finished that one in mere seconds.

After a few more stops that may or may not have sent me spiraling into debt, we made it out of the street market.

In front of us was a wide, beautiful park that stretched out just beyond the market's edge. A gentle breeze swept through the trees, carrying with it the scent of grass, blooming flowers, and grilled skewers from lingering food stalls nearby.

"Whoa!" Chloe gasped as she darted ahead.

I chuckled softly, watching her spin around like an excited tourist seeing Earth for the first time. Her head swiveled from side to side, soaking in every detail like she didn't wanna miss a single blade of grass.

"Sheesh... Like a puppy off of its leash," I muttered under my breath.

Chloe rushed over to the pond and crouched by the edge, her gaze fixated on a trail of ducklings waddling after their mother in the water. She leaned in so close I worried she'd fall in. A few nearby kids giggled at her enthusiasm, and she waved at them with a bright grin, completely unbothered.

Just seconds later, she was off again. Then, without warning, she threw herself onto the grass, arms spread wide as she rolled around.

I watched her for a moment, struck by how natural it all seemed. No hesitation. No shame. Just pure, unfiltered happiness.

Finally, I wandered over and stood beside her as she lay there, her eyes trailing the shapes in the clouds above.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," I said with a hint of a smile. "Maybe a bit too much."

"Of course!" she sighed blissfully, stretching her arms behind her head. "The only reason my sisters and I decided to join the gods for their century-long vacation was to enjoy ourselves. Granted, we didn't get many chances to do so."

"How come?" I asked, lowering myself to sit in the grass beside her.

"Dunno. The mortal realm is just as bland as the heavens sometimes. Too many people, too much noise. Not enough fun to make up for the chaos. Well... Hehe~" She then turned her head to me, her expression gentle. "Until you came along, that is."

I froze, body stiff, mind blank. My eyes, my lungs, and even my heart—All of them stopped working for a split second.

What... the hell was that?

Just as quickly, Chloe right back up. "Anyway! There's still a lot more to see! Come on, Aikami!"

"Ah..." I blinked, my brain still buffering. "Hey—slow down, will you?!"

But she was already skipping ahead, completely oblivious to the way my soul had just been short-circuited.

I let out a long sigh, dragging my legs forward. "Hah… coming…"

And so began the next half hour when Chloe practically dragged me across every corner of the park. Things I'd passed by a thousand times suddenly became fascinating spectacles, all because she saw them differently.

"You know, I've experienced many things throughout human history, but this?" Chloe's gaze swept across the park. "This is probably my favorite era."

"Is that so?" I scoffed. "That reminds me, have you guys ever had a human friend before?"

"Nope. You're the first we can consider even remotely close to that."

"Huh? For real? But I'm not even that interesting of a person."

"I wouldn't say that. Sure, humans are boring. All they do is work, eat, sleep, and repeat. The same can be said about you, but… you're different. I can't really say why. Is it because you're a fateless? Maybe."

"Is that why you've been dragging me around all day today?"

"Part of it, but not all." Her expression softened, more sincere now. "In fact, I didn't even get a chance to experiment a bit. Guess I got a little too carried away. Being with you, Aikami... It's something totally new to us—to me."

I nearly tripped over my own feet.

"I-is that so…?"

"No need to feel that embarrassed. I was just yapping."

"What? Who's embarrassed?"

"Psh, who else would be talking to but you? It's okay, Aikami. I won't judge."

We continued walking along a winding stone path that led toward the heart of the park—the place where all the cherry blossom trees stood in full bloom.

"How beautiful," she whispered, just loud enough for me to hear.

"Isn't it? Enjoy it while you can, cuz this is the last chance before the winter season carries them away." I reached my arms up for a stretch, groaning just a bit. "On that note, I think this is a nice ending to an eventful day."

"I agree. Which reminds me..."

She suddenly dashed ahead, framed by the gentle pinks and whites of the trees above. She came to a stop in the center of the path, just beneath the shadow of one particularly large cherry blossom tree. With her hands behind her back, she turned toward me, wearing a gentle smile—one I'd seen on her face so many times before. But this time… it felt different.

The fading sunlight filtered through the petals, casting soft glimmers across her hair and skin. The blossoms drifted around her like snowflakes caught in a breeze, painting the air with the quiet magic of spring.

And for just a heartbeat, everything else seemed to disappear. The chatter of park-goers, the rustle of leaves, even the sound of my own breath.

All of it faded, leaving only her.

"Thank you, Aikami," she said with a sincere smile. "I had a lot of fun today."

My lips parted, but nothing came out. I just stood there, frozen and dazed. People passed by on either side of us, but I couldn't see them. Couldn't hear them. All I could see… was her.

"Is something wrong, Aikami?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. That same smile remained on her face, soft and warm. "Your face is a little red."

"N-no, I was just..." I tried to say something, anything—but the words dissolved halfway through my throat.

She giggled again, her laugh as light as the petals fluttering around her. "Hehe~ Today was totally worth it. Thanks for agreeing to come with me. I'll remember it forever.”

"…Y-yeah. Anytime," I finally managed to mumble, my voice barely audible.

As the day came to a quiet close, we paced through the park, weaving between trees and hidden trails as we searched for a secluded place for Chloe to teleport us back. The sky had begun its descent into twilight, casting a warm orange hue over everything.

But even as we walked… my gaze never left her.

I kept staring at the back of her head, yet all I could see was that moment—the image of her standing beneath the cherry blossoms, smiling like that.

No matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't leave my mind. It kept playing over and over, like a scene burned into my memory.

Seriously... What is up with me today?