Closer

When Shinya returned, Hana was waiting for him in the living room. As soon as she laid eyes on him, her expression widened in amazement, grappling with the reality of his sudden disappearance and reappearance.

Shinya slowly walked toward her, his shoulders hunched. In that instant, he felt a wave of relief just seeing her. Unlike what he had witnessed moments ago—the parting of a mother and daughter—seeing Hana brought him peace.

“You... you were right in front of me, and... then you weren’t there anymore,“ Hana said, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Shinya stepped closer and gently took her hands, looking straight into her eyes. The gesture was instinctive, a reaction to the storm of conflicting thoughts in his mind. It was a response to the uncertainty of what was to come next.

“I want to take you somewhere,“ he said.

“Wait... you have to explain what just happened,“ Hana said.

“I will. But right now... I need you to trust me,“ he said softly.

Hana didn’t reply, but something in his eyes felt honest, vulnerable. He was just as lost. And in that moment, she realized she was the only one who could give him something to hold onto. This wasn’t just a request, it was a plea.

“...Okay. I’ll trust you.“

Shinya smiled, relieved. And as soon as Hana blinked, they were no longer in the living room.

Beneath their feet was a vast, colorful field of flowers. The ground was a blanket of blooms stretching into infinity as if the entire world had turned into spring.

Hana kept looking around, as though her eyes couldn’t quite take it all in. A warm breeze swayed her hair gently, and something about the scenery calmed her, even in the middle of the confusion.

“What is this place?“ she asked.

“A special place for me,“ Shinya replied.

“It’s beautiful...“

He smiled again and held her hand, leading her through the flowers. The sky above was a tranquil blue, dotted with just a few clouds, perfectly matching the color of her eyes, which now sparkled in a way he couldn’t stop watching.

“I come here sometimes when I need to think. To reflect,“ he said, stopping.

“So... this place... you... are you really a god?“

She tugged at her sleeve, as if afraid to say it out loud. The question came out fragmented, almost like she didn’t want it answered.

“I told you that from the beginning, didn’t I?“

Hana took a small step back, scanning him from head to toe. “So... the disappearances, the fact you don’t eat or sleep...“

“Yes. I truly don’t need those things,“ he confirmed.

She started pacing in circles, as if her footsteps could somehow organize the chaos in her mind. Recognizing that the one she had been sharing her days with was a god was certainly difficult. She had seen the signs, the way he spoke and behaved, and it wasn’t as if Shinya had lied to her. Still, what she had taken as a joke, a playful comment, had turned out to be a revelation beyond anything she could have imagined.

“So... Tsubasa, Akari...“

“They’re like me, but with different roles,“ Shinya replied. Akari... well, you’ve probably noticed how much she likes talking about love, right?“

Hana let out a soft laugh. “Now it all makes sense. And Tsubasa?“

Shinya paused for a moment. “He’s the god of balance. He’s only here to keep an eye on me... to make sure I don’t cross certain lines.“

Hana’s smile slowly faded. “So, like you said back then... you really are the god of death?“

Shinya hesitated, as if the words were weighing on his throat. He looked at the flowers around him, letting the breeze pass through his fingers, before finally meeting Hana's gaze.

“Yes,“ he replied.

The silence that followed seemed to stretch on forever. The sound of flowers rustling in the wind was the only thing filling the space between them.

Hana wrapped her arms around herself as if trying to shield herself from reality. She had spent all this time with the god of death, talking, laughing, growing close, and had even developed a feeling so intense that she never imagined it could be possible. It was too much to take in at once.

He saw the conflict on her face and recognized it. He inhaled slowly. This was the first time he’d ever felt so afraid of speaking to her, afraid of what might happen next. But in that moment, the truth seemed like the only bridge left between them.

“I came to Earth with a purpose,“ he began. “I didn’t understand human feelings. Your emotions, your choices. So I decided to live among you, believing that one day I’d figure it out.“

“And then you just... chose me? Moved into my home, changed my life, and even made me feel… embraced,“ Hana said, sighing and running a hand across her forehead. “Is this all even real?“

“I went to Akari because she understood the human world better,“ Shinya explained. “I asked for her help settling in. I didn’t know she’d put me with you.“

“And all the things you’ve done, were part of your plan?“

He stepped closer, and Hana hesitated, but didn’t pull away. There was something in his gaze that kept her there. He was lost too, maybe even more than she was.

“At first, I didn’t expect to feel this way, or to get so close to you,“ he said. “But over time, with everything you showed me, I started to understand. Watching dramas with you. Cooking. Seeing you smile. Hearing your soft voice. I began to feel something I never imagined I could.“

Those words hung in the air. Shinya felt a weight in his chest, a new and overwhelming understanding rising within him.

“I saw what love can do,“ he said, his eyes fixed on her. “I saw someone give up everything just to give a gift to the one they loved most. And I realized... what I truly feel.“

He lowered his gaze slightly, as if searching in recent memories for the exact moment his world began to change. It was hard to pinpoint, maybe it was Hana’s spontaneous laughter, the sweet smell of the cake they baked together, or the way she spoke about simple things with such joy.

Shinya took a deep breath. The words he was about to say felt too fragile for the weight of what he felt, but he knew he had to say them. Because now, he finally understood, not through books or dramas, but because of her.

“I feel like I can’t exist without you anymore,“ he said. “When you're gone, I find myself thinking about you. And when you come back, I feel whole. Like you’re a piece of me that was always missing, and now I can’t live without it. The more time I spend with you, the more I know that I want to be with you. The days I’ve shared with you have been the best I’ve ever known.“

Shinya gently brushed her face with his fingers, as if the gesture alone could say what words couldn’t.

“Right now, all I want is to be with you, just like this,“ he said.

Shinya's words echoed through the confusion still swirling in Hana's mind. She knew he wasn't human, that he didn’t belong to this world, yet she felt something for him that she never imagined feeling for anyone.

Her eyes were fixed on him, but her thoughts were elsewhere. She remembered the time he disappeared, the innocence in his actions, and yet... When he was by her side, it felt like the world somehow aligned.

It was as if she was torn between what she felt and what reason told her.

Shinya didn't move, his gaze locked on her, waiting for a response. Silence stretched between them, a moment when she struggled with her own thoughts, searching for an answer.

She closed her eyes, trying to piece together the fragments of her heart and the words he'd just spoken. Each beat of her heart reminded her of what she wanted more than anything: him.

When she opened her eyes, the fear from before had faded. She still didn’t have the answers, but somehow, she knew she didn’t need them to understand what she felt. The fear didn’t push her away from him; it only made her realize how much she wanted him by her side.

With a softer voice, but filled with truth, she finally said, “I want that too.“

And as she spoke, a wide smile broke across her face, and she hugged him, feeling the force that bound them growing stronger.

They didn’t know what the future held. But they knew they wanted to face it side by side, to share the days, the discoveries, and the feelings still to come.

What mattered, more than anything, was that, in this moment, they were together. And for now, that was more than enough.