Event Flags

Cool air, a fresh breeze, the hum of the streets. They swirled together to form a lively atmosphere as the pair continued to run through the city, Miyami in the lead and Hinoka in tow. Their hands were firmly locked and their eyes locked forward, focused on navigating through the lightly crowded walkways.

The city's buildings and trees were painted in hues of oranges and gold, a beautifully vibrant backdrop for the leisurely jog. The summer heat had died down slightly, leaving more warmth than sweat in its wake.

Hinoka breathed in deeply, letting her chest swell and lungs expand. Finally, she was able to move freely again! It felt good, even if she wasn't pushing herself too hard for the sake of the journey and safety.

She never thought she would ever take something like running for granted, but she was glad she could savor it once more. Plus, the presence of Miyami beside her was making everything feel that much sweeter.

Speaking of the shy woman, there she was, forging ahead with her smooth black ponytail streaming behind her. Sure, her running technique was anxiety inducing as usual, and she was panting worryingly hard. But there was a new sense of confidence beneath that sweaty mess.

It was like watching a bird learning to fly for the first time—

*trip*

"…" Oh. Right, penguins couldn't do that.

A slow-motion scene of her companion about to eat a face-full of asphalt played through Hinoka's mind.

"MIYAMI!"

Her body twisted to the side, yanking the girl off center just as she was about to kiss the pavement.

Grass cushioned their diverted fall as they rolled into the park. The world spun and tumbled until finally, the pair of them settled in the soft embrace of the earth.

*ba-dump*

Miyami's trembling body lay smooshed beneath Hinoka, their hands in a death grip. The taller girl's heart thudded against her ribs, and Hinoka could feel her chest rise and fall with each shuttering breath as the sweat from their faces nearly melded together.

*huff* *puff*

"…" Unfortunately, the intimate moment was interrupted by the whispers of a few passerby—some of which may have recognized them from the shop and were starting to whisper.

'Oh, you've got to be kidding me!' Hinoka screamed internally, realizing their position.

Were it not for their audience, the brown-haired woman would've been tempted to stay in that position and relish the feel of Miyami's body against hers, maybe even sneak in a cheeky kiss on the nose.

But no, this time she won over the dumbassery. With a sigh of regret, she slowly untangled herself and helped the dark-haired girl to her feet. They were both a little grass-stained and disheveled, but at least Miyami had escaped mostly unharmed.

Erm, if one ignored how wobbly she looked at least.

"You okay? Guessing your running shoes might need to be broken in some more, huh?" Hinoka quipped, trying to lighten the mood and deflect from her own racing pulse.

Miyami shakily nodded, her face-tinged pink as her knees nearly buckled. She eventually managed a thumbs up to their spectators though, and they turned away once it was clear nothing was amiss.

Hinoka took a moment to scan their surroundings while the dark-haired girl regained her breath, just in case anything suspicious was happening. Thankfully, nothing stood out, and there were no new messages on her phone to worry about.

After the several minute break, Miyami tapped her shoulder still looking a tad bit worse for wear, then motioned further into the park.

"Ah, gotcha. You um, sure you're good to continue though?" Hinoka asked, examining the nearly melting girl.

She swiftly nodded, as if to ensure it was fine she resembled a drooping popsicle, before offering her hand again to continue onward.

"…" If she was certain.

Hinoka smiled at her friend's courage, allowing herself to be led further in.

***

Challenging encounter music played in Miyami's headspace as they sat down on the newly spread blanket. She'd just finished setting up in the center of the park, a decently open space with plenty of greenery and a cute pond not too far off.

Heat lingered in both her cheeks and lungs from the near disaster earlier, something only exacerbated by how Hinoka had saved the day. The tall girl had swooped in like some hero out of a story and caught her from falling, making her heart pound like crazy as they tumbled to the soft grass.

Then, when their sweaty faces were pressed together, their bodies smooshed against one another, and Hinoka's amber eyes were staring deep into her own, it was like—

*shiver*

No. She needed to stop. Her body had only just somewhat recovered from the ordeal, and she was already pushing things with how much exercise they were doing.

'You okay, my penguin princess?' The chibi in her mindspace asked in concern, trailing around her head.

"…" She took a moment to consider it, glancing down at herself to confirm some things. Her body only felt somewhat like it was falling apart, and there were no messages on her phone from Kaitoji or the detective.

Yep, totally okay!

Miyami nodded to the faux Hinoka, and she gave a relieved thumbs up in response before disappearing in a salute.

"…"

Her eyes refocused back on her crush, who was now sitting across from her on the blanket. Despite the unexpected tumble earlier, Hinoka had an air of ease as she stretched her legs out in a relaxed position. The light breeze played with her twintailed hair, and the way it fluttered the strands was almost mesmerizing.

One ponytail was something. But TWO?! Wasn't that like double the cuteness?!

"Hmm?" Hinoka made an inquisitive noise as she caught her stare, and Miyami quickly looked away in flustered embarrassment before reaching for the cooler bag.

*unzip*

She fumbled with a few items, her hands shaky from anticipation as she pulled one of the chilled melon sodas. She popped the tab with a satisfying—and very practiced for—movement before handing it to her friend.

"Ah, sweet!" Hinoka exclaimed, accepting the drink. "I knew I was seeing it right. To think you went out of your way to buy my favorite type of soda…"

A grin manifested on her face, and Miyami's heart fluttered as the woman took a swig. She watched in fascination as her friend's eyes closed in pleasure, greedily gulping the beverage down.

"…That's really good," the brown-haired girl sighed contently, placing the can on her lap. "Ah, it feels so great to be out again~"

Miyami's chest squeezed at the affectionate tone, and she could almost feel the warmth of the sun seeping into her skin. The way Hinoka was looking at her with those amber eyes, and the way the summer breeze tousled her hair—it was like witnessing a date CG in real life.

It was beautiful.

Hinoka rolled her shoulder, shifting slightly as they both took a moment to relax. "So uh, this is a pretty cool spot. Did you want to eat first, or…?"

"!" Miyami jerked at the sudden reminder, nearly dropping the can of melon soda she'd grabbed. After gently setting it aside, she reconvened her thoughts while retrieving a homemade bento box.

Things were thankfully going to plan so far. Sure, she'd probably have to revert back to using messages if the need arose to conserve her voice for the big finale, but everything else was fine.

Their safety was secure with no new alerts or sightings. And the only thing that had happened so far was her clumsiness with the fall.

Gingerly placing the box in front of her, she took a moment to glance back Hinoka. The way her tank top hugged her athletic frame, and the way the sun kissed her skin was breathtaking. It was almost too much.

But she held firm, ending her internal pause menu. She had to do this.

With a deep inhale, Miyami lifted the lid of the container, and the subtle aroma of the food within filled the air. It was simple: two mini onigiris with cat faces and some karaage. Nothing too heavy since they were going to walk afterward.

But the presentation was neat and clean.

"Oooh, this looks so good!" Hinoka gushed, peering inside.

Pride swelled within her, and she indulged herself in a stately nod, as if she were the protagonist of some historical samurai drama.

The brown-haired girl laughed at the display and soon eyed Miyami as she dramatically pulled a hand towel and two sets of disposable chopsticks from her bag. With the grace of a geisha, the dark-ponytailed girl expertly presented—

*fumble*

"!" Crud! It slipped from her grasp. She tried swiping at it mid-air to recover, but—

*plop!*

"…" They both stared as the wooden utensil catapulted into the center of the nearby pond.

Miyami closed her eyes a few seconds before reopening them, hoping that maybe she could retry that quick time event. Nope. It was still sitting in the water, a lost cause.

Her mouth began to wobble just as much as the lost chopstick did. This wasn't fair. Her practice of the motion was flawless, so why—

"Pft, Hah! You devious little thing, trying to feed us with one set."

Hinoka's eyes creased up as she narrowed her gaze. She was smiling broadly, the edges of her lips turned up in amusement.

"…" That really hadn't been the intended outcome at all, but… perhaps she could play along?

Miyami's brain scrolled through all the available options before settling on a pair of finger guns, alongside the slyest grin she could muster.

*wink*

Silence.

Hinoka snorted and burst into full-blown laughter, clutching her stomach.

"HAHA! Holy crap, you—pffft! You're hilarious!"

The sound of her joy echoed throughout the park, and Miyami's heart soared.

She'd done it! She'd actually managed to pull off a joke that wasn't her unintentionally tripping over herself.

She pumped her arms in celebration, her confidence skyrocketing, and the chibi Hinoka in her head cheered in delight. Yes! She was on a roll—

*happy grab*

A shock ran along her body as Hinoka abruptly wrapped her in a side hug. The shorter girl was laughing hysterically and holding on to her for dear life as Miyami was dragged along.

Hinoka filled all of her senses, and the contact sent her pulse skyrocketing.

"To think that you'd make a move like that!" The twintailed woman wheezed.

Miyami started to smile, cautiously continuing to play things off. Yes. That was her. The new, brave, and confident Miyami—

"I love you so much!"

"…"

*BA-DUMP!*

Miyami's entire body seized.

Had she just heard her right?

*BA-DUMP!* *BA-DUMP!* *BA-DUMP!*

Hinoka immediately sensed the shift in her demeanor, and quickly released her grip, scooching a bit away. The air between them grew awkwardly tense as both women tried comprehending the situation.

"A-ah! Sorry, I mean, uh—" The athletic girl began fumbling to clarify, her expression extremely flustered. "What I'm trying to say is, um…"

Pink fog surrounded the corners of Miyami's vision as Hinoka's words trailed off. A white glow enveloped her too, blurring the edges of her sight as the sporty lady fumbled with her words more than Miyami had fumbled the chopsticks.

Oh no. Was that romantic scene dressing?!

She was NOT prepared for this.

'Woah there. You need to calm down, my penguin princess! Deep breaths! Slow and steady!' The Hinoka chibi in her mind helpfully advised.

Miyami tried to follow her internal friend's advice. But it was impossible to calm down fully.

Her planned confession wasn't supposed to be until the finale—an ultimate moment backdropped by the sun and city.

But as Miyami took in the full situation, she realized she wanted to respond.

No. She NEEDED to respond!

Her body shook with adrenaline, and her mind raced. Could she really do that though? Was she ready? Was this even the right moment?

What if she messed up, and everything fell apart?

Miyami swallowed hard. She really wished that she had a reset button right now.

But no, this was real. And something in her heart told her she had to see this through.

With trembling hands, Miyami took a shaky, almost squawk-like, breath as she formed a response.

"I-I, um…" she pattered off in her first attempt, the words stuck in her throat.

Hinoka watched her concerned, and her lips parted slightly as if to interrupt. But before she could, Miyami raised her hand to stop her, soul ablaze with determination to fulfill this secret event flag.

"…"

The city, the world, and existence itself slowed. Everything from the breeze, the leaves of the trees, and the people in the park blurred.

Her senses focused solely on Hinoka now, and Miyami's lips parted as she summoned every fiber of bravery in her being to speak.

"I-I love you too. Would you… like to be my girlfriend?"