And Still, We Live

The hospital entrance clicked softly as they opened, and Crow stepped out, looking like nothing had happened.

There was a light in his eyes, but his tired grin showed how much he hated staying still for too long.

His hair was ruffled, sleeves half-rolled. Even so, the classic Crow energy had returned.

Dylan pushed off the wall with a smirk. “Well, look who’s back. What’d they give you back there, a power-up mushroom?”

Crow flashed a sloppy rocker sign and grinned. “Power of love?” he chuckled.

Yuzu scoffed, tossing her head back. “Hah. Took you long enough. I was about to sell your guitar. If you died, it’d cost more.”

Crow laughed, stepping closer to give her a light elbow bump.

Hinata stood at the side, quietly watching the three of them from a distance, letting them have the moment.

When he finally turned toward her, their eyes met.

“Hey,” Crow said with a weak grin, oblivious to Dylan and Yuzu staring at him with bored eyes.

Dylan watched. “That was it? ‘Hey?’ Really?”

“Ugh. What a nerd.” Yuzu stared, unimpressed.

Hinata walked over to him and bumped her fist firmly on his shoulder. He winced, and she gave an approving nod.

"You're not dead. Good," she said, her shoulders relaxed now.

Dylan and Yuzu exchanged grins. Dylan snickered first, nudging Yuzu with his elbow.

"Look at them go," he whispered, voice dripping with mock sweetness.

Yuzu snorted, covering her mouth. "Ohoho, I thought he’d flip if this happened. He’s a hopeless dork," she added.

They both broke into exaggerated giggles, eyes flicking back to Hinata and Crow, who were still together.

The car ride back was quiet. A bit of laughter, a lot of glances. No one said it, but everyone knew—things had changed, even just a little.

— • —

The door to Crow's apartment creaked wide open.

Yuzu was first through, her energy filling the space as she tossed her bag onto the nearest surface.

"Ahh, home base," she declared with a dramatic stretch, arms high above her head.

Dylan followed, lugging the lunch bags with a sigh. "You don’t live here."

"I might as well," Yuzu replied, sliding off her sneakers with a cheeky grin.

Crow entered, rubbing his shoulder with a chuckle. "Did I walk into the wrong house?"

Hinata came in last, more relaxed this time, as if the apartment finally felt like hers.

As Dylan unpacked food, Crow went about the kitchen pulling mismatched plates and utensils like he hadn't been out for days.

Yuzu, however, flopped onto the couch with a dramatic sigh, arms behind her head, legs stretched out, swinging.

"Yeah, this is it," she muttered, eyes half-closed in contentment, like she had just settled into a throne.

Hinata stopped mid-step, eyes flicking over to Yuzu. She turned her head just enough to give her a slow, unreadable look.

She didn’t care about territory. But something about the way Yuzu flopped onto the couch lit her fuse.

“Your shoes. Put them on the rack.” Hinata loomed in front of her like the Slenderman. “And that’s mine.”

Yuzu raised an eyebrow, her smug grin unfazed as she challenged Hinata back. “What do you want, garbage-tier emo?”

A silent, world-ending standoff hung between the two of them.

Then Hinata blinked, shrugged, and turned away with a soft, dismissive sigh. “Whatever.”

“Yay!” Yuzu leaned back on the couch with a victorious smirk.

Her eyes followed Hinata as she walked to the hoodie rack. Hinata reached for the hem of her hoodie, pulling it up, revealing a black sports tank underneath.

But the muscles beneath were anything but. Her arms, toned and well-formed. Her back flexed as her well-built shoulders moved.

Yuzu’s eyes widened. She slapped both hands over her mouth, restraining a muffled noise between a squeal and a gasp.

“—WHAAAT?!!”

From the kitchen, Dylan popped his head out. “What’s going on?”

His eyes landed on Hinata. He froze. “Oh. Damn.”

Crow, drawn by the commotion, stepped into view, fork in hand. His gaze landed on Hinata, and he paused. “Oh. Right.”

Yuzu edged toward him, pointing at Hinata with a bit of reverence. “I thought she was bluffing. But look at those guns!”

Dylan followed behind her, acting nonchalant. “Yeah, ‘oh right’ my ass, your highness.”

Crow blinked, awed but confused.

Dylan—pulled back to the edge of an existential crisis—exclaimed, “My lord, we pay rent and taxes as humble subjects, and you’re living with a boss lady handed to you in a gift box?”

Crow stood there, plate in hand—expression caught between amusement and disbelief, as if he'd accidentally won at life.

“Bro, I—”

Dylan interrupted. “Don’t ‘bro’ me, my lord. Not all men are equal. You wake up every day to the muscular salvation of a domestic goddess. I’ve had enough. Down with the system.”

Yuzu was nearly wheezing into a throw pillow by now. Crow just shrugged, helpless.

“I didn’t ask for this!”

Dylan fell to his knees, raising his hands to some deity only he knows. “Lies. The law of attraction is real. Praise the sun.”

Laughter echoed in the room, awkward but genuine.

Hinata stayed silent, sipping from her water bottle, gaze fixed somewhere distant.

But if anyone had looked closely enough, they would’ve caught the faintest smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

It was small, but real. And it felt like victory.