A whisper.

He smirked. That expression threw her off guard.

An irregular heartbeat—Her mind blanked looking at his eyes. Suddenly, the cold night felt so warm and fuzzy, and her head felt light.

She froze in place. He was too close.

“What?” He came closer. “What were you going to call me just now?”

His breath tickled her skin. She instinctively covered her face with her hands, which was holding him just a couple moments ago.

“Finally… I reached you…” Kanako smiled. The moon was looking beautiful that day.

He removed her hands from her face, revealing a bright, red-faced Ayane. Her expression was hard to judge, being a mixture of happiness and embarrassment.

He pressed his forehead against her, staring deeply into her lemon eyes.

“W-what…?” She asked hesitantly.

“Who am I to you now?” He said again.

“You are going on about that again?”

“You brought it up, didn’t you? I just want to hear it.”

“…”

Her face flushed even more as she struggled to keep eye contact. She didn’t know why, but Kanako looked different than before. He was more bold, foregoing and more charismatic.

Her heart fluttered even more.

“Kanako-kun…” She whispered. “I d-don’t think I can take it if you tease me any more…”

He broke into a cute giggle. Now, it was his turn to hold the face of Ayane.

“Sorry sorry… Its just that my…” He too, trailed off similarly like Ayane. “… is so cute I couldn’t control myself.”

Ayane smiled.

“I think you are missing something.” She replied with bubbly eyes.

Kanako smirked again. She fell right into his trap.

He got his mouth close to her ear, such that every word felt ticklish to Ayane.

“What am I missing, my dear cute girlfriend Ayane-chan?” He emphasized.

He went back and watched her face. She was shaking her hands violently—and cutesy—over her face, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Kanako held her hand. “I am sorry.”

Ayane struggled to get her voice to reach him. Her heart felt weak, and safe.

“It looks like I do any more and you are gonna explode like a TNT.” He joked. “You should sit down and cool off a bit.”

She watched over his back as he took her to the familiar place, the place where they first met. The place of a thousand memories.

She nodded her head, feeling the warm embrace of Kanako’s hand. Was this what others call happiness? She guessed it does.

For the first time in a long while, it felt like she could smile without worries.

She unconsciously tightened her grip.