Episode V - Heartfelt Confession

Ruruka’s POV: Haruhi’s Wise Words

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A week has passed since Hanako’s confession, and it was a day before my birthday. I couldn’t even talk to her face to face ever since that happened, and I’ve been trying to dodge her, sneaking out to work, even as she slept in on some days. I work as a bartender, and right now, it was 10 in the evening.

My workplace is ten stores away from that café she works at. The bell to the door rung and I welcomed the customer in, only to notice it was Aoi-san. Haruhi Aoi, she was my classmate in high school, my past lover. Despite our differences, we’re still great friends!

“Haruhi~….,” I waved to her and she came to me and sat down on the stool before me. I changed formalities, because I wanted to address her differently.

“Ruruka~! Hey!~ How have you been?” she asked me. She came towards me and sat down. Spacing out, I started to make a milk lychee ginger cocktail out of habit, since that was her favorite drink.

“Ruruka?”

I snapped out of it when she tapped my hand.

“What’s wrong? I asked how you were, but you didn’t respond!”

“Is this about Reina-chan?” she predicted.

“H-how did you know..?” I asked her. I had finished making her drink and gave it to her.

“Your troublesome face says it. She confessed to you, but you couldn’t accept it, right?” she deduced based on my mood. I sighed and groaned my worries, slumping onto the counter, even after she called me out.

“I…don’t know how to get rid of this feeling,” I voiced my troubles.

“Since I took her in, all I’ve ever done is to care and protect her, much like how a mother would, right?”

She nodded along and she allowed me to continue with my thoughts. I got up and started to clean the shakers I used to make concoctions and other drinks. A few minutes had passed. The atmosphere became quieter.

“But ever since she confessed her love to me, I keep thinking if my love for her is maternal or not. Is it really love..?” I complained about it.

“Koa…” she held my hand like how a friend would.

“Her expressions, her cute face, and her gentle words….I can’t get them out of my head..!” I kept continuing with my thoughts. My voice was slightly raised, and I was a little agitated.

“She can be a pain at times, but this isn’t fair…! We’ve only been living together for a while, and she got so close to me while I haven’t!”

“I’m telling you…! It’s not fair!”

“Hey, quiet down… Y-you’re tone is scaring the others (not just me)..,” she gently grabbed my wrist

as tears dripped from my face.

“…..sorry….,” I quietly retreated my voice, wiping my tears away with my arm. A moment of silence falls between us as she takes a sip from her drink. I felt mad for some reason.

“Are you sure?” Haruhi asked me, but I couldn’t answer her. “Just because she got close to you doesn’t mean it’s just her charms.”

“The reason she did is because of her boldness. When she started working with me, I watched her change. That timid side of her faded away slowly as she took the time to be open with other people at my place! She’s so full of life now!”

Hearing her praise Reina even when she’s at work made me realize about their work-life relationship. I want something like that, but where do I even begin?

“If I remember correctly,” her tone slightly changed, “aren’t you two the same age? Like a few weeks apart?”

Wow! Her assessment is quite strong!

“I mean, yeah,” I responded, “her birthday is on November 16th, and we’ll be the same age by then.”

I know Haruhi came as customer and I thought she wanted to vent to me for advice, but the roles were swapped in this scenario. I want to avoid this conversation by going home, but I still have duties to finish. My head was all a mess as I cleaned up my side of the counter. After that, I slouched in front of her.

“But how do I get rid of this feeling of protectiveness…?” I was heavily confused.

“Ruruka-san~,” a voice from behind me said.

“It’s been a long time since you’ve been talking with Haruhi. Don’t just hang out~”

It was Ryoko-san, another bartender I work with. (Fuuka Ryoko).

“If you want to leave, it’s okay. I can take over for you,” she said, “the moon’s pretty today!”

“B-but I…” I realized how long it was.

“I won’t let you work if you have something bothering you!” she told me. I sighed.

Yeah… she’s right. I used up all my work hours to talk with Haruhi, and this convo took too long.

So, I agreed. I told Haruhi to wait outside while I finished up my shift for the night. After a bit, I stepped out of the bar and into the fresh cool air. The moon really is pretty tonight.

“Ruruka,” Haruhi came next to me, “listen to me.”

“From what I can tell, didn’t Reina-chan come to you at her lowest point, in her time of need, when you found her?”

“Y-Yeah..,” I nodded and let her continue, “she saw you as a friend when you held your hand out for her, but you only took pity because of your maternal instinct, right?”

I nodded, but I shivered due to the cold, and sneezed.

“Let’s go to my place. I don’t want you catching a cold,” she took my hand and we quickly made our way there. As we got there, we ended up at the front of her café. It was already closed but she let me in so we could chat a bit more.

She turned on the lights and set them at a low dimmable level, and I sat down on a couch next to the working area. She made some late night tea and she sat down next to me.

“Now….where was I…?” Haruhi thought back.

“Oh right!”

“It’s okay to hold your hand out for someone, but don’t let that make you think they’re just a lost innocent person.”

“Taking responsibility is one thing, but when it becomes over-accountable, it will make you blame yourself for not being enough for each other.”

“Also…,” she took a short breather.

“Reina-chan is human much like you! She views you as her role model and wants to be more than friends with you!”

“And those affectionate charms she makes? It shows that she trusts you.”

Trust…huh. I never thought about it that way.

“Let me ask you this, Ruruka,” she turned towards me.

“Do you want to push her feelings away again? Or are you willing to change and meet her level? Although she sees you as an equal to her, I’ve never seen you do that!”

I got slightly mad at her assessment, but I took it to heart. Why is my ex talking to me like this…?

“And you might be thinking why I’m talking to you, considering that we used be lovers,” Haruhi read my mind.

“You’ve always had this protective side. Even when I tried to get my feelings to you, you pushed them away. It hurt me.”

Agitated by that comment, I raised my voice, “then why are you projecting now?! Are you trying to push back your problems onto me?!?”

“I’m not projecting!” she pinched my ear with a stern look. O-ow…!

“You need to be reminded. Don’t go down the same path you did with me.”

“Despite everything that happened between us, I still saw the light in you, and you did for me. You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me,”

“Don’t forget, even if we aren’t dating, we’re still friends! Platonic is how I see us as best. At least let me remind you.”

“Don’t make the same mistake with Reina like you did with me. Be better, alright?”

She’s right. I thought she was antagonizing our previous relationship as couples, but, she only wanted me to be better. Just a…small reminder.

“Also, all this time…~ I’ve only heard you refer to her by her first name….Hanako…, right?” she said.

“Yeah…I barely use her last name,” I took notice. It’s like how I would call out to a pet by their nickname or pet name.

“Why don’t try using her last name before you get closer to her?” she challenged me. Hah, that will be a breeze. I can say her name without stuttering!

“R-Reina…” I utter her name out.

Speaking her name out made me realize that I missed talking with her. I shouldn’t have pushed her feelings away from me. She is probably hurt because I couldn’t answer her properly. I feel nothing but regret because of what I did.

I teared up knowing what I did was wrong. Hanako Reina is someone important to me, and I want to be there for her.

“I miss her…,” I mumbled under my breath.

Both of us finished our teas and took our time chatting with each other, including the fun stuff I did with Reina. We talked about how we both geeked out over comics and certain scientific theories, all while reading manga and playing games.

I then realized that these tiny activities is what friends would do with each other, right? Now I’m starting to understand Hanako’s perspective.

She viewed me as a friend when I approached her from our first encounter. It wasn’t anything fancy. Although my time with her felt like a mother and daughter, she saw past me and was already my equal.

I was only blinded by my maternal instinct. I then realized something about my feelings: although it might be motherly, the other side of it was already being shaped and molded, by her.

“Ruruka~,” Haruhi looked at me with sincerity.

“Please, do yourself a favor and lower your guard. You might be a ninja, but you’re also human too.”

“Meet Reina’s level of expectations and be what she wants you to be for her. If she really trusts you, you can do the same.”

I hugged my knees thinking about it. I need to be able to view Reina as a friend, no matter what. I have to let this maternal side go, this protective side! But how do I even do that, since I’m a ninja who always keep their guards up?

I want those feelings to reach, even if it means risking my life for her. Seeing her hurt is something I don’t want to happen.

“Alright, it’s time to hit the hay~” Haruhi got up and yawned. I realized that I overstayed and should be going back home, so before I left, I said, “thank you for talking to me, Haruhi.”

“You got this Ruruka!” she waved bye to me as she saw me off from her cafe. It was around midnight, and cold air brushed past me while the stars were out. A distance away, I could see my complex unlit. Perhaps Reina went to sleep, tired of waiting for me. I’m scared to face her.

“Phew…what a long day,” I sighed.

part.i of v – Ruruka POV: The Birthday──⊰

When I got back home, I was met with a loud confetti bang and sparkles of snow, which exploded in front of me. The lights were back on, and I jumped at the sound of Reina’s voice.

“Ruruka, Happy Birthday!!” she said happily. I forgot..! I looked down at my watch and realized that today was Nov 2nd, my birthday!

“H-Hanako…,” I looked at her with a slight smile. Hearing her call me by my last name felt relieving. Remembering what Haruhi told me, I should probably do the same. Meet her level. It’s okay. I calmed down before I could speak.

“C-can I call you Reina..?”

“Sure! I don’t mind~” she agreed as she took my hand and helped me in. The placed was decorated with glitters of snow and tiny little birthday hearts on the ground. I looked at her one more time, and I could immediately tell that her gesture now was full of openness.

“You didn’t have to do this…,” I laughed with enjoyment.

“Come on!” She tugged at my hand, “there’s cake waiting for you!”

She showed me towards to the kitchen counter and a red velvet chocolate cake stood before me, my favorite flavor.

“How did you know this was my favorite?” I asked her.

“Well, to be fair, I had Aoi-san help me~” she responded to me, “good thing she knows you!”

She took out a knife from the cabinet, and I got worried that she might cut herself. However, I stopped myself from being protective. Haruhi’s words echoed in my mind, “she’s not a child, nor your daughter. Her confidence is what made her close to you. So please, respect that!”

Reina is my friend, who saw me as her friend. I should be treating her the way I treat myself, not like a mother would with their kids. I watched her used the knife safely, she sliced the cake down from the side and gave me a slice.

“Mmmm,” I picked into the slice and ate some of it.

“Delicious…!”

“Right…?!” Reina took a bite from mine and ate it. She took another but wanted to feed me.

“Say, “Aaah~””

I giggled at her playful gesture and I opened my mouth, with her feeding me a portion of my cake. This feeling that I am experiencing wasn’t just friendly, but it was love. Genuine love, from Reina. I want to return that feeling, but I don’t know how. I’ve held my guard up for so long, it hurts.

I want to meet her level, but, I am still hesitant to lower my guard down. I finished the slice cake as we both ate from it but didn’t have the appetite for the other whole it was cut from. I wiped the stains from my mouth with a napkin. I yawned and I wanted to sleep, as my tiredness caught up.

“Did you have a long day today?” she asked me.

“Yeah…,” I nodded, slumping down on the cool marble top.

“There were a lot of requests earlier, people asking me to help design or critique their interiors…,”

“I’m tired…,” I let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Don’t forget about the hot springs later today!~” Reina was excited to spend the rest of the day with me later.

“Yeah! I can’t wait!~” I responded with a happy smile. After a while, we cleaned up the kitchen and also ourselves, and I was super tired. When I got to my bed, I heard a knock on my door and Reina stood outside, hugging her pillow tightly.

“Hey….,” her voice came from behind me, “c-can I sleep with you tonight..?”

Haruhi’s words echoed in my mind, and she was right. Reina’s charms and her affectionate gesture right now shows that she wants to sleep with me. She trusts me because she changed. If I want to change, I need to let her in. I sat on my bed and gestured her to come, welcoming her in. She came to me and laid beside me as I tucked both of us in. Her silky black hair felt soft as I patted her, as I used my other hand to pull her closer in to me.

“Today was fun, wasn’t it?” she asked me, in a very quiet voice.

“Yeah… It was,” I smiled at her, knowing half of my day was filled with her presence. With her in my arms, she stroked my head gently with care, and under her cool embrace, we both feel asleep, holding each other closely.

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It was later into the day of my birthday before lunch time, which was 11 AM. We had got ready to head to the hot springs, and we were on the way, riding a train. We were eating some snacks as we looked at the beautiful scenery, Reina had her hair up in a bun and I adored it. She looked very beautiful with that, along with a new dress she wore. Farm animals showed up as we watched them graze on the grass, basking in the warmth of the sunlight as the train continued on its long journey

“Ruruka~” she said, and I looked at her.

“I have a present for you, but let’s open it later, okay?”

I smiled, “you didn’t have to go your way out for me.”

She took my hand, held it, and said: “you mean the world to me.” I got extremely flustered as she said that, because, that was my first time hearing that. My heart fluttered, as if a bell sounded in my head. I want her warmth and her love, I want her to help me break this wall down. Geez…

Before the trains slowly halted, the intercoms spoke, “Kyoto Train Station,” repeating a few times.

“Looks like our stop is here!” she grabbed my hand and I held it, we took our stuff and departed out of the train. The fresh air filled us, and I was in awe at the scent the station produced. Fresh bakery and the fresh trees filled my scent.

“Reina, Reina~” I tugged her sleeve, “let’s get some bakery!” I pointed to the shop that made my nose drawn to it. She agreed, and we both went, purchasing what we liked before we headed out to Kurama Onsen. We ate our bread along the way because it was near lunch time.

“Mmm!~” I bit into my steamed bun, “this is tasty! Here, have a bite!~”

I showed her my bun, and she took a bite from it, an indirect kiss on the part I bit into. She happily ate it, “yeah! It’s tasty, even with your bite!~”

I again got flustered hearing her say that.

“Geez..you really know how to tease a girl, don’t you?” I took her hand and held it, she laughed at me and I smiled.

“I want to share this moment with you on your birthday!” Reina said with clear enunciation. As I finished my snack, we both arrived at the onsen. I was super excited to enter, and I got ahead of myself, happily. Then, we went in and showed the receptionist the tickets she had for a while, and they showed us to our room. The old style mats, furniture, and the presence of the place got me nostalgic.

“Ah!~ This is something!” I got excited as I looked around, as it was my first time in a room that was apart from the onsens.

“What do you want to do first?” she asked me, “after all, it is your special day!~”

“I’m hungry~” My stomach was rumbling. Even though we ate lunch not long ago, I got hungry again.

“Hey hungry, I’m Reina~” she blurted out a dad joke, and I laughed at her banter. We ordered some food to be delivered to our room and after a while they came. The delicious aroma filled the place, and we gave thanks, “itadakimasu~!”

“Mmm! This is superb!” Reina said as she ate.

“Yeah! It’s delicious!~” I agreed.

The food completely melted in my mouth, with such rich tastes and ingredients, my senses became heightened. It was tasty.

“Ruruka~” Reina had food in her chopsticks, wanting to feed me. I giggled and ate from them. I held my food up also, mimicking her, and she also ate from them. I smiled as we feed each other romantically like a couple. We finished the dishes as the tastes were savory, I felt full after a meal that almost felt like dinner.

“Aah~!” I plop down on the floor, “I don’t feel like eating dinner~”

I was cut off by Reina, and she came over and kissed me on my lips, I got startled, but I sunk into her warm, tender embrace. I grabbed into her back as she pressed more into it, giving me a very passionate one.

I let go, “geez, what’s gotten into you?” my face was red after she made her move on me.

“Ruruka…,” she said my name, “can…I?”

Instead of pushing her away, I allowed her to kiss me again, pouring out her love for me. Even though I had such a fun day, I could feel my guard lowing, simply because she was here. Her passionate kiss, her warm and loving embrace, made me sink into her touch. I could feel her kiss my cheek and my neck, gently biting me as she marks me with her teeth.

“Aah~” I moan as she keeps kissing me on my neck, my body tingles warmly as I shake under her hickeys. I grabbed into her tightly like a hug, and I kissed her back.

“Ruruka…,” she calls me, “is this…enough…for you?”

Hearing her say that, even as we exchanged our romantic kisses, I said:

“Yeah…, it’s enough.”

part.ii of v – Steamy Play──⊰

After a bit, we went to the onsens, we cleaned ourselves and showered down, before we got in. Reina was a little hesitant, she had a towel over her lower half, just to keep everything covered. I told her that it’s okay and that it’s just us, but she insisted that it makes her feel safe, so I allowed her. I stepped into the warm, steamy waters of the springs and the slightest touch made me feel relaxed.

“It’s okay, Reina~,” I took my hand out to help her in. She grabbed my hand and gently stepped in, the water, melted her worries away. Sitting down, she sunk down next to me and leaned against my left.

“Aaah~” I let out a long sigh as I melted into the warm waters, “so warm~”

We let ourselves bathe for a bit, and Reina gestured me towards her, and I sat on her lap. She massaged my shoulders relieving me of my soreness.

“You’re stiff..!!” she tried to massage them and put force, but I let out a yelp.

“Eek!~ Y-your…” I moved around, but to find her shaft bulging under the towel, poking my butt. I looked at her and her face was completely red.

“Ruruka….,” she grabbed my waist and slightly moved her towel, exposing her dick under the water.

“W-wait…w-we can’t do this here…,” I was hesitant, but she pushes it into me, entering inside.

“No one will see us…,” she says as her dick slides into me, I moan out as the warm water soaks us in. She begins to thrust gently into me, I try to quietly moan, not to stir attention.

“So warm….and tight…,” Reina begins to push me up and down on her, her hands, gently caressing my waist.

“Hah~ S-stop…not like this…~” I moan as she pushes deeper into me, the water trickling around us. She turns me around and gropes my ass, she digs her face into my neck as she pushes me down, all while I was riding her. I pant for air, even as the warm steamy water envelops around us, my face, red, as she finally pushes deep into me, her dick, reaching my womb.

“I feel like cumming….,” she says, as I feel her dick swell up.

“Wait…you’ll dirty the…Aah~!~’ I try to warn her not to dirty the water, but her dick swells up inside me, nearing her limits.

“D-don’t worry…’ she says, as she cums inside me, pouring out little cum into me. I moan and a mini orgasm displayed, I twitch and held onto her, hugging her as she cream-pied me.

“Haanh~ Reina…,” I got up from her gently my arousal, fading away, and soaked myself once more.

“You pervert….,” I put half my face into the water, flustered, blowing bubbles, she giggled at my bashfulness.

part.iii of v – Hanako’s Gift──⊰

After a while, we got out of the water, covered up and washed ourselves again, before heading back to our room. The cool air outside brushed past my neck, and it was almost near supper, the night inches closely in the skies, and the chatter of the onsen filled the lovely early evening.

“Ah! I nearly forgot!” Reina grabbed her bag and took out a blue box that was wrapped in snow-like patterns. I tilted my head and she gave it to me and said, “open it!~”

I was excited to open the present she got me. Curious, I opened it, revealing a handcrafted necklace made out of a silver chain. It had a snowflake which had both of our names on it. Her first name was on the back of the flake, written in kanji which meant “Flower Heart,” while mine was on the front, meaning “Amber Sky.” The cold and metallic sensation felt very soft and hard as I held it with my palm.

My heart started to waver. I uttered, trying not to tear up, but I couldn’t. The well crafted jewelry tugged on my emotions, seemingly as if she had made it with love. Why is she like this….? Tugging my heart strings as if it was nothing… It’s not fair that she’s the one breaking my guard down…!!

After all, it’s working too damn well.

“Let me put it on for you!” She gently took it out of my hand and lifted my hair up, cuffing the links together. I picked up the snow-like pendant and I looked at it, it glitters against the warm light.

Tears form in my eyes as her overwhelming love for me was turned into that of a snowflake necklace. I could feel my guard crumble one by one, as if she was intentionally doing it.

“Ruruka..? Why are you crying..?” she asked me as she noticed my tears. I didn’t know how to answer her.

“I-I…owe you an apology, Reina,” remorse rose in my voice as tears stream down my cheeks.

Instead of apologizing, I leaned in and kissed her on her lips, I tightly pulled her in for a hug as I held onto the kiss, our tongues intertwine inside. Her voiced muffled as I held onto it, she melts under my embrace. Tears run down as I kept kissing her, she returned it.

“W-what took you so long..?” she asked me, wiping her mouth as she gently pushed me away. She wiped my tears away with her warm fingers. I wanted to address the elephant in the room, but I didn't know where to start. I….I don’t want to hide these feelings anymore.

“I couldn't accept your confession because I h-had conflicted feelings towards you and myself…,” I came forward with it. The truth hurts…but I want to move past this. I don’t want to recluse back to my old habits.

“I couldn’t tell if my love for you was maternal or not.…I only took pity on you because I saw you as my daughter, not as an equal…,”

My emotions escaped into the essence of those tears, and all I could think was her unbridled passion for me. I tried to calm down, but, with the way she broke my guard, I cried in her arms like a baby. Hiccups starts as my cries stain me, she gave me head-pats. She helped me up from the floor and we sat on a comfy couch that was next to us. I tried to wipe my tears away, calming myself down.

Although she had tore my guard (the walls in my heart), I was already at my lowest. I felt too vulnerable and I hated it.

“But I can't do that anymore...!! You're going to be the same age as me and I need to see you as my friend, if nothing else….” I utter breathlessly.

“I'm so sorry, Reina. I really am. I'm really am sorr-”

She pulled me in for a deep caring hug again, this time, humming a soft tone, which stopped me from talking. I was already at my final limits, and I didn’t know how she would respond.

I’m scared…!

Scared of what she would say…!

The last thing I don’t want to happen is to be rejected, not like this, or when my family discovered my preference...

“It's okay, I forgive you,” her voice, calm and assuring.

“H-how can you forgive me that easily…?! I was insensitive to you and pushed you away…!” I cried in front of her, not knowing how to accept that.

“True, you might’ve hurt me… but…,” she said, cupping her hands on my face with love, “my feelings for you haven’t changed one bit!”

“I am madly in love with you, Ruruka.”

“You were there for me at my lowest, and now it’s my turn to help you. Let me into your life, please.”

She lifts my chin up with her fingers, I look into her eyes with tears in my eyes, she wipes them away, as if it was nothing.

Her genuine love and affection for me made me realized that she’s not that timid girl anymore. She grew and changed in front of me, and that she could take care of herself. This protectiveness I have….only blinded my judgement. She’s not a child or someone’s daughter, she’s human, just like me.

“Then….,” my voice stutters as I try to find my words. “Will you go out with me…?”

Her voice became soft and elegant, saying, “of course.”

“I love you, Ruruka~” she omitted with love.

Hearing her accept my love for her completely made my guard crumble into bricks. It was all because of the genuine present she made for me.

It was made with a loving, open heart. I finally felt vulnerable, with complete feelings for her. And these maternal feelings were replaced with real, infatuated love for her.

“Can you call me “Hana,” from now on?” she asked me. I nodded in response with a happy smile.

That’s cute, calling her flower.

A present that came from afar, a person who was trapped in their past, now open and confident about herself….that was Hanako Reina.

Although my guard was high at the beginning of our first encounter, it was already being melted and broken, by her. I know we’re not perfect couples despite the long week of not seeing each other, but that’s fine. I’ve wanted to repair that lost relationship with her, and today was the perfect birthday to do that.

❥❥───────❥───────❥❥

The following morning, I had woken up suddenly with Hana in my arms. It somehow felt warm, before her body heated up more.

“Atsui..! You’re hot…!!” I jumped out of the futon, backing away from the immense heat her body emitted. Vapors trail off her body as I stare at her and it looks like she has a slight fever, even through that steamy exterior.

“Hana~” I gently nudge her, “wake up..!!” I got really concerned, due to the fact her body was acting strange. She groans as she gets up groggily, her shirt falls slightly off her shoulder. As I try to adjust it back for her, her skin felt super hot and I took my hand away.

“We have leave soon…” I say.

It is already 10 in the morning as the sun shines in from the open windows. We booked our stay for the night and need to leave before lunch.

“Ugh…not again…,” Hana complained. She holds her forehead with her hand, feeling it.

“Does this happen sometimes?” I asked out of concern.

“Yeah…but it’s easy to deal with…,” she replies as I watch the vapors disappear from her and small scales of snow form on her shoulders.

“I’ll just lower my body temperature to freezing. It should help cool me down..”

I got wowed by her awareness of her body and how she can control it, sometimes, I would get jealous even though I don’t have her abilities.

“A-are you okay now?” I asked her once again and she nodded.

“You have to get changed though…”

“Don’t worry about that! I can just do this!” She says as snow manifested and collected around her, forming a very pretty ice-like jacket with white tights and a pleated skirt.

“Woah! You can do that?!” I was surprised and she nodded happily. I touched her new remedial like clothes and it felt cool to the touch, like that of frozen snow and ice.

“It feels nice, doesn’t it?” she asked me as I kept feeling the coolness of her new apparel.

“Yeah!” I smiled, “it feels nice and cool!”

She takes my hand and it felt really cool, which I could get used to. Her abilities really amaze me, and that is also something I love about her. I got up and changed into new clothing, and we checked out of the room we stayed in at the front desk. Coming here fulfilled my bucket list. It was fun, and….intimate (I thought it was a dream, but we really had sex in the hot springs!).

“Look at the time!” I looked down at my phone, and it was already 45 minutes in, and we were about to miss our train, since it departs at 11:30.

“W-wait…!” Hana tugged my sleeve, “do you want to fly again?”

She offered a suggestion, but I replied, “we already paid for the train tickets, and if we don’t use it, it will be a waste!”

But then I had an idea, “why don’t we do that when we arrive in Tokyo?”

She eventually agreed and we hurried our way to Kyoto Train Station, and we got there just in time!

“Phew...!” I panted for air as we were finally in the train, going back home.

“We made it in time..!”

Hana had completely slouched over in our assigned seats, as running couldn’t really help her. She might be a powerful crow, but, she has a little bit of iron deficiency when it comes to being in her human form.

“You’re really tried, aren’t you?” I got up next to her to stretch my limbs after that very long run from the onsen to the station.

“Y-yeah..,” she gasped for air, “I don’t run as much…” she slouched over the table and looked at me.

“But can’t you just use your speed?” I asked her.

“Oh that? It’s only constrained to my bird form. It doesn’t carry over,” she explained to me, “but you have a great figure!”

“I try my best to stay active!” I used a towel to wipe away my sweat. After I was done stretching, I sat down next to her to relax. I watched her slowly doze off and I let her lean on me by my side. Her dozing face was cute.

❥❥───────❥───────❥❥

“Tokyo Train Station,” the intercoms spoke and repeated before the train stopped.

“Hana, hold my hand,” I held my hand out and she grabbed it. I don’t want to lose her through this busy street and crowds. We both got off as soon as the door opened, and we were met with a huge crowd that pushed against us.

“Ruruka…!” I felt her hand slip from me, but I instantly grabbed it back, pulling her towards me. I grasped her closely towards me as we stayed still, she kissed me out of nowhere. I suddenly hear people whispering and gossiping about us, kissing in the middle of the street and they put distance around us.

“Hey..!!” I gasp as I gently pushed her away, blushing at her affectionate display, “n-not in public….’

She held my hand as I shied away, because this is more for home, not the public streets. Now we’re getting some eyes on us.

“L-let’s go…”

We both walked amongst the busy streets until it died down, and we reached a spot where it was quiet, a nice grassy park that most people visit. There wasn’t anyone there today.

“You can transform now,” I told her. She happily turned into her bird appearance and I got on, and she took off into the skies. The wind brushed past us on a cool afternoon, and my heart blushed under the warmth of the sun. Eventually, we made it back the roof of the apartment safely. After she landed, she transformed back and we both went back to our complex.

“Hana…,” I tugged her sleeve before she went to put her stuff away in her room.

“I’ve been meaning to say this but…”

“Yeah…?” She tilted her hand as she came towards me.

“I’m glad that you broke the walls in my heart,” I lowered myself towards her, giving her a hug.

“Thank you.”

She returns the hug back, and I found myself with new feelings for myself and for her. I want this moment to last forever. I gave her a kiss on the cheek, she giggled. Returned the same to me.

Damnit. She’s too cute.

“Don’t mind me~” I cupped her face and kissed her on the lips. We held it. Intimately. Because I am happy with what I have.

She’s my treasure, and I would risk everything to be by her side.

“Mmppphf…!” her voice muffled under my kiss.

I let go, a lewd ‘pop’ sound echoed from it. Her mouth….her smell…her aura…? It was a very lovely and that kiss was delicious as hell. It felt like she ate strawberries before bed (I think it’s the toothpaste).

“Geez….baka…” she pouted but was also happy I kissed her.

“I love you, Ruruka.”

“Ooooh! Such a great confession! I wonder what’s next?” A tiny voice says somewhere in the pages.