The Taste of Your Lips

CHAPTER-17

The city had quieted down by the time I left my apartment, the streets unusually soft for a Friday evening. The usual buzz of nightlife had dimmed into a low hum, distant horns and occasional footsteps the only reminders that the world still moved.

Issei had texted earlier: “Meet me near the old bridge. 8 PM. Just us.”

My chest had tightened at the simplicity of it. No crowds, no social media, no flashing cameras. Just him.

I arrived a few minutes early, hands stuffed into my coat pockets, scarf wrapped high against the cold and also wearing a mask to keep my identity hidden. 

The bridge overlooked the river, faint reflections of streetlights glimmering on the water’s surface. I could see him already, leaning against the railing, his posture casual yet deliberate, like he had been waiting all day.

When he spotted me, his lips curved into that familiar, easy smile. It made my chest flutter in a way that was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying.

“Hey,” I whispered, feeling almost giddy at how ordinary it felt to be here with him, yet knowing how dangerous ordinary had become.

“Hey,” he replied softly, stepping closer, careful to keep the world at bay. “You look… nice.”

I flushed, tugging my scarf a little higher. “Thanks. You too.”

He chuckled, a low sound that seemed to vibrate in the cool air. “I meant it.”

We walked slowly along the bridge, side by side but not touching. Not yet. Not in public. Not where anyone could see. Every so often, our shoulders brushed, sending a tiny jolt through me. The quiet made everything more intimate, every gesture magnified by its secrecy.

“Feels strange,” I said finally, breaking the silence. “Being… like this. Just us. It feels… rare.”

“It is,” he admitted. “Which is why we should savor it.”

I glanced at him, a question in my eyes.

He tilted his head toward the river, voice low. “The label is already circling. Social media won’t stay quiet long, and you know how fast rumors spread. So… tonight, we make our own world. Just for us.”

I nodded, letting the words settle over me. There was tension there, an acknowledgment that the world outside this quiet bubble had demands, expectations but also care. He wasn’t just saying it to warn me. He was saying it because he wanted me to feel safe.

We found a small bench slightly away from the main walkway, tucked under a willow tree. Its branches swayed gently in the breeze, casting moving shadows across the pavement. We sat, close enough to sense warmth but careful enough to respect boundaries, letting the night wrap around us.

“So…” I said, fidgeting with my hands. “How do you… do this? Stay calm when everything else is spinning?”

He looked at me, expression thoughtful. “I don’t always. But with you… it’s easier. Less spinning. You ground me.”

The words hit me with unexpected force. My throat tightened. “Me?”

“Yes,” he said softly, tilting his head down just enough that the light caught in his eyes. “You notice things. You care quietly. You… make moments count, Kana. And I…” He trailed off, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. “…I don’t take that for granted.”

I felt my chest constrict, a warmth spreading through me. His fingers lingered just above my cheek, hesitant, reverent. “I… I like being with you,” I admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “Even when it feels… complicated.”

He smiled gently, finally letting his hand rest lightly on mine, thumb brushing across the back. The contact was small, but it spoke volumes. “Complicated doesn’t mean impossible,” he said.

We stayed like that for a while, watching the river shimmer beneath the dim lamplight. Words weren’t necessary. We had been talking for weeks, but sometimes, silence was the truest conversation.

Eventually, he leaned back slightly, looking at me with a soft intensity that made my stomach twist in the best possible way. “I know… things aren’t simple,” he said, voice low. “And I know you’re under pressure. Your label… the public. It’s a lot. I get it. I understand.”

I bit my lip, unsure how to respond. He did understand. And yet, part of me wanted to shield him, to tell him that he didn’t need to bear the burden with me. “I… I don’t want to put you in the middle of any of that,” I murmured.

He shook his head, thumb brushing my knuckles again. “You’re already in it. I just choose not to let it dictate how I feel about you.”

My heart leapt. His words were gentle, patient, protective. And yet, they carried that unspoken tension: the understanding that the world outside this bridge was waiting, that sooner or later, we’d have to face it.

“I wish… we could just stay here,” I said quietly, letting the sentiment slip. “No photos, no expectations. Just…” I trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought, not wanting to admit how fragile this moment felt.

“Just us,” he finished for me, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Then let’s enjoy it while it lasts.”

We talked for hours...

 or maybe it felt like hours, though the night only deepened slowly around us. We shared small confessions, laughed at absurd memories, reminisced about the quiet mornings in the library, the late-night café walks, the park bench where we had first admitted our feelings.

At one point, a fan appeared, wandering too close, eyes wide as recognition set in. She paused. “Oh! I… I didn’t want to bother you…”

Kana’s heart raced despite the attempt to not bring any attention. She tried to shrink into herself, to make herself invisible. Issei’s hand, still resting lightly on hers, tightened gently, just enough to communicate calm without drawing attention.

“Don’t worry,” he said quietly, voice low enough that only she could hear. “Go ahead, take your photo if you like. Just… keep it brief.”

The girl nodded, cheeks flushed, snapping a quick picture before retreating.

Kana exhaled, leaning slightly into him once the moment passed. “That… could’ve gone worse,” she whispered.

He chuckled softly. “Could’ve gone worse? That was perfectly fine. You didn’t have to vanish, and no one got hurt.”

She smiled faintly, heart still hammering. These small, secretive moments like this one were bittersweet. They were beautiful because they were theirs, and fragile because the world beyond the bridge was waiting, inevitable and relentless.

As the night deepened and the city lights reflected across the river, the weight of unspoken words and stolen moments pressed closer. Issei’s hand found hers again, thumb brushing soft circles across her knuckles, lingering a little longer this time.

“I don’t want this night to end,” he murmured, voice low, almost reverent.

Kana’s chest tightened. She tilted her face slightly, heart hammering. “Neither do I…”

He stepped closer, a subtle shift in proximity, careful yet deliberate. Their breaths mingled in the cold air, the sounds of the city fading into silence around them. The tension that had been threading through the evening the pressure of the label, the rumors, the outside world melted into the moment, leaving only the quiet gravity between them.

Then, gently, he leaned down. Their lips met in a soft, tentative kiss. It was brief at first, testing the water, the world outside held at bay. Her fingers intertwined with his, grounding herself in the warmth of him, the gentleness of his touch.

The kiss deepened, small but electric, carrying every word neither had said, every feeling they had carefully guarded. It was a kiss that was theirs alone, secretive and safe in the way only stolen moments could be.

When they finally pulled back, breath mingling in the crisp night air, Issei rested his forehead against hers. “Kana…” he whispered, voice thick with something unspoken.

She could only smile, her heart full, chest tight. “I… I don’t want to let go,” she admitted.

“You don’t have to,” he said softly, sliding his hand to cup her cheek. “Not yet. Not tonight.”

For a long moment, they stood like that, the world around them fading, leaving only their small, fragile universe hands entwined, hearts beating in tandem, lips just shy of touching again.

END CHAPTER-17