Subtile shadows

 Yumehime didn't answer right away. Our hands were still intertwined, but her gaze drifted away, as if searching for something that wasn't there. "Telling you about me..." she whispered softly. She paused. "It's not that simple." There was no sadness in her voice. But no lightness either. Just... sincerity. She lowered her gaze for a moment, observing our hands. "There are things that shouldn't be told right away. Not because they're secrets..." She looked up at me. "...but because they change the way people look at you." I remained silent. I didn't know what to say. We walked a little further. Slower this time. At one point, Yumehime stopped. She didn't say anything. She looked down a side street for a moment, then quickly looked away. Her fingers moved slightly in mine. Almost imperceptibly. "It's strange..." she murmured. "When people look at you... without really seeing you." Her words affected me more than I cared to admit. I wanted to ask her more. I wanted to understand. I wanted to know what she was hiding behind those words. But I didn't. "One day..." she said softly. I looked at her. "...maybe I'll tell you." She didn't add anything else. It wasn't necessary. She squeezed my hand lightly. I reciprocated. Without asking questions. Without haste. And, for the first time, I understood that knowing someone... doesn't mean knowing everything right away. "Okay, there's no need to tell me everything right away, let's take it easy." A small smile, different from the usual ones. More fragile. More real. "Take it easy..." She repeats softly, almost to herself. Then she raises her eyes to you. There's no longer that perfect security of the night. There's something more human. "I'm not used to it." A pause. The wind moves her hair slightly. "Usually... people want to know everything right away." Her fingers move slightly in your hand. "And when you don't give it to them..." A half smile, a little bitter. "...they stop staying." Silence. Then he really looked at me. "You, on the other hand..." He pauses. Then, softly: "...you're not running away." It's not a question. This time with more confidence. "Thank you, Hayato." I remained silent and smiled. Our hands were still intertwined. Then... A sound. Heels on the asphalt. A distant laugh. Yumehime stopped.

Not completely. Just a moment. Her fingers tense slightly in my hand. Across the street, a man leaning against a car is talking to someone. Nothing strange. And yet... She looks away immediately. Too quickly. Her breathing changed slightly. “Let's go somewhere else.” She said it softly. I didn't understand. Not completely. But I understood enough. “Okay.”

Simple. No questions asked. We started walking in the opposite direction. A little faster than before. After a few seconds, her pace slows again. Her breathing returns to normal. But not completely. “Sorry…” she murmurs softly. “I don’t like certain places.” Silence. Then she adds, almost inaudibly: “And certain people.” I was confused and said, “Oh? Sorry… maybe the park wasn’t a good place for a first date?” She shakes her head slightly. “No.” A pause. Her fingers move between yours, slower now. “It’s not the place.” She looks up at you. She doesn’t seem annoyed. She doesn’t seem angry. Just… a little distant. “If I were with the wrong person…” “Even the most beautiful sky would become heavy.” Then her gaze softens. “So no.” A small smile, more sincere. “The park is fine.” A step closer. “And… the sun too.” A brief silence. Then she adds, more quietly: “It's just that…” She hesitates. “There are times when I prefer not to be seen by everyone.” Her fingers lightly squeeze your hand. This time with more awareness. “But not by you.” She says it without looking at you immediately. I, still confused and a little amused, said, “So I'm special? Heheh.” She smiled. She's not teasing. She doesn't immediately confirm. “Special…?” She repeats quietly. As if considering the word. “I don't know yet.” A brief silence. The wind moves the blue flower in her hair. Then she adds, in a softer tone: “But you're different.” His eyes meet yours. This time he doesn't look away. "And, for now..." A short pause. "...that's enough for me." A half smile. Then, with a hint of mild mischief: "But don't get too big for your boots." I laughed softly and tried to change the subject. "Do you like ice cream?"