[Third Person Pov]
"Thank you for walking me home, you two," Haruna said, bowing her head as she stood on her doorstep, hands folded neatly in front of her.
Clark gave a simple nod in response, while Komi offered a small, gentle wave. Haruna smiled back at her and returned the gesture before stepping inside, the door quietly closing behind her.
Komi slowly lowered her hand. Clark glanced over at her, shifting his weight slightly. "Ready for me to walk you home as well?"
Komi hesitated, then quietly mouthed her response, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's no need… I don't want to trouble you with the trip back. You can just walk me to the station."
Clark shook his head almost immediately. "No. I wouldn't exactly feel comfortable letting you walk home all alone." His eyes lifted toward the sky, noticing the clouds beginning to darken, the air growing heavier with the promise of rain. Without waiting for further argument, he started forward, tilting his head slightly. "Come."
Komi gave a small, stiff smile, his tone making it clear he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Still, as she watched him start ahead, that stiffness softened into something more natural. She hurried after him with a light jog, quickly falling into step at his side.
They walked in silence for a while, the kind that didn't feel awkward or forced. Their footsteps were steady against the pavement as they made their way toward the train station, neither of them feeling the need to fill the quiet with unnecessary words.
Every now and then, Komi's gaze drifted toward Clark's side profile, studying him with quiet focus, as if trying to piece something together.
Eventually, Clark noticed. "What?" he asked, raising a brow slightly as he glanced back at her.
He wasn't prepared for the question that followed.
"Why are you so nice to me?"
"What—huh?" Clark blinked, caught off guard. Her voice was still soft, almost fragile, but the suddenness of it made him pause completely.
Komi kept her eyes lowered, watching her steps as she spoke. "You treat me differently than how you would treat everyone else… It's confusing sometimes. I sometimes feel like I haven't done anything to deserve it."
Clark stared at her for a moment, surprised. It was the most she had spoken at once since he'd met her, and it was clear this wasn't something she'd just thought of now. It had been sitting with her for a while.
"That's… a good question," he admitted after a brief pause. He reached up, scratching the back of his head as he exhaled softly. "I guess I just can't bring myself to be annoyed with you. Not to mention…"
He turned his head to look at her properly, his expression more thoughtful than before. "I'm starting to figure out that someone doesn't need to explicitly do something to deserve kindness. Kindness isn't really something you hand out based on merit. It's something you choose to give. It doesn't matter whether the person deserves it or not."
Komi slowed her pace slightly, looking up at him with quiet surprise.
"I'm kind to you not because you earned it or because I like you," Clark continued, his tone steady, "but because I decided to be. There doesn't have to be a bigger reason than that."
He slipped his hands into his pockets as they kept walking. "I don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to how I treat people. Half the time I'm irritated, the other half I just… don't care enough to try." He let out a small breath through his nose. "But with you, it's different. You're not loud about anything. You're not trying to force anything out of anyone. You just… exist, and you're trying your best in your own way."
Komi's fingers curled slightly against the fabric of her pants as she listened, her attention fully on him now.
"So I figured," Clark added with a small shrug, "if someone like you is putting in that much effort just to talk, then the least I can do is meet you halfway. Not because you earned it, and not because I owe you anything." He glanced at her again, his expression softening just a little. "But because I want to."
Komi's steps slowed just a fraction as his words settled in. "I see… Thank you," she said quietly, a soft, genuine smile forming on her face.
Clark looked away, a faint hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, yeah, don't mention it. Just don't complain about me walking you home or try to stop me, and we'll be good."
Komi let out a small, breathy chuckle and nodded, continuing beside him. By the time they reached the station and started down the steps, a light drizzle had begun to fall, the rain tapping softly against the pavement above them.
When Komi's train finally arrived, the two of them looked at each other and shared a small, tired smile. The moment the doors opened, it was obvious the train was already packed.
Neither of them said it out loud, but they both knew there wasn't much of a choice. The next one wouldn't come for another hour.
They stepped forward with the rest of the crowd and squeezed their way inside.
The space was tight, bodies shifting and pressing in from all sides as more people forced their way in. Clark glanced down at Komi almost immediately, noticing how stiff she'd become, how her shoulders tensed with every accidental bump.
He knew how bad things could get in crowded trains, especially in Japan. Sexual harassment was something that was unfortunately all too common.
So he acted before anything could happen.
Clark gently but firmly guided Komi back until she was standing against the closed doors. Then he stepped in front of her, bracing himself as he placed one arm above her head against the wall, creating a small space around her.
Komi froze at the sudden movement.
She kept her head down, fingers nervously fidgeting with the fabric of her blouse, unable to bring herself to look up. The distance between them was barely anything now, and she could feel it.
Clark, on the other hand, held his position without wavering. Even as people shifted and pressed from behind, he didn't budge, his stance steady like a wall.
For a moment, he just looked down at her.
Something about her expression, the way she avoided his gaze, stirred something within him. He found himself thinking back to his birthday celebration a few moments ago, to a brief moment where he'd seen a look of hurt flash by expression.
"I'm sorry…"
Komi blinked and slowly looked up at him, confusion clear in her eyes. "Why are you apologizing?"
Clark let out a small breath, a crooked, almost uncertain smile forming. "That's the thing… I don't actually know. I just feel like I should apologize for something."
Komi tilted her head slightly, still unsure. "Did you do something you need to apologize for…?"
"I don't know. Maybe?" he admitted, sounding just as confused as she felt. "Not that I'm aware of."
But even as he said it, that memory lingered. The look he'd seen back then stuck with him more than he expected, and it felt wrong to ignore it.
Komi lowered her gaze again, her fingers still lightly tugging at her blouse. She didn't respond, and the space between them fell quiet again, though this time it felt heavier.
A few stops passed. Some people got off, easing the pressure slightly, but the train was still crowded enough that neither of them could really move.
Komi hesitated, then spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper. "Can I ask you something…?"
Clark answered without thinking much about it. "Anything."
The word came out easily, and it caught him off guard for a second.
Komi took a small breath. "Did… did you lie to me?"
Clark's brow furrowed immediately. "What?"
She kept her eyes down, unable to meet his. "Before, when Lala transferred… you said that the engagement wasn't real…" Her voice faltered slightly. "But you went out… on a date… and then Lala had… marks…"
She trailed off, clearly too embarrassed to say it outright.
Clark's expression shifted as he pieced it together. "Ah… I see. I think I get what you're trying to say."
Komi's hands tightened slightly against her blouse. "I don't want to doubt you… and I know I'm not really in a position to question you…" she continued quietly. "But I couldn't help wondering if you were lying to me."
Her gaze stayed fixed downward, her expression faintly troubled, like she wasn't sure she even had the right to ask—but needed to anyway.
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