Mio walked through the dark night, gripping her gown's sleeves and moving with no fixed direction. Elsewhere, Denu and Belly walked alongside each other peacefully.
"Why were you there?" he asked.
"I… I don't… want to tell that." She avoided his gaze, her pupils tired.
"That's fine." He turned his head forward and continued walking.
"I didn't know where you were living," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
A pause.
"If I had, I would have returned."
Her grip tightened on his hand.
He didn't respond. The silence felt more soothing than it should have.
Their steps grew quieter in the darkness, only the moon watching them from above, following their every step like a shared soul.
"How much time will it take to complete this?" she asked, looking at him.
He lifted his gaze to the sky.
"After the moon reaches its peak."
The moon was still far from it.
He lowered his head.
Silence.
She slipped her free hand into her jacket pocket.
Noticing the gesture, Denu mirrored it almost subconsciously.
"Are you going to keep walking like this?"
A pause.
"Without turning," she added.
"It's our choice. We can stop walking if you want…" His gaze drifted to the surroundings. The trees. No light except moonlight. Their silence. The sound of cicadas.
"No, it's fine unless… your butt can't walk." She smiled at her failed joke, glancing at him.
"It can, I guess." A tiny smile tugged at his lips, just enough to avoid the awkwardness.
"You guess?" She raised an eyebrow.
He looked away.
"It's a hundred percent now."
"Before it was less… you're absurd." She tilted her head, trying to read his expression despite the darkness.
"Fine, I admit my defeat." He shifted his gaze to her face.
When their eyes met, she immediately straightened.
The stillness lingered longer than they wanted. Their minds searched for topics, exaggerating silence into something heavier.
Part of them wanted to pull away and rush through it.
Another part felt too comfortable to move, too soothed to call it pointless or awkward.
They were stuck in between, unable to choose.
"Just… curious. What happens if we let go of our hands?" she asked, her heart racing.
"It's just a ritual for forever closeness. Letting go breaks it. I guess."
"You're using 'I guess' too much." She plucked a leaf from a tree as they walked.
"Should I stop using it?" His fingers twitched, wanting to mirror her gesture, but his hand refused to move.
"It's your choice… it's just unusual." Her fingers played with the leaf.
Denu looked up. The moon seemed to be moving faster than it should, as if some external force was pushing it.
I'm being selfish. I know… but it's better to do this before anything happens.
He clenched his teeth.
"Did something happen?" Belly asked, noticing the change in his demeanor.
"No." He shook his head.
"Will we stay in the mansion after this?" She asked, an unnecessary question born from a lack of topics.
"Yes. Until I am the Ruler." He turned left.
"Are these clothes part of this ritual or traditional too?" She glanced at her leather jacket, rubbing her hand against its slippery, satisfying leather.
"These are," he answered quietly.
After constant walking, stopping, then walking again, the moon crept closer to its peak. Denu's nervousness grew. His composed face cracked under uncertainty.
Belly noticed nothing.
Her eyes were fixed on a large tree glowing in the distance, its light cutting through the darkness.
"Denu, what's that?" she pointed.
"It's Niheart. Planted by the Divine of Nature. It's a long story… I'll tell you someday." He smiled, hiding his emotions.
They reached the tree. Against its massive trunk, they looked like ants.
"It's beautiful." She touched the bark. Green particles drifted from its leaves, filling the night with light.
Her hand never left his.
"Even the leaves are heart-shaped." She stared upward, unable to reach them.
"You like it, don't you?" he asked, a chuckle escaping.
"Of course. Why don't we live here? Such a beautiful sight."
He nodded eagerly.
"Will something happen if I pluck one out?" she asked cautiously.
"No, but the leaves won't like it if you step on them," he teased with a smile.
She rose onto her toes, stretching her arm to grab at least one leaf. Even after several attempts, she couldn't reach it, sadly.
"This place is not good," she said sadly, though she wasn't talking about the place, only the fact that she couldn't reach the leaves.
"Now it's bad for you." He tilted his head, trying to read her expression.
"Maybe. But I wouldn't refuse if you agreed to live here." She turned toward him.
"How clever."
Denu's gaze returned to the moon. It had reached its peak.
He swallowed.
Without warning, he pinned her against the trunk, finally releasing her hand. She was too startled to react.
His lips met hers. Soft. Slow.
She tried to protest, but as he deepened the kiss, her resistance faded.
Her arms slid around his neck.
She kissed him back, desperate.
When he pulled away, relief and disappointment tangled in her chest.
"You shouldn't do that all of a sudden." A faint blush crept across her cheeks.
"It was… part of it." He rubbed the back of his head, then dropped his hand.
"Still, you should've warned me." She crossed her arms, pouting.
"Belly pouts too?" He teased, poking her chin.
She swatted his hand away.
"I can do whatever I want."
"But… I don't want anything like that yet." Her arms relaxed. "Maybe later. I'm still recovering. You know."
The blush on her cheeks deepened.
"As you wish." He wrapped his arms around her.
This time, she wasn't surprised.
"You better follow my orders, or you'll sleep in the courtyard." She lightly smacked his back, even as her grip tightened around him ever so slightly.
It took me days to learn kissing. All thanks to Edi.
Her blush vanished, replaced by fondness.