Part 3

The constant thunder, along with the storm that sent raindrops crashing relentlessly against the windows of the Nakama sisters' house, created a merciless assault.

“«The phone you are calling is either off or out of coverage...»” echoed from the other end of Nasai's mobile device, as she grew more worried about her sister's absence. Three hours had passed without any sign of Yuna, and the weather was anything but favorable. Despite all the calls and messages she sent, no response came. And as the hours slipped by, anxiety and concern grew steadily within her.

So, while holding her phone, ready to attempt reaching Yuna once more, Nasai peeked through the sheer blue curtains of the dining room, hoping to spot her sister among the passersby on their colorful street. Yet, she saw no one familiar—until she noticed a recognizable face: a young man with an angelic appearance, his long blonde hair flowing, enjoying the majestic view of one of France’s most famous canals.

A soft smile appeared on Nasai’s delicate face, and with a swift gesture, she grabbed her black umbrella and one of the many jackets hanging on the coat rack, rushing outside toward her anonymous hero.

Curiously, Nasai didn’t feel the need to shield her smooth skin from the biting winter weather. In fact, she lacked the sensation of both cold and heat; however, since she had endured much teasing in her childhood for her odd choice of clothes—often inappropriate for the season—she had developed the habit of hiding this anomaly from others, dressing as appropriately as possible for each time of year.

“Excuse me…” Nasai said almost in a shy whisper as she stood behind the handsome man.

The blond young man turned toward the timid voice from behind, and they found themselves face to face, standing together under the pouring rain.

“You’re the guy from yesterday…” Nasai added with difficulty, blushing slightly. “The one who took me to the infirmary. You’re...”

“Nick. My name is Nick,” he finished her sentence calmly with a dazzling smile.

“I didn’t get the chance to thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he reassured her, not missing a single detail as he watched her.

“I’d like to invite you for a drink,” Nasai suggested to Nick as she slowly approached him, pulling her phone out of one of the pockets of her long green dress.

“I’m in a hurry right now.”

“Can I give you my phone number? I’d like to thank you properly for what you did.”

Nick hesitated as he looked at the young Nakama, and without taking his eyes off her for even a moment, his gaze darkened slightly. It was such an intense look that a surprising warmth spread through Nasai’s body, causing her cheeks to flush even more.

“Sure,” Nick finally agreed after a long silence, his expression suddenly shifting to a more cordial one.

“Call me when you can,” Nasai said after they exchanged numbers, waving goodbye as she returned to her house.

As the young Nakama crossed her home's threshold, a faint smile played on Nick’s face. With a gesture that was both melancholic and tender, he whispered softly under his breath:

“She’s still the same... so trusting.”