Days turned into weeks, and then extended into months.

During this time, Nagisa made steady progress in his work, and his income became more stable than it had ever been.

Meanwhile, he grew closer and closer to Nyoko, until her laughter and voice became an inseparable part of his day; that voice that came from her throat every time she called his name played a melody on his heartstrings that he never grew tired of.

He could no longer contain his feelings, so he gathered his courage one chilly autumn day and asked her to meet him in the park across from their workplace during the break.

Nyoko had no idea about Nagisa's true intentions, but her curiosity drove her to go.

During the break, she excused herself from her friends, saying she had to step out for a while, and then headed to the park.

The air was fresh, and the park's trees were beginning to adorn themselves with the warm autumn colors of yellow and orange.

Nyoko entered the park, scanning the place with her eyes until she found Nagisa sitting on one of the benches, his hands clasped together as he stared at the ground.

She approached him with a warm smile on her lips.

"Hello, Nagisa."

Her sweet voice calling his name made his heart tremble, and he realized what was coming. 

Nagisa felt a sense of panic, like a middle school student about to confess to their crush.

He cleared his throat and stood up, trying to calm himself before responding.

"Hello, Nyoko."

But his tongue got tied, and he could only say that greeting. 

His heart was filled with words that remained unsaid, words his tongue couldn't express.

Nyoko sensed something strange in Nagisa today, and a heavy silence began to hang between them. 

She gave him a warm smile, tilted her head slightly, and then broke the silence.

"You asked to meet me?"

"Yes! Yes, I did."

Nagisa said, louder than he intended, his nervousness showing. 

But he quickly realized the sharpness of his voice, so he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm his heartbeat. 

He had made up his mind… either now, or never.

He began speaking, releasing what had been locked in his heart for so long.

"Since my birth, I've felt that bad luck follows me with every step I take, and with every breath I breathe. But from the moment I started following your movements with my eyes, I no longer understood what had happened to me.Your voice shakes my heart, and your laughter turns my worst days into the best ones. I see you in my dreams every night, and my tongue fails to describe what I feel for you. And honestly… I love you, Nyoko."

Nagisa let out everything from his heart, as if a boulder had finally been lifted from his chest.

He sighed with relief, a sigh he had been holding in for months, then raised his head to see Nyoko's reaction.

He found her face flushed with embarrassment, her eyes wide open, her hands pressed against her chest in a desperate attempt to calm her racing heart.

At that moment, Nagisa realized he had said more than he should have…

The color red crept into his face too, so he tried to ease the intensity of the moment by saying, with a nervous smile.

"Hey, hey... it's okay if you don't feel the same way.

I mean, I just wanted to tell you what's in my heart, nothing more."

Nagisa said hastily, trying not to make her feel like he was forcing his feelings on her or obligating her in any way, while Nyoko slowly separated her hands from each other.

 A playful smile appeared on her face, accompanied by a faint blush that made her cheeks resemble spring flowers.

She took a step closer and replied in a playful tone to ease the tension that had settled in the air.

"Why didn't you tell me this from the beginning? I thought you came to ask me to cover your shift! Hehe~"

"What?! Why would that cross your mind?!"

Nyoko burst out laughing at his bewildered expression, and it didn't take long before Nagisa joined her in the laughter, a sincere laugh that came from deep within, feeling lighter than he had in a long time.