It wasn't a grand or decisive gesture; it was almost instinctive, as if my body had chosen before my thoughts. I felt her fingers tense for a second... and then grip mine.
Behind us, Kuro stopped.
She didn't say anything. She didn't protest. She simply took a step back, and then another, until her figure disappeared into the shadows of the street. I didn't follow her with my eyes. Not this time.
"Let's go home," I said softly.
Hikari nodded.
The walk was short, but long. Neither of us spoke. The city seemed quieter than usual, as if even the wind respected what we weren't saying. When we arrived, Hikari opened the door and we went inside without turning on the headlights.
We sat together on the edge of the sofa.
Too close to ignore each other. Too far away to touch.
The silence fell over the room like something physical, dense, almost suffocating. I could hear his breathing. I could feel the heat of his body. My hands rested on my knees, stiff, while my heart pounded.
Suddenly, Hikari moved. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye and saw her approaching. I was about to say something, to ask a question, but before I could react, I felt her lips on mine.
It was an awkward kiss. Brief. Tremulous.
She pulled away almost immediately.
"I'm sorry," she said, bringing a hand to her mouth. "I didn't... I shouldn't have..."
She looked up at me, her eyes shining.
"I was scared," she confessed. "When I thought I might lose you... I felt like everything was falling apart. That if you left, I wouldn't know how to keep smiling."
My face burned.
"Hikari..."
I didn't finish the sentence.
She leaned in again and kissed me again, more decisively this time, though there was still a fragility in the gesture. I felt my body relax, my thoughts become jumbled. When we separated, we were both flushed and breathing heavily.
Hikari was the first to back away.
She gave me space.
"If you want to talk about what happened," she said gently, "about Kuro, about everything... I'll listen. I don't want to force you into anything."
I looked at her.
Her expression wasn't demanding. It was respectful. Caring.
And then I understood something: speaking meant opening a door that wasn't yet ready to be crossed.
(Go Where the Light Is Enough)
It was an awkward kiss. Brief. Tremulous.
She pulled away almost immediately.
"I'm sorry," she said, bringing a hand to her mouth. "I didn't... I shouldn't have..."
She looked up at me, her eyes shining.
"I was scared," she confessed. "When I thought I might lose you... I felt like everything was falling apart. That if you left, I wouldn't know how to keep smiling."
My face burned.
"Hikari..."
I didn't finish the sentence.
She leaned in again and kissed me again, more decisively this time, though there was still a fragility in the gesture. I felt my body relax, my thoughts become jumbled. When we separated, we were both flushed and breathing heavily.
Hikari was the first to back away.
She gave me space.
"If you want to talk about what happened," she said gently, "about Kuro, about everything... I'll listen. I don't want to force you into anything."
I looked at her.
Her expression wasn't demanding. It was respectful. Caring.
And then I understood something: speaking meant opening a door that wasn't yet ready to be crossed.
(Go Where the Light Is Enough)
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