After putting on something more casual, I grabbed my keys and looked at Fyie. She was wearing my clothes, which I don’t think suited her very well... I mean... size-wise, not her face.

   Blushing, I took a hoodie from my closet and said, “Raise your arms". She obediently did as asked.

   While helping her put on the hoodie, I hid my true intention of shielding her from unwanted stares:

   “It’s cold outside. Wear this".

   Her eyes lifted slightly.

   “You’re lying... I think", she said in confusion, narrowing her eyes as if trying to see into the distance.

   “You... think?” I replied, even more confused.

   “I explained before that I can clearly see people’s inner feelings and expressions", she paused, assuming I understood.

   “And...?” I asked, trying to get her to continue.

   “And... for some reason, your soul is very blurry. I can barely see a color. It’s almost like steam", she finished.

   “Steam?” I asked, growing increasingly confused before finally opening a mischievous smile.

   “So that means you can’t fully read me?”

   She tilted her head to the left.

   “T-That’s right. But don’t think I can’t tell when you’re thinking something perverted", she emphasized boldly.

   “W-What?” I asked in shock, stammering while my cheeks burned.

   “It’s still vague, like now, but whenever you think about those things or get embarrassed, your soul becomes a little whiter and clearer than normal", she finished, leaving silence hanging in the air, only for both of us to burst into laughter at the situation.

   We lived in the capital, so shops and markets weren’t very far away. After a ten-minute walk, we reached our destination... the bakery.

   With her clinging to my arm, we moved slowly at the pace of her steps. Fyie seemed to be trying her hardest, as though I would leave her behind if she didn’t hurry.

   “You can walk calmly, we’re not in a rush", I said, admiring and respecting her effort.

   We slowed down further after the girl nodded, letting small strands of her silver hair fall forward.

   I stopped and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear, but the moment I touched her face, my body froze completely. I couldn’t move as I became more embarrassed with every passing second.

   Her small and delicate face grew warmer by the moment. Her white eyes met mine as though she could see directly through my desires.

   A strong breeze struck us, carrying countless blue petals from the beautiful flowers resting upon the enormous tree before us.

   The scenery was unbelievably beautiful, but the only place my gaze rested was on her face.

   I didn’t care about anything else around me. I didn’t care if there were people nearby, if the gates of hell had opened, or if the gods themselves were descending from heaven... I only wanted to stay there, watching her for one more moment.

   I became even more immersed in my feelings when her hand touched mine, which was still resting against her face. At that moment, I could no longer bear the distance between us.

   Our faces moved closer like magnets, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, not like a man and woman on a first date, but something beyond that.

   Nothing could stop us there. It was only the two of us in this chaotic world, and honestly, I truly needed nothing more. She had completed me in a way no one else ever had.

   Our lips were just about to meet when a tear rolled down her face like a small raindrop.

   I froze again.

   This time not from embarrassment, but from fear that I had pushed her too far. I hurriedly pulled away, creating some distance.

   “I’m sorry... I shouldn’t be doing this, after everything you’ve been through...", I said, trying to hide the sadness in my voice.

   “No... I’m the one who should apologize... I think... I’m still not ready...", she replied, turning away and lowering her head, unable to hide the emotional weight in her voice.

   Embarrassed by my actions, I looked to the right. The great blue tree, bathed by the river that divides our city in half, was visible from where we were, trembling beneath the cutting wind.

   ‘Seems like you’re not the only one trapped in the same place, huh?’, I thought to myself while staring at the bluish majesty.

   I was pulled from my thoughts when I felt a small tug on the collar of my shirt. Fyie seemed to want to say something.

   “What is it?” I asked gently.

  “C-Can we... buy food?”

   Her flushed face made something click in my mind, reminding me of the hunger we were both feeling.

   “Of course", I said, turning toward the bakery while wondering just how adorable she could still become.

   Inside the shop, I searched for the freshly baked bread, occasionally asking my companion about her tastes and preferences.

   Still, we remained trapped in that earlier moment and couldn’t manage a longer conversation.

   Our list was almost complete. It was mostly a bakery, but I could still find everything we needed for the week. Lost in thought, an orange suddenly fell from the bag.

   When I bent down to pick it up, however, I felt something click, and a violent chill ran down my spine.

   Fyie let go of my arm, and in that moment, when only the floor filled my vision, my mind felt... fear.

   Putting all the strength I had into my neck, I turned my head as fast as possible, and she... wasn’t there.

   I turned again toward the entrance, looking for the automatic door that hadn’t made a sound. Even if she had run, there hadn’t been enough time for her to reach it.

   I looked at the only employee standing near the door, no longer caring to hide my panic.

   “Hey, did you see the girl who came in with me?” I said, almost shouting at the thin, average-height man whose long strand of hair covered one eye.

   The man jumped, clearly startled by the force of my voice.

   “B-But sir... you came in alone", he whispered.

   My eyes widened, and my hatred began to rise. I knew that pure-hearted girl would never run away without reason.

   I turned one last time toward the place where she should have been, and almost imperceptibly, I saw a small black spark.

   Maybe it was just my imagination... but anything could help.

   I was furious at myself.

   I couldn’t protect her anymore.

   Fyie… had disappeared...