His trip to Akira’s had been underwhelming to put it mildly. After agreeing to help, she changed her mind and blew him off when they neared the church. Haru figured she didn’t want him entering the church without really believing in Illumin. Or, maybe she didn’t want to be seen associating with a ‘heretic’. He couldn’t blame her. After all, he refrained from taking her to the Rune Knight barracks out of fear that the two of them would have to deal with unpleasant encounters. It wouldn’t be fair to put her through something that he wasn’t willing to endure.

So, he didn’t argue and just nodded with a sigh when she told him it wasn’t the best place or time. He stood there and watched as she walked into the church, with a yearning look on his face as her figure receded. An old lady walking by mistook it for his love for Illumin and gave him a mini sermon. Out of respect for her age and innocence, he just smiled and nodded. When he noticed she was carrying a heavy bag of groceries, he offered to help, which he regretted soon. The lady wouldn’t stop talking about ‘his holiness’.

When he was finally freed from her, he made his way to the town hall. He was certain there were plenty of things that he could do to help the town get back on its feet. And so, the rest of the morning was spent leading a group of volunteers who had signed up to lay a new road wherever it was required.


Later in the afternoon, he headed to his office after lunch to see if there were any pending cases that he could close. As he turned the knob on his office door, he was interrupted by a rather rude teen. His hair and attired looked extremely shabby. Haru was certain this man wasn’t a Knight; at least not a Rune Knight. “Finally! So early to work,” the scrawny intruded muttered sarcastically as he fished something out of his pocket and held it out in front of him. Haru plucked it away from the man and looked at the envelope to see who it was from. He didn’t have to look at the name; he instantly recognized the handwriting. He looked up to thank the deliverer, but he was long gone already. Haru simply shrugged and entered the office to read the letter.

As he expected, it was a very curt letter with barely any details. She had asked him to meet her, and he couldn’t think of any reason why other than that favour he asked. Now that she was officially out—which he still had trouble accepting—they couldn’t even solve cases together without paperwork that took at least a month to go through. Haru was looking forward to the rest of the day and was quite excited. He gets to meek Akira and also work towards getting his magic under control. The young Lieutenant was grinning widely as he walked down the hallway.

Unfortunately, that grin didn’t last long. Walking towards him from the other end was Captain Baldanti. The captain had a nasty smile on his face; one that screamed trouble. “Lieutenant Hatsuharu! Are you not aware that getting private correspondence delivered to your office is against the rules?” he asked, rather loudly to catch everyone’s attention. Haru almost rolled his eyes as he saluted the Captain, but managed to stop himself. Sure, it was against the rules. But no one ever followed it. He was just nitpicking the stupidest rules to sound important. Alas! He couldn’t say it out loud. Instead, he had to respect ranks and apologize.

Haru thought it would end at the apology, but Baldanti wanted a formal complaint filed and made him sign it, accepting that he was at fault. He then personally added it to Haru’s file, in an attempt to provoke him. Haru couldn’t give a flying crap. He was more annoyed that he was late for his appointment with Akira than the fact that he had a ‘oh-so-bad’ black-mark in his file. “Are we done here, sir?” he asked, smiling a little too widely. Baldanti was annoyed that he couldn’t get to him and grunted his dismissal. Haru saluted once more and began walking briskly towards Akira’s apartment. He was going to have a good day and he wasn’t going to allow anyone to change that.

Thanks to Baldanti, he was a good half hour late. He didn’t want to mention his encounter with the spiteful Captain; so, he was thinking of a different excuse for his tardiness. Interviewing a witness for some case he was on sounded plausible and didn’t sound like something that would elicit further conversation about his delay, and thereby, further lies.

On his way, he walked past a flower shop. Winter was nearing its end, and the fragrance of the early spring flowers were alluring. Haru was already late, but couldn’t resist the temptation. He was almost certain that Akira wasn’t the kind of girl who liked flowers. However, he figured he would rather hear it from her than assume it.

The young florist invited him in with a pleasant smile. “What’s the occasion?” she asked. When Haru scratched his head and stuttered, she swiftly changed the question. “Is it for a girl?” she asked, giggling. He just nodded as he blushed. Haru was afraid he would have to ask the florist to rush the preparation. But there was no need. In less than a minute, she arranged a beautiful bouquet and he was back on his way.

He was finally at Akira's doorstep and he knocked. When he saw her, he was once again stunned by how beautiful she looked in that gown. This time, however, he didn't scan her from head to toe, but looked right into her eyes as he offered her the bouquet. “For you!” he said with a gentle smile. He let out a soft sigh involuntarily and his smile turned a little sad.

He realized, despite their differences, he really liked her. And not just liked her. He had never really wanted anyone or anything else as badly. The urge to pull her into a tight embrace and steal her away from the day-to-day turmoil was quite high; one that demanded a great amount of self-control. Besides, he wasn’t sure if she wanted that. Every time he was about to tell her how he felt about her, she had stopped him. Which could only mean she was fully aware of it, and didn’t want to vocally deny him.

He must have stood there for at least ten seconds, staring at her longingly before realizing what he was doing. He looked away swiftly and apologized for his delay, distracting himself from the overwhelming feelings he had for her. “Sorry I’m late. I was held up with a witness,” he lied, gulping at the end of that sentence, hoping that she didn’t ask what case he was working on. He hadn’t thought of that.

“Thanks for helping me with this,” he added. He was genuinely grateful for her agreeing to training him. He was afraid that their friendship would turn awkward because of the tensions between them; particularly, her new religious belief and his unrequited fondness for her. “Is there any open ground nearby where we can train?” he asked. Both of them knew that the church grounds and the Rune Knight barracks were out of the question. He didn’t want to voice it.

He had to bite his lower lip to stop himself from grinning when she stated that he was late. She never complained. Her stating the obvious in that matter-of-fact tone was the closest she ever got to complaining, and he found that amusing. He did go on to apologize for being late, but not before he gave her the flowers.

She didn’t deny the flowers or discard them without a second glance. So, the worst that he feared did not occur. In fact, as she turned away, he noticed her smelling the flowers. For a second, he thought this was one thing where she was like the other typical girls. He was proven wrong rather swiftly as she went on to mention how the flowers were going to die. “And I’ll bring new ones every time they die,” he replied immediately, and genuinely meant it. It was an excuse to come see her every other day. Why would he give up on that?

Haru remained in the living room, fiddling with the books on her shelf when she went to the kitchen to fill water in her vase—the same vase that she almost destroyed that morning. She mentioned some clearing nearby where they could train. He had been in Orchidia for quite a while, but had no idea what clearing she was talking about. He didn’t ask for the exact location and decided to just follow her.

When she returned to the living room, he finally noticed the peculiar amulet that she had left on the table. It was bright golden and had an allure—one that was both charming and ominous at the same time. He was about to ask what it was, but she spoke of it before he could. He was rather surprised when she mentioned that it was for him. He wanted to ask how the amulet was going to help. Just then, she picked it up and took a step towards him. And he froze in place.

The two had been in close proximity for a long time and he hadn’t felt anything this overwhelming. However, this time, the setting was too private. It was just the two of them, in her home. And ever since that day they hugged, he had wanted it again badly. Haru wasn’t sure if he would be able to refrain from pulling her into an embrace if she got that close. But, of course, he didn’t stop her either because he wanted it. So, he simply froze and only managed to nod slightly when she asked if she may.

As she stepped closer and worked the clasp behind his neck, her face was mere inches away from his. He looked right into her eyes and it did things to him that he couldn’t explain. His breathing became shallow and he could hear his own heartbeat. She had grown a bit taller than before—which she still hadn’t explained how—but he didn’t care for that explanation right then. In that moment, all he could do was not pull her closer and kiss her.

He gulped and just for a fraction of a second, he stopped caring about everything else. In that tiny window of weakness, he sprung into an action that he knew he wouldn’t be able to reverse. He wrapped his hands around her, pulled her close swiftly but gently, and his lips met hers. It was bliss. He felt like time froze everywhere except for the two of them. He had no idea how long the two stood there kissing, but he knew even eternity wouldn’t be long enough.

Eventually, he would come to realize that it was her whispering that had triggered him into kissing her. It was a gentle and soft tone that she took with no one else but him, and it had quite the effect. She kissed him back at first, but pulled away soon. He was reluctant to stop kissing and his head followed hers as she retreated.

He was afraid she was going to push him away. She didn’t, and he was glad. His hands were still wrapped around her and he held her in place, afraid to let go. He looked into her wavering eyes that told him she was unsure. Of what? He had no clue. Those dark eyes were so full of contrasting emotions; the kinds he had never seen her express. In that moment, he couldn’t understand her. And then came another mystery. She whispered once again; this time it was his name. But her tone didn’t convey her feelings plainly. It was as mysterious and complex as the girl in front of him, even if it was just one word.

Despite all that, he just wanted to pull her into a tighter hug and kiss her more. But his desire to know what she was unsure about was stronger. He wanted to know if she felt about him the same way that he did about her. He didn’t know how to phrase it, however.

Just then, he realized something. He had been a coward. He had always wanted her to understand him without him uttering the words, and respond accordingly. It was not fair. Not once had he said how he felt about her out loud. Sure… He just showed her how much he adored her through his action. But hoping she would speak when he was afraid to, was hypocritical. So, he swallowed the fear and spoke. She was still in his arms and his eyes still locked onto hers.

“Aki… I know I should have said this before I kissed you. But better late than never. I really like you and I want to be with you. You have no idea how much I missed you the past two years. I can see you are not entirely sure,” he paused and took a step back as he withdrew his hands. “I don’t know why. But I’m willing to wait. As long as it takes,” he added with a smile. He truly meant those words. He had no regrets this time. He had kissed her and she had kissed him back. No matter how things turned out, it was a moment that he would cherish all his life. But he very badly hoped he gets to kiss her like that every day.

He would give her time to respond, if she wished to. If not, he figured it was better to change the subject and allow her to think about it without much pressure. “Thank you for the amulet. Let’s go see it in action?” he asked, nodding towards the door.