Emi let the comfortable silence stretch between them as they walked, hyperaware of Satori's hand still holding hers. His fingers were warm, slightly calloused, and wrapped around her smaller hand with a gentle but confident pressure. The simple contact sent tiny electric pulses up her arm, making her chest flutter with unfamiliar sensations.
"I can practically hear you thinking," Satori said, squeezing her hand lightly, his deep voice cutting through her reverie.
Emi laughed, her blue hair bobbing with the movement, those two distinctive antenna-like strands bouncing in sync with her mood. "Sorry! I just—this wasn't how I imagined today going at all."
"Disappointed?" His eyebrow rose slightly, creating a tiny crease in his forehead that Emi found herself wanting to smooth away.
"No!" She shook her head emphatically, perhaps a bit too eagerly. "The opposite, actually. This has been... unexpected but really nice."
