After what happened with Mom, Aoi and I promised to be more careful.
No more late-night visits.
No more suspicious closeness.
…That lasted about three days.
Because the moment I saw her waiting for me behind the school gym, smiling brightly with her arms open, I couldn't resist.
"Haruto!" she whispered, rushing into my arms.
I hugged her tightly, burying my face in her hair. The world melted away. It didn't matter that we were on school grounds. It didn't matter that it was risky. All that mattered was that she was here, warm and smiling, holding me as if I was her entire world.
"You're crazy," I muttered softly. "What if someone sees?"
She giggled. "Then let them. I don't care, as long as I'm with you."
I wanted to scold her, but instead, I hugged her even tighter. I couldn't stop myself. Being away from her even for a few hours felt unbearable.
And that's when—
"Eh…?"
The voice froze us both.
We turned our heads slowly… and saw her.
One of our classmates—a cheerful girl from Aoi's class—was standing there, her mouth hanging open, eyes wide as she stared at us.
Aoi gasped, immediately stepping back, her face turning red. I felt my blood run cold.
"I-I can explain!" I blurted out.
The girl tilted her head, still shocked. "…Wait, Haruto… Aoi… were you two… hugging?"
Aoi's lips trembled, her hands clenching her skirt.
My heart pounded so hard it hurt. This wasn't Mom. This wasn't family we could brush off with excuses. This was an outsider. If rumors spread, everything would fall apart.
I forced a laugh, trying to sound casual. "Y-Yeah, I was just, uh… comforting her! She was feeling down, so—"
But the girl's eyes lingered on us. On how close we'd been. On Aoi's red face. On my panicked expression.
Her lips curved into a teasing smile. "…Ohhh, I see. So you two are closer than I thought."
My throat went dry.
"Don't worry," she added with a wink. "Your secret's safe with me… for now."
And with that, she walked off, humming.
Aoi and I stood frozen in silence, hearts racing.
"…We're doomed," I whispered.
"…Maybe not," Aoi said softly, though her hand slipped into mine, trembling. "But Haruto… even if the whole world finds out… I don't want to let you go."
I squeezed her hand back, staring at her determined eyes.
"…Me neither."