- gandpa
The chime of the shop bell jingled above them as Kiyotaka and Kaoruko Waguri stepped out of Café Fleur Douce, each holding a little box tied with a pastel ribbon. The late afternoon sun cast warm gold across the town, and the air smelled faintly of vanilla and summer wind.
They walked in silence for a few blocks until they reached the quiet green of the neighborhood park.
Waguri plopped down on a wooden bench and patted the spot next to her. "Come on, let's eat before the cream melts."
Kiyotaka sat beside her and opened his box. Inside was a small lemon cream tart with powdered sugar and lavender petals. Hers was a peach blossom shortcake, light and pink.
They ate quietly for a few minutes, surrounded by the soft rustle of trees and the distant giggles of children in the playground.
Kiyotaka took a sip of the tea Waguri had packed in a little bottle and looked over at her. "You've been quieter than usual today."
She glanced at him, then looked away quickly. "Am not."
"You're not usually shy around me."
She flicked a crumb off her lap. "I'm not being shy. You're imagining things."
"You're red."
"I'm warm," she said quickly.
"Is it because of what that girl said today?" he asked.
Waguri froze.
"...About me being good-looking?"
Her shoulders jerked, and she covered her face with one hand. "It's not that."
"So you don't think I'm good-looking?"
She whipped around, eyes wide. "No! I mean—yes! I mean—wait, no, I mean yes, you are good-looking!"
Kiyotaka blinked.
Waguri's face burned bright pink. "I just didn't want to admit that that girl was right. Not because she was right, but because—agh, I don't know!"
She hunched her shoulders and made a soft little whine, like an embarrassed puppy. "This is so unfair..."
"You're acting shy."
"I'm not shy! I just—"
She groaned and then softly tapped his shoulder with her fist.
Kiyotaka stared down at the spot where she hit him. "That didn't hurt."
But her eyes widened in panic anyway. "Did I hit you too hard?! I'm sorry!"
Kiyotaka was perfectly still.
"You're still not hurt, right? Please tell me you're not—"
"I'm fine," he said.
But she didn't let go.
She stayed like that, clinging softly to his side, her face buried in his shirt.
"...You're still hugging me," he pointed out.
Her voice was muffled. "If I move, I'll explode from embarrassment."
"Stop being so logical while I'm panicking!" she squeaked.
Kiyotaka blinked once, then... relaxed.
He let her stay there.
They sat under the trees, sun drifting through the leaves above, her heartbeat lightly thudding against his side. After a minute, she peeked up from his shirt, still hugging him.
"...I like calling you Kiyotaka now," she mumbled. "Feels more personal. Less like you're a ghost trying to hide from the world."
"I wasn't hiding."
"You were definitely hiding," she said, now gently poking his cheek. "But that's okay. I want to see the real you. Even if it's little by little."
He didn't reply at first.
But then, quietly, he said, "I don't mind if you call me that."
She smiled, still hiding half her face. "Good."
The park grew quieter as the sun dipped low. The trees rustled gently. And under all of that, the soft warmth between them lingered—wrapped in hugs, fluttering hearts, and the shared sweetness of cake.