The capital had quieted slightly as the afternoon sun began to dip toward the horizon. Sho walked through a less crowded street, glancing around for any sign of Liyana. Despite her human guise, he could almost feel her presence, subtle and teasing, as if she were deliberately leaving hints for him to follow.
> She's sharp… clever… and definitely enjoying this, Sho thought, smirking.
He rounded a corner and froze. There she was, seated on the edge of a small fountain, her silver-white hair glinting in the sunlight, crimson eyes locked on him with that familiar playful sparkle.
> Sho… you're still chasing me? she asked, tilting her head, voice melodic.
Sho chuckled, stepping closer.
> Of course. I'm not letting you slip away that easily.
Liyana laughed softly, a warm sound that made his chest tighten in a way he couldn't explain. She gracefully stood, apple in hand, and tossed it lightly toward him — not to hit him, but as if marking the start of their next game.
> "You know," she teased, "this is what you get from what you did to me earlier in the crowd."
Sho's eyes widened slightly, then he laughed, shaking his head.
> That was payback for earlier, huh? Well, I'm ready this time.
She grinned, stepping lightly around him, keeping just out of reach. Each movement was deliberate, teasing, and controlled, yet her aura was so suppressed that Sho couldn't fully sense her power.
> She's having fun with this… and so am I, Sho thought, watching her carefully, but I'm not letting her make me look foolish.
Liyana darted around a market stall, and Sho followed, ducking under awnings and leaping over crates. Every time he closed in, she shifted with the fluid grace of someone far beyond his skill, yet never fully revealed her abilities. She giggled again, soft and genuine, and Sho felt a warmth spread through his chest — this chase, her presence, it was… comforting in a way he hadn't felt before.
Finally, she stopped at the fountain, leaning lightly on its edge, crimson eyes meeting his.
> "Not bad," she said, smiling, "you're persistent. I didn't think anyone could follow me this long."
Sho grinned, slightly out of breath, but his eyes softened.
> "I told you… I don't give up easily. Especially not for someone like you."
For a brief moment, Liyana's playful smirk softened into something almost tender, a rare crack in her perfectly controlled demeanor. Her heart warmed at the sight of Sho — someone chasing her, caring enough to persist, yet not overstepping.
> …He really is different, she thought quietly, letting a small, genuine laugh escape her lips.
Sho noticed the laugh and smiled wider.
> "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked.
> "Maybe," she admitted, crimson eyes glinting, "but don't think I'm done with you yet."
The sunlight glimmered off her hair as Sho approached slightly closer, and the air between them carried a subtle warmth, teasing tension, and the faint spark of something new — a bond neither had fully realized, but both were beginning to feel.