The winter air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of frost and bare earth. Kaede's steps echoed across the empty park, her breath forming small clouds in front of her face. She ran, scanning every corner, heart pounding.
There—under the skeletal branches of an old tree—she saw him. Jousuke was slumped on a bench, shoulders heavy, hands resting limply on his knees.
"Jousuke…?" she called softly, voice trembling.
He stirred, raising his head. For a fleeting instant, his tear-stricken eyes locked onto her, and in that moment, he thought he saw… his grandfather.
"…Grandpa?" he whispered, voice cracking, a mixture of longing and disbelief.
Kaede froze. "Grandpa?" she thought. Her heart skipped. Something was terribly wrong. The weight in his voice, the tears—he wasn't just upset; something had happened.
"Jousuke?" she repeated, stepping closer.
He blinked—once, twice—and the image before him shifted. The warmth, the familiar face—this wasn't his grandfather. This was Kaede.
"Kaede…?" he breathed, still shaking.
"Yes, it's me. I—I found you," she said, rushing to his side. But even as she spoke, her mind raced, piecing together what he had just said.
He didn't move away. Instead, the flood of pent-up emotion broke through. He lunged forward and hugged her, his body trembling against hers.
Kaede wrapped her arms around him, holding him steady. His tears soaked her sleeves, and she felt the raw anguish he had been carrying.
"I… I didn't know what to do…" he gasped, voice choked. "The pressure… whose feelings… I… I couldn't… And Grandpa…"
Kaede's grip tightened instinctively. "Wait… Grandpa?" Her voice caught. "Jousuke… your grandfather… he…"
He buried his face into her shoulder, muffling his words. "He… he passed…"
Kaede's heart sank. She felt the color drain from her face. "Oh… Jousuke… I… I'm so sorry. I… I didn't know…"
He exhaled shakily, voice trembling. "I didn't know how to face anyone… I thought… if I disappeared… maybe it would be easier… for everyone… for me…"
Kaede rubbed his back gently, whispering, "You don't have to do that. You don't have to hide from anyone anymore. You don't have to carry this alone. Not with me."
He lifted his head slightly, eyes glistening with tears. "Kaede… I was scared. Scared of making the wrong choice… whose feelings I should reciprocate… scared of losing anyone else… and then… Grandpa…" His voice broke.
Kaede's chest ached. She cupped his face, looking straight into his eyes. "Jousuke… you're not alone anymore. Let it out. Cry if you need to. I'm here. I won't leave."
He exhaled shakily, leaning into her hands. "I… I… Kaede…"
"It's okay," she murmured, holding him closer. "You don't have to explain everything right now. Just… stay with me for a little while. We'll face it together."
He nodded slowly, resting his head against her shoulder. The chill of winter felt softer somehow, the air lighter. The pressures—whose hearts he could return, the grief over his grandfather—remained, but Kaede was there. She was steady, unwavering, and he could lean on her fully, even for this fleeting moment.
Kaede's mind was spinning. She had no idea about his grandfather's death, and now she understood why he had disappeared. Her heart ached for him, but she also felt a surge of determination. She would help him bear this weight, no matter how long it took.