After countless attempts to convince Selene, the jealous queen herself, that I truly didn't know this was the place we ate our first soba, she finally went quiet.
Honestly, I should have recognized it. That day was hard to forget. She couldn't take her eyes off me — her gaze followed every move I made like I might vanish if she blinked. She was quiet, but her eyes spoke enough. That's just how Selene was: calm, unreadable, and yet somehow saying everything without a single word.
I glanced around now, noticing the same red lanterns hanging over the stalls, the smell of soy broth drifting through the air, and the faint sound of chopsticks clinking against bowls. Even the old man at the counter looked the same. How did she remember this place so clearly? Even the way the lanterns swayed? I swear, her memory is scarier than her ice magic.
She finally stopped talking about it, but I could tell she wasn't over it. Not really. Her eyes kept darting toward the stall signs like she was trying to prove a point silently.
"Do you want me to order a bowl of soba for you, Selene?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood.
She sat across from me, arms folded neatly, her posture straight and elegant like always. Her expression, though, screamed jealous girlfriend. Rei and Akari had already left a while ago — or, more accurately, they escaped. They said they were going for a stroll, but I knew they just didn't want to get caught in the froststorm that was Queen Selene's jealousy.
Selene tilted her chin slightly, her cool voice breaking the silence. "What's the point? You're already full by now. And I don't eat out. Or alone."
I sighed softly and leaned forward. "That's exactly what you said last time. You said you don't eat out because you're afraid of being poisoned. But then you ate every single noodle."
Her lips twitched into a faint smile, the kind that looked like she was fighting to keep her composure. "So you remember my words," she said quietly, her tone almost teasing, "but not the place of our very first date, Kisaragi?"
Her words stabbed right through me, calm and precise.
I groaned, rubbing my temples. "You know what? Enough, Selene. Let's change the topic. You were supposed to be here tomorrow, not today. Why are you here?"
For a moment, she didn't reply. The teasing faded from her face, replaced by something softer.
"Well," she said finally, her voice quiet but warm, "I missed my fiancé's face. And I wanted to surprise you."
I blinked, my heart skipping a beat.
She smiled faintly. "And I did surprise you, didn't I? You were shocked. And maybe… a little happy?"
I didn't answer, mostly because I couldn't. My throat felt dry.
Her eyes softened. "I missed you, Kisaragi. I really did. So much that I couldn't focus on anything else. You've started to become my weakness."
My breath caught.
Wait—what?
Did she just say I'm her weakness?
My brain refused to process that sentence. Her weakness? That's not the kind of thing Selene says casually.
For a second, I just stared at her, unsure if I heard right. The way she said it—quiet, steady, completely sincere—made my stomach twist in ways I didn't understand.
Why does that sound romantic… and terrifying at the same time?
I don't want to be anyone's weakness. The thought of it scared me, but the warmth that spread through my chest told a different story.
"Well, don't be," I said quickly, scratching my cheek, trying to hide how my face was heating up. "I'd rather be your strength than your weakness."
Selene's expression softened even more. The faint light from the lanterns danced across her silver hair, and for a second, she didn't look like a queen or a villainess—just Selene, the girl who once smiled over a bowl of noodles and called me her favorite nuisance.
"Wow," she said quietly. "You've changed. Looks like you've already fallen in love with me."
My brain short-circuited.
Her tone was playful, but those words hit harder than they should have. I tried to play it cool, but my eyes betrayed me—they flickered toward her lips before I caught myself.
My face burned instantly.
"Two plates of soba, please!" I blurted to the vendor, my voice louder than necessary.
Selene's shoulders shook slightly. She was trying not to laugh. "Aren't you full from all the bowls you already had?" she asked, tilting her head.
Before I could answer, the vendor arrived, setting down two steaming bowls in front of us. The smell made my stomach growl again, even though I was already full. The empty bowls disappeared from the table like they'd never been there.
"I can make room for more," I said, grabbing my chopsticks with forced determination. "I want to eat with you."
Selene blinked, her expression softening. The edges of her mouth curved upward, and she looked almost shy for a moment before she picked up her chopsticks too.
Her fingers moved gracefully, the faint steam from the bowl fogging the air between us. The warmth from the soba contrasted with the faint chill that always followed her, like she carried winter wherever she went.
She watched me take the first bite, her eyes tracing my movements, and then finally said, "Fine." Her lips curved into a small smile. "But this time, don't look at me like you're about to kiss me halfway through the meal."
I froze mid-bite.
Her words hit harder than any blade.
"I wasn't—" I started, but the noodles slipped from my chopsticks, and I nearly choked trying to recover my dignity.
Selene just watched, sipping her broth with quiet amusement.
Thinking about it now, she wasn't wrong.
When I ran to her earlier, I really was aiming for her lips. I didn't even think about it. My body just… moved on its own. My heart had taken over before my brain even noticed.
But she didn't kiss me. She just wrapped her arms around me instead—calm, composed, and frustratingly in control as always.
Still, that moment burned in my chest like something alive. Every second of it replayed in my mind, the warmth of her touch lingering longer than it should have.
I glanced up at her again. She was eating quietly now, her lashes low, her lips barely moving as she chewed.
For some reason, I couldn't look away.
Her hair shimmered under the light, strands of silver catching faint glimmers of gold from the flames nearby. The way she breathed, calm and even, the slight lift of her shoulders, the faintest curve of her lips when she swallowed—it all made my chest feel tight.
I wanted to kiss her. Not because it was romantic or because it felt right in the moment—but because I needed to. Because every time she looked at me, it felt like she could see right through my soul.
But I couldn't tell her that. Not yet.
So I just smiled instead, pretending to focus on my noodles, while my heart kept racing louder than the chatter around us.
I do want to kiss her, without saying it out loud.
So I'll have to steal it.