My body still hadn't fully recovered.
So when she grabbed my hand that tightly, it was inevitable that it would hurt—if only a little.
"Ah—" I let out a quiet sound before I could stop myself.
Elena immediately loosened her grip, almost throwing my hand away as if she'd just realized what she'd done.
"I-I'm sorry!" she said quickly. "I didn't mean to—are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I replied, forcing a small smile. "Really. Just… surprised."
She looked far more startled than I was. Her fingers hovered awkwardly in the air for a moment before she pulled them back to her chest, clutching them as if they no longer belonged to her.
Only then did I realize something.
Isn't this the closest we've ever been?
That thought alone made my chest feel strangely tight.
Her face—so close I could clearly see the faint tremble in her lashes, the way her eyes widened ever so slightly as she tried to read my expression.
And my hand…
