The Morning Came Slowly, The Sunlight Soft And Pale As It Filtered Through The Curtains.
Ren Opened His Eyes, Still Caught Somewhere Between Dream And Memory. For A Moment, His Mind Felt Blank — Just The Quiet Hum Of The World Outside His Window, The Gentle Beat Of His Own Heart.
Then It Hit Him.
Last Night.
The Bridge.
The Lights.
Her Words.
The Kiss.
He Sat Up Slowly, A Hand Covering His Face As A Small Smile Pulled At His Lips. "Did That Really Happen…" He Whispered Under His Breath, Still Half-Disbelieving. The Warmth That Spread Through His Chest Told Him It Was Real.
Across Town, Miyu Lay Awake Too. Her Pillow Pulled Close Against Her Chest, Heart Still Beating Faster Than Normal. She Stared At The Ceiling For A While, Then Let Out A Quiet Groan.
"I Actually Kissed Him… Just Like That."
She Turned, Buried Her Face Into The Pillow, And Let Out A Small Squeal — Half Embarrassment, Half Happiness.
And That's When Her Door Slammed Open.
"Good Morning, Sis~" Yui Sang Out As She Peeked Inside. "You Look… Really Happy Today."
Before Miyu Could Even Reply, Her Older Brother Stepped In Behind Yui, Arms Crossed, A Smirk Already Forming. "Well Well Well… So This Is What A Love-Struck Face Looks Like."
"W-What Are You Talking About?" Miyu Tried To Sound Calm, But Her Voice Cracked At The End.
Her Brother Raised An Eyebrow, Walking Closer Like He Was Inspecting A Rare Discovery.
"Oh Come On, You Think I Didn't Notice Yesterday? You Came Home Looking Like You Were Floating. Tell Me, What Did You Two Do?"
Yui Blinked, Turning To Miyu, "Wait—You And Ren…?"
"Yui, Don't—!"
But It Was Too Late. Her Brother's Grin Only Grew Wider. "Oh No Way. You're Blushing Like That Means—You Did Something, Didn't You?"
"W-What— No! I Mean— Just Go Away!"
"Come On~ I'm Just Curious! What Did He Do To You—Or Was It You Who—"
"GET OUT OF MY ROOM, YOU FUCKING CREEP!"
The Pillow Hit Him Square In The Chest. Yui Tried (And Failed) To Hold Back Her Laughter As Her Brother Stumbled Back Out The Door, Laughing Loudly. "Fine, Fine! But I'll Find Out Eventually!"
When The Door Finally Closed, Miyu Collapsed On Her Bed, Face Burning.
Her Hands Covered Her Eyes As She Whispered, "Why Did I Even… Kiss Him So Suddenly…"
But Slowly, That Embarrassed Frown Melted Into A Tiny Smile.
"…Still, I Don't Regret It."
—
Meanwhile, Ren Was Having His Own Problem.
Riko Bursted Into His Room Without Warning, Holding A Piece Of Toast In Her Mouth.
"So~ Big Brother~ How's Your Girlfriend?"
Ren Nearly Choked On His Water. "What—"
Riko Grinned, Sitting Cross-Legged On His Bed. "You Think I Didn't Hear You Talking Last Night When You Came Home? You Were Smiling Like An Idiot. So~ Tell Me Everything."
"Riko, Stop Making Things Up."
"Oh, I'm Not Making It Up. You're The Easiest Person To Read. I Can Practically See The Hearts Floating Around Your Head."
Ren Turned Away, Trying To Hide His Smile.
And That Was All She Needed.
Riko Jumped Off The Bed, Pointing Dramatically. "Aha! I Knew It! You're Officially Dating!"
Ren Sighed. "You're Impossible."
"I'm Amazing," She Replied Casually. Then Grinned, "So, When's The Wedding? I'll Start Practicing My Flower Girl Walk!"
"Riko—"
"Oh Wait, Should I Call Her 'Sister-In-Law' Now?"
Ren Groaned, Throwing A Pillow At Her As She Laughed And Ran Out.
Her Voice Echoed Down The Hallway, "Finally, My Boring Brother Is In Love!"
Ren Leaned Back Against The Wall, Smiling Quietly To Himself.
He Didn't Deny It.
—
A Little Later, His Phone Buzzed.
[Miyu]: Good Morning…
[Ren]: Morning. Slept Well?
[Miyu]: Kind Of. My Brother Found Out.
[Ren]: Riko Too. She's Planning Our Marriage Already.
[Miyu]: Oh No…
[Ren]: Yeah. I'm Considering Moving To Another Country.
[Miyu]: Let's Move Together Then.
A Short Pause.
[Ren]: That… Doesn't Sound Too Bad.
[Miyu]: Don't Start.
[Ren]: Alright, Alright. Should We Tell The Group?
[Miyu]: Yeah, Before Someone Else Does.
[Ren]: Café, 4PM?
[Miyu]: Sure. Same One.
—
The Afternoon Sun Hung Warm Over The Town When They Met At The Café — The Same One They'd Gone To After Their Group Project.
The Place Looked Almost The Same, But Somehow, Everything Felt Different.
Kaito, Chika, Vicky, And Mahito Were Already There, Sitting Around The Familiar Corner Table.
As Ren And Miyu Walked In Together, All Four Turned Their Heads — And Smirked.
Kaito Leaned Back With A Grin. "Ohh, So You Two Decided To Come Together, Huh?"
Chika Clasped Her Hands Dramatically. "How Cute~ Look At Them."
Vicky Laughed. "I Knew It."
Mahito Added With A Teasing Tone, "Finally, Man. Took You Long Enough."
Miyu Looked Down Slightly, Trying To Hide Her Blush, While Ren Rubbed The Back Of His Neck.
He Glanced At Everyone And Said Quietly, "We… Started Dating."
For A Moment, Silence.
And Then — Chaos.
Chika Nearly Jumped From Her Seat. "YES, FINALLY!"
Kaito Pointed At Her With Mock Outrage. "I Called It First!"
Vicky Leaned Forward, Laughing. "You Literally Confessed Right After Exams, Didn't You?"
Mahito Smirked. "Bro, You Owe Me Snacks. I Told You She Liked You."
Ren Couldn't Help But Chuckle As Miyu Hid Her Face Behind Her Hands, Her Ears Bright Red.
Even Through All The Teasing, There Was A Warmth In The Air — The Kind That Made The Moment Feel Light And Alive.
They Talked, Teased, And Joked About Their Teachers, Making Plans For After Graduation.
Every Glance Between Ren And Miyu Carried That Quiet Kind Of Happiness — Something That Didn't Need Words Anymore.
—
Kaito Stretched His Arms Above His Head, Leaning Back In His Chair With A Loud Yawn. "Man, Sitting Around's Boring. Let's Go Somewhere."
Chika's Eyes Lit Up Instantly. "Yes! We Should Totally Go Out! Like, All Of Us. It's Been Forever Since We Hung Out Outside School."
Vicky Smirked. "You Just Want To Third-Wheel Them, Don't You?"
Chika Shot Him A Look. "Excuse Me? I'm Helping Them Create Memories."
Mahito Grinned. "Yeah, By Following Them Everywhere."
Ren Gave A Small Smile. "So… Where Do You Want To Go?"
Kaito Thought For A Moment, Tapping His Chin. "How About The Zoo? It's Nearby, And It's Been Renovated Recently."
Chika Clapped Her Hands. "Perfect! Let's Go Before I Change My Mind!"
And Just Like That, Their Day Shifted From A Café Hangout To A Spontaneous Outing.
—
The Afternoon Sun Had Softened By The Time They Reached The Zoo. The Pathways Were Lined With Bright Banners And Families, Children Holding Ice Creams, Couples Walking Hand-In-Hand.
Chika And Kaito Walked Ahead, Already Bickering About Which Animals To See First.
Vicky And Mahito Trailed Behind Them, Talking About Random Things — From Food To Future Plans.
Ren And Miyu Walked In The Middle, Close Enough That Their Shoulders Brushed Every Now And Then.
Chika Turned Back With A Teasing Smile. "Hey, Lovebirds, Which Way? Lions Or Penguins?"
Ren Shrugged Lightly. "You Decide."
Miyu Looked Up, Smiling Softly. "Penguins."
Kaito Groaned. "Of Course She Picks The Cute Ones."
They Walked Through The Pathways, Stopping At Every Enclosure.
Kaito Tried Mimicking A Monkey's Expression, Which Made Everyone Laugh So Hard That Even Miyu Had To Hide Her Face.
Chika Pointed At Him. "You'd Fit Right In There."
Vicky Added, "He's Been Training For This His Whole Life."
Kaito Looked Offended. "At Least I'm Entertaining!"
They Took Pictures Together — Group Selfies, Funny Poses, And Even A Few Candid Shots That Caught Ren And Miyu Smiling Quietly At Each Other.
At One Point, A Little Kid Dropped His Cotton Candy Near Miyu's Foot, And She Bent Down To Help Him. Ren Watched, A Small Smile Forming Without Him Realizing.
Mahito Nudged Him. "You're Smiling Like A Guy In A Drama Scene."
Ren Looked Away. "Shut Up."
Mahito Grinned. "Ah, True Love Makes People Soft."
Later, When They Reached The Penguin Exhibit, Miyu's Eyes Lit Up With Genuine Excitement.
"They're So Cute…" She Whispered, Pressing Her Hands Against The Glass.
Ren Looked At Her More Than The Penguins. "Yeah… They Are."
Miyu Turned, Catching His Gaze, And Looked Away Quickly, Her Ears Turning Red.
Chika, Of Course, Noticed. "Aww, Did You Two Just Have A Movie Moment?"
Kaito Pretended To Wipe A Tear. "So Romantic. Nature Truly Inspires Love."
Miyu Tried To Stay Composed, But Her Smile Gave Her Away.
Ren Just Sighed, Shoving His Hands In His Pockets. "You All Need Hobbies."
They Continued Wandering — Through The Aviary, The Aquarium Tunnel, The Butterfly Garden.
Vicky Tried To Get A Butterfly To Land On His Head And Screamed When It Did, Making Everyone Burst Into Laughter.
Chika Took A Photo. "This Is Going Straight Into The Group Chat."
When Evening Fell, They Bought Snacks From A Stall — Hot Corn, Lemonade, And Ice Creams.
Miyu Sat Beside Ren On A Bench While The Others Laughed Nearby.
The Sky Had Started To Turn Orange, The Sounds Of The City Mixing With The Distant Animal Calls.
Ren Handed Her An Ice Cream. "Here."
She Looked At Him. "You Didn't Have To."
He Smiled Lightly. "I Wanted To."
For A Moment, Neither Said Anything.
The Air Felt Gentle — Not Awkward, Just Quiet.
Miyu Looked At The Others Laughing, Then Back At Him. "It's Nice… Being Together Like This."
Ren Nodded. "Yeah. It Feels Right."
Before She Could Respond, Kaito's Voice Broke The Calm. "HEY! COUPLE CORNER'S OVER, COME TAKE A GROUP PHOTO!"
Miyu Groaned Softly. "He's Too Loud."
Ren Chuckled. "He Always Is."
They Joined The Rest For One Last Picture Before Leaving — Everyone Laughing, Some Making Funny Faces, Some Just Smiling Genuinely.
As They Walked Out Of The Zoo Under The Evening Sky, Chika Whispered To Miyu, "You Two Looked So Cute Sitting Together."
Miyu Tried To Hide Her Smile. "You're Imagining Things."
Chika Smirked. "Am I?"
And Behind Them, Mahito Said Quietly To Vicky, "So, Who's Next To Fall In Love?"
Vicky Shook His Head. "Not Me, Man. I've Seen Enough Drama For A Lifetime."
The Group Laughed As They Walked Down The Street Together — Their Voices Mixing With The Sounds Of The Evening.
And In The Middle Of It All, Ren And Miyu Walked Side By Side, Sharing Quiet Smiles, Their Hands Almost Brushing But Never Quite Touching.
Everything Felt So Simple, Yet So Warm.
Just Like The Start Of Something They Both Knew Would Last.
To Be Continued....