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Okarun clung to her like she was the only solid thing left in his world.
His arms trembled around her shoulders, his grip desperate, almost painful, as if letting go would shatter him completely. His face was buried against her neck, and she could feel the heat of his tears soaking into her skin. His breaths were sharp, broken gasps, and every sound he made stabbed at her heart.
“You’re okay,” he whispered hoarsely, his voice trembling. “You’re okay, Ayase-san. You’re okay.”
Momo’s body ached from the battle, but her pain paled in comparison to the anguish pouring out of him. His aura was a wild storm, swirling in dark, oppressive colors—deep blues of sorrow, the jagged gray of panic, the inky black of despair.
She’d never seen anything like it before, not even in their worst moments.
“I-I thought…” His words faltered as his voice cracked, and he gripped her tighter. “I thought I lost you.”
Momo didn’t know what to say. The sheer weight of his emotions was overwhelming, but there was something else—a flicker of something brighter breaking through the storm. A faint pulse of deep pink shimmered at the edges of his aura.
Her breath hitched.
The pink was unlike any color she’d seen before, warm and vibrant, and as his arms tightened around her, it began to spread. With every shaky exhale, the color grew stronger, overtaking the grays and blacks until it burned bright and unrelenting.
But this wasn’t just a color. She could feel it.
It radiated off him in waves, raw and searing, so intense it made her chest ache. It was love, pure and powerful, unspoken but undeniable.
And it was for her.
“Okarun…” she murmured, her voice trembling.
His body stiffened, and he pulled back slightly, just enough for her to see his face. His cheeks were streaked with dirt and tears, his glasses cracked and crooked, and his eyes… His eyes were filled with such devastating sorrow that she felt her own tears well up.
“You’re okay,” he repeated, like he needed to hear it again to believe it. “You’re here.”
She nodded softly, her hands resting on his arms. “I’m here. I’m okay. I promise.”
But the reassurance didn’t ease his anguish. His gaze darted over her, desperate and frantic, as if he was still searching for wounds, for proof that she wasn’t slipping away.
“I saw you fall,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I thought… I thought you were gone, Ayase-san. I couldn’t…” His voice broke again, and he pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes, as if trying to hold himself together. “I can’t lose you. I can’t.”
The pink in his aura flared brighter, pulsing with every raw, unguarded word. Momo’s chest tightened, the intensity of his feelings hitting her like a tidal wave.
“Okarun,” she said gently, her hand brushing against his.
He looked at her, his lips trembling, his expression vulnerable in a way that made her heart ache.
“I’m sorry,” he said suddenly, his voice cracking. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you better. I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough. I—”
“You saved me,” she interrupted, her voice firm despite the quiver in it. “You always save me. You don’t need to apologize for anything.”
“But I thought I lost you,” he said again, his voice breaking into a whisper. “And it… it broke me.”
Her heart clenched at the raw honesty in his words. And still, the pink around him burned brighter, enveloping him completely.
“Okarun,” she murmured, her eyes softening. “Your aura…”
He blinked, confusion flickering across his tear-streaked face. “What?”
“Your aura,” she repeated. “It’s… changing. There’s a color I’ve never seen before. Pink. And it’s so strong.”
“Pink?” he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper.
She nodded, her gaze searching his. “I can feel it, Okarun. It’s… overwhelming. Like it’s about to consume everything else.”
His eyes widened, and he stiffened, his shoulders hunching as he averted his gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You do,” she said softly, her hand reaching out to touch his cheek.
He flinched slightly at the contact but didn’t pull away. His jaw tightened, and his expression turned guarded.
“I don’t,” he insisted, but his voice wavered.
Momo’s gaze remained steady, her thumb brushing against his cheek. “Okarun, please. I’m not upset. I just… I need to know. What are you feeling right now?”
For a moment, he didn’t answer. His chest rose and fell with shaky breaths, and she could see the conflict in his eyes—the fear of saying too much, the fear of being vulnerable.
Finally, he whispered, “I… I thought I lost you. And it was like my whole world fell apart.”
Her breath hitched as he continued, his voice trembling with every word.
“I don’t know when it started,” he admitted. “Maybe it was the way you’ve always believed in me, even when I didn’t deserve it. Or the way you laugh, or how you never give up, no matter what.” His gaze finally met hers, raw and unfiltered. “I love you, Ayase-san. I think I always have.”
The pink in his aura flared brighter than ever, wrapping around him like a flame.
Momo’s chest tightened, her heart pounding as his words sank in. She’d guessed it, of course, but hearing him say it—feeling the intensity of it—was almost too much.
Without thinking, she leaned forward, her hand still on his cheek as her lips pressed against his.
Okarun froze for a moment, his breath hitching against her, but then he melted into the kiss. His arms wrapped around her again, pulling her closer, and she could feel the tension in his body slowly ease.
The kiss deepened, slow and tender at first, but it quickly grew more urgent. His hands gripped her like she might slip away, like he needed this moment to prove to himself that she was real.
When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathing hard, their foreheads resting against each other.
“I love you too,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
His eyes widened, and she could feel the pink in his aura pulse like a heartbeat, bright and steady.
“You do?” he asked, his voice soft and disbelieving.
She smiled, her fingers grazing his cheek. “How could I not?”
The pink around him wrapped around her as well, and in that moment, she knew they’d never be the same.