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The late afternoon sun spilled golden light across the Sekai, painting everything in soft hues of warmth. An and Kohane sat side by side on a bench near the bustling city plaza, their usual spot after band practice. An was scrolling through her phone, occasionally stealing glances at Kohane, who was unusually quiet today. Normally, Kohane would be softly humming a tune or chatting about a new song idea, but now she was focused on her drink, swirling the straw absentmindedly.
“You’re being quiet today,” An teased, nudging her shoulder with her own. “Not plotting something, are you?”
Kohane looked up, startled out of her thoughts, her cheeks tinged with a faint pink. “Huh? Oh, no, nothing like that…” She hesitated, then added softly, “I was just… thinking.”
An arched an eyebrow, curious. “Thinking? About what? You’ve got that look like you’re either about to drop some deep wisdom or…” She paused, grinning. “...embarrass yourself.”
Kohane pouted, but the way she hid her face slightly behind her drink betrayed her nerves. “It’s not embarrassing…” she murmured, almost too softly to hear.
“C’mon, spill it,” An said, leaning in closer with a playful smirk. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
Kohane took a deep breath, clutching her cup tightly. She wasn’t usually the bold one in their relationship—An was the confident, outgoing spark that always lit up her world. But today, Kohane wanted to be the one to light the spark.
“Actually… I have something to say,” she murmured, her voice soft but steady.
An straightened, sensing the shift in her tone. “What’s up? You okay?”
Kohane nodded, her gaze flicking to An’s before quickly darting away. “Yeah, I just… wanted to tell you something.” She set her drink down, her hands clasping tightly in her lap. “You’re amazing, An. You know that, right?”
The words caught An off guard, her usual confident demeanor faltering. “Wha—hey, where’s this coming from all of a sudden?”
Kohane’s face turned a deeper shade of pink, but she pressed on, her voice growing stronger. “I mean it. The way you play, the way you’re always so passionate about everything you do—it’s… inspiring. You inspire me, An.”
An stared at her, the faint blush spreading across her cheeks betraying her cool exterior. “Geez, Kohane, you can’t just drop stuff like that out of nowhere!” She laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck.
“But it’s true,” Kohane said, her voice firm despite her shyness. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. You’re always hyping me up, cheering me on, making me feel like I can do anything. So… I thought it was my turn to do that for you.”
An blinked, her heart doing an unexpected flip. She wasn’t used to being on the receiving end of this kind of praise, especially not from Kohane. Her usual confident grin faltered as she tried to think of a response.
“You’re, uh, really good at this, huh?” An said finally, laughing weakly. “I’m supposed to be the smooth one here, but you’re totally stealing my thunder.”
Kohane smiled shyly, but there was a glint of playfulness in her eyes. “Maybe I’m learning from you.”
An groaned dramatically, burying her face in her hands. “Okay, okay, I get it! You’re way too good at this. Stop before I start blushing or something..”
“You’re already blushing,” Kohane pointed out, her tone light but teasing.
An peeked at her through her fingers, her lips twitching into a grin despite herself. “Fine, you win this round. But don’t think you can fluster me and get away with it.” She lowered her hands and leaned closer, her face just inches from Kohane’s. “I’m totally gonna pay you back for this.”
Kohane’s eyes widened, her own cheeks turning red. “W-What are you—”
Before she could finish, An grabbed her hand, interlocking their fingers with a grin. “Gotcha,” An said, laughing as Kohane’s flustered expression deepened.
“You’re impossible,” Kohane muttered, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her fondness.
“And you’re adorable,” An shot back, squeezing her hand.
The two of them sat there, hands intertwined, the warm glow of the setting sun surrounding them. It wasn’t often that Kohane took the lead like this, but An didn’t mind—if anything, it made her love Kohane even more.