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Kanata walked through the quiet hallways of the estate. Her face was calm and still, she was always kind to those around her. As she turned a corner, she saw a boy jumping over the wall. It was Kotetsu. He looked lost and was trying to hide.
Kanata did not jump or get scared. She simply walked up to him."You are not supposed to be here," she said softly. Her voice was flat but gentle.
Kotetsu jumped and nearly fell over. "I. I'm sorry!" he whispered, looking at Kanata. "I was just looking for a place to hide from the rain. I didn't mean to sneak in."
Kanata looked at his damp clothes and nodded. She did not report him. Instead, she brought him a dry towel and a cup of tea. They did not know each other at all, but they sat in the quiet hallway while the rain tapped on the roof. Kotetsu talked about his village and his work, and Kanata listened, her eyes steady and kind.
This became their daily routine. Every day, Kotetsu would find a way to reach the estate, and Kanata would meet him. They talked about small things, like the weather or the flowers in the garden. She remained quiet and still, but she always had a small, faint smile when he arrived. “And my dad is so annoying you're lucky you're so rich! I work every day. This is the only time i feel at rest with you guys” Kanata smiled taking his hand in hers “Your always allowed to come to me Kotetsu” she said with a soft look in her eyes kotetsu blushed and took away his hand whispering to himself “Why did i say that.” he looks at her before thinking “i have no chance with a pretty rich girl like her.” Kotetsu looked at her both meeting eyes. That was just one of the many conversations that was made.
Eventually, Amane saw them together in the garden. Kanata stood still still talking to him without a clue he mother was watching it all. She wasn't fully mad. Someone needed to care for her child. The thing was. Was kagaya gonna let it? Instead, Amane just watched them for a moment and walked away without saying a word. Kagaya knew, too, and let it happen, even though everyone else in the house began to notice.
One day, Kanata was walking toward the garden when her brother, Kiriya, blocked her path. He softly smiled and asked. "Hows your little village boyfriend?" he teased. Kanata looked at him with her usual blank expression. "He is not my boyfriend," she said simply. "If that's what you say," Kiriya giggled. “I’ll try to not interrupt you guys” he said before leaving.
Kanata continued walking towards the garden, thinking about her brother's words, while she made a small, embarrassed pout. As Kanata approached the garden, she saw Kotetsu among the flowers, the boy who always tried to hide so as not to be seen by the girl's family. She felt a subtle smile form on her face before walking over to the boy wearing a Hyottoko mask.
When Kotetsu saw Kanata, he gave a silly little laugh; “she looked pretty today”, he thought before shaking his head and remembering, Kanata would never be with him, he was just the son of a blacksmith. The boy snapped out of his reverie when Kanata sat down beside him, the sun shining on his beautiful silver locks; the day was in favor of the younger girl's beauty, and Kotetsu couldn't have found that more unfair.
"Hello Kotetsu-kun, I hope I wasn't too long." The girl said, fidgeting with the flowers beside her. Kotetsu quickly replied, shaking his head while speaking with a small smile behind his mask. "Don't worry, I just arrived." It was a lie; he had arrived early, eager to see his friend, but she didn't need to know that.
"Oh, that's nice," Kanata said, not particularly suspicious of Kotetsu. They fell silent for a while, simply enjoying each other's company as they gazed at the flowers, until Kotetsu picked a red camellia and tucked it into her hair. He didn't ask for permission; he simply stepped closer and placed it there. When he noticed her look of surprise, he quickly pulled back and murmured an apology, adding, "I thought it would look lovely on you—I should have asked before putting it in your hair. I'm sorry."
Kanata blushed slightly; she had merely been taken by surprise, so she tried to explain that to Kotetsu: "It's alright; I was just surprised." She paused briefly before continuing, "Thank you for the flower."
"It was nothing," he murmured. It was cute to see Kotetsu like that, at least from Kanata's point of view, since normally the boy was outgoing and talkative.
For the first time, feeling an impulse within herself, Kanata decided to be a little daring and asked to see Kotetsu's face. It shouldn't be strange, right? They They had been friends for a few days; she should be able to see his face.
"Kotetsu-kun, could I see your face?" She approached the boy, Kotetsu, who tried to deny those lilac eyes, trying to say it was like his mask, but then…
“No, my face is like this mask and...-" He tried, he really tried, but those big eyes were looking at him expectantly, and when she said, "Your face shouldn't look like that, it should be beautiful!" This ended all of Kotetsu's efforts.
Then, Kotetsu removed the mask. A few strands of hair framed the child's face, and his eyes were large and dark; he was exactly as Kanata had imagined. For a moment, she simply stared, but when Kotetsu tried to lift the mask to hide his face again, she held his wrist and stopped him. "No. I like it this way," she said in a low voice. The plum-purple eyes stared deep into Kotetsu's eyes.
Neither Kanata nor Kotetsu knew how it happened, but Kanata was closer to Kotetsu, who didn't move away and decided to give her a gentle peck on the cheek. They both grew nervous, but didn't move away from each other. Kotetsu simply looked away and picked a flower, a white lily, which Kanata accepted, gathering it against her chest.
As the sun began to set on the horizon, coloring the sky in shades of orange and purple, Kotetsu slowly put his mask back on, a little embarrassed but happy, strangely fulfilled.As he stood up to leave, Kanata watched him. "See you tomorrow?" he asked hesitantly, but Kanata simply nodded, the lily still in his hand and the camellia still in his hair. She would wait for him at the same time; she already wanted to go to sleep so that tomorrow would come sooner.
Kanata looked at the clouds in the sky before standing up, thinking, "Maybe Kiriya was right…”
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