Chapter 48
With his fingers interlocked with Mika’s soft, slender hand, Kokoro quietly led her away from the bustling food court. The sounds of trays clattering and cutlery scraping against porcelain faded behind them as they made their way through the corridor of the mall. Mika followed beside him with a lowered head, still trying to piece together the bombshell Kokoro had dropped—he was being blackmailed by a girl.
Her earlier outburst was a blur. Her cheeks still burned with embarrassment from slamming her palms on the table and drawing the attention of the entire food court. It wasn’t like her. She rarely lost composure. But hearing the word blackmail had pulled the ground from beneath her feet.
Kokoro sensed this. He didn’t say much as they walked, instead choosing to gently squeeze her hand, a silent assurance that everything would be okay.
When they finally stepped out into the open, the air outside was warm but breezy, filled with the soft rustle of tree branches and the murmurs of passersby. The sun had shifted slightly westward, casting long shadows that danced beneath their feet.
Across from the entrance of the mall, they spotted a public bench nestled under a small sakura tree. The petals above had just begun to bloom, speckling the tree with soft pink, even though it was out of season—perhaps an early bloomer. The bench, shaded and inviting, was miraculously unoccupied.
Wordlessly, the two made their way toward it and sat down, still holding hands. As they settled onto the wooden bench, both let out a long sigh—one of relief, one of release.
The moment of silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt like both were gathering the courage to dive into a conversation that might change things.
Around them, however, the world didn’t quiet down. The two didn’t go unnoticed.
"Whoa... Are they filming something? They look like anime characters!"
"They’re matching... are they a couple?"
"That guy’s whole outfit is white. Who dresses like that? But... it works? He’s kind of hot."
"Look at the girl, though. She’s so pretty it hurts! Like a princess from some fantasy novel."