Apple awoke the next day to a gentle hand running down her arm. Sighing softly, she turned her head, only to see Shu gazing back at her.
"Oh..." The woman blushed but managed a smile. "G-good morning."
The man returned the smile as he took a hold of her hand. "And a good morning to you."
Apple laid her head back down, nervous yet elated at the same time. "We...sort of crossed a line last night, didn't we?"
"Yes..."
"It's something too late to undo, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Are you as frightened as I am?"
"Yes," the man replied with a chuckle. "But I'm optimistic."
"Shu..." Apple interlaced her fingers with his, giving his hand a brief squeeze. The room fell silent for a moment.
"They've been calling for me for the past half-hour," Shu finally said. "I have a feeling that, if I don't respond soon, there will be a repeat of the incident in my quarters a couple of weeks ago."
"Oh..." The young woman released him. "We wouldn't want that. It wouldn't look good for someone of your position."
"I don't care how it looks. But I also don't care to be barged in on while sharing a private moment with someone close to me."
"Yeah..."
"Well, I suppose I should get ready," the man said as he slid out of bed. He reached down, collecting some articles of clothing from the floor. "If you want to stay here for a while, you're welcome to. I'll be occupying this room for a few more days."
"...No."
"What?"
Apple turned onto her other side, looking up at a half-dressed Shu. "I'm coming with you."
---
When his eyes met hers across the room, he knew. Though she smiled to show her appreciation of his acknowledging her, she seemed anxious. After the meetings, she joined him, but nothing seemed to offset that vague feeling of restlessness lingering in the air.
He never doubted her love for a second. She was always responsive, and her actions were never limited to simple courtesy. He knew. She wanted to be there by his side, and it was always her choice to do so. She wanted her relationship with him to be strong and everlasting.
Still, he knew.
Anxiety, restlessness...these things were present within her. Though they implied she was a woman who lived without faith, it simply wasn't true. She was looking at the bigger picture, at another part of her life that sought to be fulfilled. It was time. And he knew this.
It was the reason they didn't walk together from Jowston Hill that day. Instead, she pulled him aside for a moment and asked him to meet her later that afternoon. Noting the seriousness of her tone, he agreed and left her side, hoping to make preparations, both material and mental...for 'that time.'
---
Apple found herself in the open courtyard a couple of hours later, waiting on Shu's arrival. As apprehensive as she had been in the last few days, she was even more so now. She needed to break the news to him somehow, but it would not be easy.
Her own mental preparations were cut short by the sound of him calling her name. Turning from the late afternoon sun, she greeted him with a warm but anxious smile. "You made it."
"Yes..." he said, approaching the woman.
Apple pointed to the book in his hand. "What is that?"
"We'll get to that later. You said there was something you needed to talk to me about."
"Oh...yeah..." Apple brought her eyes away for a moment. "Shu...these last few days...have been wonderful. To be where I am right now...it's something I would never have imagined happening. It never crossed my mind...until, of course, my feelings about you grew more apparent. I really am blessed to have you in my life."
The man showed her a modest smile. "I feel the same way."
"But...as much as I've enjoyed being by your side, it just..." That's when the sadness within her finally began to unmask itself. "It wasn't on my list of plans. I'd already put something important in my schedule, something that's been going on for over three years now. It's not that I'm not open to a relationship, but it would prove nearly impossible with the task I have in mind." She lowered her gaze, sighing. "That...sounds terrible, doesn't it?"
"Not at all. If anything, it sounds realistic. Why should you be weighed down with something that will only hinder you from accomplishing your goals?"
"Shu, that's not what I meant at all."
He chuckled. "I know. And I didn't intend for it to sound as cold as it did. I'm just saying that as long you have greater priorities, it wouldn't be fair for you to stay here."
"Well, you're being awfully casual about it."
"That's my nature."
"I know."
"But..." Shu continued. "...that doesn't mean I'm thrilled with the idea. There's nothing more I would like than to see you stay. But what kind of man am I to demand such a thing? I don't doubt your feelings for me, not at all. And I'm honored that you respect me enough to come to me about this. This is a delicate decision...and I understand that." Despite his earlier statement, his tone had shown itself, to a degree, wistful.
"Shu..."
Silence fell between them.
"I know you don't doubt me," Apple finally said. "It just seems cruel to leave you when we've come to this point. And...it isn't easy for me, either," she added, dejectedness returning. "One way or the other, it feels like I'm going to lose something very important to me. Still, I must finish collecting materials for the biography. I made that goal long ago..."
Another pause.
"It isn't true, you know," Shu suddenly said.
"Wh-what?"
"About you losing something important," he explained. "You have a desire to finish what you started. You've had it for a long time. But, Apple...you've also had me for a long time. I knew you as a fellow student, a friend, and now, something far more. I've come to understand many things about you, and my world won't suddenly go away when you do. The biography, however...that isn't going to assemble itself. Right now, it needs a fine heart and mind--it needs you. Apple...if you don't finish what you started, that's when you will truly lose something important... your ability to honor a great man."
Apple's expression softened. "Y...you really mean that?"
Shu nodded. "I do. In fact...that's where this comes in." He held the book up with a smirk. "I was right that night. It was the third book from the left. What I neglected to remember was that I had taken that very book and stored it in a safer place, somewhere I was sure to find it."
"Then...?"
"It backfired...still, your notes are right here," he said as he opened the cover. Sure enough, the papers lay on top of that very page.
The woman's face lit up as she studied the details--her handwriting, the ink scratches, the frayed edges of the notes. "H-how did you...?"
"Well, to be honest, I didn't notice until I brought my favorite books on this trip. It had been a long time since I'd had the opportunity to enjoy a good book, so the fact that I put your notes in there completely slipped my mind. Anyway...I'd like you to take this...book and all."
Apple let out a wordless utterance, staring down at the item the man was now putting in her possession. Then she looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. "Then...these last few days...you knew? You knew what I was planning?"
He smiled in response. "In a sense. I noticed how distracted you were, so I think I was making some preparations of my own. Besides, you already told me you were going to Harmonia after you were finished here. It's a good plan, and I know you would've gone whether or not I was fond of the idea. However...let this book be my blessing. I want you to go on that journey, no regrets. I don't know what awaits you there, how long a journey it will be, or what decisions you will make, but...I'll be waiting when you return."
"Oh, Shu...thank you. Thank you so much." Apple moved forward, throwing her arms around him. "You've been so wonderful. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
"Just one thing..." he responded as she pulled back. "...that you think of me when you see this book."
Apple nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I will," she said, genuinely smiling out of joy. "I'll always think of you."
Shu began caressing the woman's face; he caught a tear and wiped it away. The two moved closer, sharing a tender kiss, and then Shu embraced her.
The sun had disappeared into the horizon, a crescent moon now shining directly above them. The breeze picked up, warm and gentle as it swept over the young lovers; it was as though the courtyard had become their own private stage, an intimate setting for two...if only for a moment. Content with this, Apple brought her arms around Shu, sighing blissfully at his touch.
"Always..." she whispered.
fin