Many view the Shirasagi Himegimi favorably with her elegance and traits of a noblewoman. Ayaka, however, had always yearned for a more… normal life. Alas, to preserve her and the clan's image, she has to maintain her guise as Kamisato Ayaka.
However, a guise is only a guise, and any guise can eventually break.
Ever since the deaths of their parents, Ayaka felt like she had been trapped. Unable to truly express herself, unable to live a normal, blissful life. Though she had Ayato and Thoma to talk to, allowing her to loosen up a bit; as well as doing things common folk enjoy, it just didn't feel right. She still felt as trapped as ever.
In the past, she was able to brush those feelings aside, especially during the tension of the Vision Hunt Decree.
That was until Aether came along.
Something about him struck her.
He didn't see her as Kamisato Ayaka, he didn't see her as the Shirasagi Himegimi, he didn't see her as a noble…
No, he simply saw her as Ayaka.
She didn't know what it was that had struck her heart, but whatever it was, it made those feelings much harder to ignore. She felt like she had found a true friend, someone with who she could be herself around.
Since the festival, Aether regularly went to the Kamisato Estate to chat with Ayaka. Unlike her usual conversations with other people, formalities were not needed. As they grew closer, she expressed her true self more and more. For a while, she didn't feel trapped anymore. She felt happy. Truly happy.
And this only made the news of Aether's near-death more painful.
It shook Ayaka and exacerbated her already painful feelings. She felt like she had been trapped again, fate having robbed her of her happiness. Nonetheless, she still had work to do, and she found that dealing with affairs regarding the Vision Hunt Decree was a good distraction.
Three months later, the Vision Hunt Decree was abolished. Despite the celebratory atmosphere, Ayaka didn't feel like celebrating whatsoever. Although Aether was now safe and no longer in any danger, she still didn't feel like talking to anyone, especially about her current feelings. She kept to herself and stayed alone in the Yashiro Commission Headquarters.
One night, Ayaka sat idly in the Yashiro Commission Headquarters, as usual, staring blankly at the table. Her mind was still a mess, not knowing what to do. She hid even more of her true self, deciding to forgo doing "common folk" things, and not even willing to show it to Aether when she bumped into him in Inazuma City.
Ayaka's jumbled train of thought was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in," Ayaka said coldly without looking up.
She heard the door opening and closing but still opted to continue staring at the empty table. There was an awkward silence before whoever entered the headquarters spoke up.
"Ayaka?"
She recognized the voice.
She looked up.
"...Oh, it's you Aether. Sorry for being rude, I was thinking about something."
"Are you okay?" Aether asked.
"I'm fine Aether," Ayaka replied before staring back down at the empty table. "Don't worry about it. Just some small things."
"You don't seem fine."
"I'm fine, don't worry."
Aether sat beside Ayaka before proceeding.
"Ayaka… Please, be honest. If you keep hiding it, I won't be able to help you, and it's only going to be more painful for the both of us."
He let his words sink in for a moment before he repeated his question.
"Are you okay?"
Ayaka mumbled a bit before responding.
"...No, I'm not."
"Why?"
"I just…" Ayaka cleared her throat and regained her composure before continuing. "People hold me in high regard, but they always view me as a noble. I… wanted someone who wouldn't see me as a noble, just…"
She choked a bit.
"...And then you came. You didn't see me as a noble, you just saw me as ordinary girl. I didn't have to hide myself… I… When I talked to you, I didn't feel trapped anymore… I felt happy."
Aether noticed a tear falling from her right eye.
"And then… you… you…"
Ayaka's composure broke completely and she began crying, the dam holding back her emotions breaking. Aether pulled her into a hug as she proceeded to sob into Aether's shoulder.
"There, there," Aether comforted Ayaka while patting her back. "It's alright, Ayaka."
She continued to sob for what felt like an eternity before the tears finally stopped and she pulled back from the hug. They stared at each other for a while. Ayaka knew that Aether truly cared for her, and she quickly realized she had fallen in love with him. She decided that this was the perfect opportunity to take the initiative.
"Uhm… This is a bit sudden, but…"
"Yes, Ayaka?"
"I… I have feelings for you Aether."
She waited for a response, worried that he might say no.
"...I feel the same way, Ayaka."
They pulled into each other's embrace and kissed.