Over the next week, the new arrangement Maria has struck with her friends works beautifully, making everyone much happier, especially Maria. The lynx also finds herself enjoying helping with sword training more than expected, and after a few days, volunteers to provide some of the struggling students with more personal tuition in early evening sessions.

However, there's one thing that keeps bugging Maria after every one of these sessions: she just cannot shake the feeling someone's watching her, following her, yet never reveals themselves to her.

After a week, Maria's had enough: she will find out who's tailing her.

At the end of the day's training session, with Danny and Sally wanting the evening to themselves and Hanna and Rob out on a mission, Maria decides to start her evening with a walk around the botanical gardens. All the way from the dojo to the gardens, Maria senses someone following her, but unlike previous days, she doesn't pause or look back. I will find out who you are. And if I don't like what I hear, I'll drag you all the way to Leader Kyokan's sanctum.

Once in the gardens, Maria starts off by walking through in her typical semi‑random manner, with no set route in mind. However, after ten minutes, she starts to take turnings more frequently, sometimes doubling back on herself to try and catch her follower. It takes another ten minutes, but eventually, Maria catches a glimpse of her follower: the tip of a leopard's tail as it disappears behind a bush. Aha! Gotcha!

Maria sets off in pursuit, and in moments, she's caught up to the leopard. The lynx pounces, taking the leopard by surprise and pinning him to the floor.

"Why are you following me?" Maria demands.

"What are you doing‽" the leopard snaps back. "Get off me!"

"Not until you tell me why you were following me!" Maria refuses.

"I wasn't following you!" the leopard corrects. "I'm looking for my brother!"

"Don't yank my tail," Maria replies. "Either tell me why you were following me, or I'll drag you all the way to Leader Kyokan!"

"What are you doing to my brother‽" a voice interrupts.

Maria looks up to see a second male leopard heading her way. "Y‑Your brother?"

"Yes, my brother!" the second leopard confirms. "Now get off him!"

Maria releases the leopard she's pinning down and gets to her feet. "Sorry, I uh… I thought he was following me," she apologises quietly.

"I told you I wasn't," the first leopard reminds before turning to his brother. "Come on, let's get out of here before this crazy lynx decides to attack me again."

Maria watches the two brothers walk away. I am such a silly kitty for thinking anyone was following me. With a sad sigh, Maria turns to leave the gardens, hoping she won't run into the brothers again.

Only to walk straight into the leopard who was following her.

"Oof!" Maria exclaims as they hit the ground hard. "Ow," she groans as she rolls off to one side. "Sorry about that," she apologises, "I should have looked where I was going."

"I‑It's OK," the leopard stammers. "I sh‑shouldn't have been st‑standing behind you l‑like that."

"Nah, it's my fault for not looking…" Maria begins, trailing off when she finally sets eyes on the leopard she just knocked over, her eyes taking in the amber fur with sepia rosettes, the chartreuse green hair, and the way the leopard's white racerback tank top and cobalt blue leggings subtly show off her lithe figure. "Oh. Hello."

"H‑Hello," the leopard replies, her eyes soaking in the olive and olivine fur and the forest green hair of the lynx in a cute teal skater dress who just flattened her.

"Hello." She's so pretty… Have I seen her before?

"You s‑said that already." She's just staring at me and saying 'Hello'… It's making me more nervous… This was a‑

Maria snaps back to her senses. "Sorry, I just… We should get up." Maria pushes herself back to her feet, then helps the leopard onto hers. "So, was it you who was following me all this time?"

"Yeah," the leopard admits. "I'm s‑sorry, it's just… Well, I've w‑wanted to m‑meet you for a w‑while, but n‑never had the c‑courage to actually app‑approach you, and you m‑must think I'm r‑really weird and c‑creepy, and if you d‑don't‑"

"What's your name?" Maria interrupts.

The leopard takes a moment to respond. "T‑Tai W‑Wong."

"That's a very pretty name," Maria compliments. "I'm Maria Shanmao."

"Th‑That's a very p‑pretty name t‑too," Tai compliments in return. "Well, I knew th‑the 'Maria' p‑part already, since th‑that's what the instructor c‑called you, and‑"

"That's where I've seen you before!" Maria exclaims. "Y'know, if you wanted to ask me out on a date, you should have just done so at the end of the session."

"Ask y‑you out on a d‑date?" Tai asks.

"Have one‑on‑one tuition," Maria corrects. "Is that not what I said?"

"You s‑said 'ask m‑me out on a d‑date'," Tai explains.

"Oh," Maria blushes. She's right: I did say that. "I uh… So, did you want to ask me out?"

"Well, I uh… Th‑That is to s‑say you… I mean, I… I'm s‑so n‑nervous," Tai admits.

"Then take a deep breath," Maria advises. "Two or three if you need it."

Tai takes a deep breath, then a second, then blurts "Willyouhavedinnerwithme?"

"Of course," Maria agrees without a moment's hesitation.

Tai blinks in surprise. "R‑Really?"

"Yep!" Maria beams.

"Even though I was being creepy, following you around for a week?"

Maria shrugs. "Everyone makes mistakes. Besides, you were nervous. And now you're not."

"I'm not?"

"You've stopped stammering."

"Oh." Tai pauses a moment. "I guess, having now asked you out, and you saying 'yes', the hard part's over, and I'm not nervous anymore."

"Makes sense," Maria agrees. "Where shall we go?"

"Well, I know a few good places in Shang Tu," Tai offers.

"Ah," Maria replies.

"Do you not like going out in Shang Tu?" Tai asks, confused.

"No, I like it loads, it's just…" Maria hesitates. "It's a long story, but Shang Tu thinks I'm legally dead, and I want to keep it that way."

"Oh." Now it's Tai's turn to hesitate. "Do you know any good places in Shang Mu?"

"Sadly, no," Maria answers. "My friends Hanna and Rob know some great places, but they're on a mission tonight."

"And Shuigang's way too far," Tai replies.

"Which only leaves us one choice," Maria concludes.

"The mess hall?" Tai asks. "Not what I had in mind."

"Nor me," Maria admits. "But it's the only real option we have. Besides, it's not the location that makes it a date, but the company," she adds with a smile.

"Yeah," Tai agrees, blushing deeply.

Dinner progresses better than both Maria and Tai had expected, and very quickly, the pair start forming a bond. After dinner, with the evening still young, the new couple elects to venture outside of HQ, and into the surrounding forest. They spend their time conversing about anything that comes to mind, and thanks to their excellent night vision, the low light level doesn't bother either feline. Eventually, the couple find a small stream in the forest where they decide to rest a while.

"What's the time?" Maria asks.

"No idea," Tai admits.

Maria checks her watch. "Wow, it's late!" she exclaims. "It's past midnight!"

"Seriously?" Tai asks, surprised. "Where did the time go?"

"I have no idea," Maria answers. "Also, I've never lost track of time like that before."

"Me neither," Tai yawns.

"Tired?"

"Yup. Been a fantastic night though."

"Definitely. We should get back to HQ."

It only takes fifteen minutes to get back to HQ, and soon, Maria and Tai arrive at Tai's room in the barracks.

"Well, this is me," Tai sighs, a little sad that such a special evening is at an end. "Are you going to be OK heading back to Jade Creek alone?"

"I'm too tired to ride all that way," Maria yawns. "Besides, Blondie and Miss Spiky won't mind having the night to themselves too."

Tai can't help but giggle at Maria's nicknames for her friends. "Do you have a nickname for me?" she flirts.

"I've thought of two," Maria reveals. "I don't think you'd like them though."

"I still want to hear them," Tai insists.

"Well, the first one is 'Spotty'," Maria admits.

"What's the other one?"

"'Rosy'."

"I like that one," Tai purrs, blushing noticeably. "I've thought of one for you too: 'Tufty'."

"Tufty?" Maria asks, a little confused.

Tai reaches up and fluffs the tufts of soft fur at the tips of Maria's ears.

"Oh!" Maria giggles, blushing in embarrassment.

"Do you mind if I call you that?" Tai asks.

"Not at all," Maria agrees, wrapping her arms around Tai and pulling her into a tender hug. "'Rosy and Tufty'… We sound like a kids' cartoon!" she giggles.

"Yeah," Tai giggles in return.

For a few moments, the two felines say nothing, happy to simply hold each other and gaze into each other's eyes. Slowly, they both lean into each other, their lips getting closer‑

"Sorry," Tai apologises, pulling back suddenly. "It's just‑"

"You don't want to move too fast," Maria interrupts.

"We've only just started getting to know each other."

"And we've already had such a wonderful night."

"And we'll have many more."

"And wonderful days too."

"I look forward to it."

"Me too."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Maria lets Tai slip out from her arms, and watches her disappear into her room. I should have just kissed her. Oh well, there's always next time. Maria leans back on the door gently. It's been such a wonderful night. Is it too soon to say I'm in love? Probably. And I don't care! Maria sighs a deep, long sigh of pure contentment. I should find a spare‑

The door opening catches Maria completely by surprise. With a yelp, she falls backwards into Tai, knocking her onto her tail.

"Ow!" Tai exclaims as she hits the floor. "S‑Sorry! I d‑didn't realise y‑you were l‑leaning against th‑the door!"

Maria tries to control herself, but she just can't help it: she bursts into gales of child‑like laugher, Tai joining in a moment later.

"Oh, that was priceless!" Maria eventually manages to giggle, dabbing her eyes dry.

"Are you hurt?" Tai asks, unable to stop herself giggling.

"Nah," Maria assures. "You?"

"I'll be fine."

A few moments later, the couple's laughter dies down.

"Your feet can come in too," Tai quips, dabbing her eyes dry.

Maria pulls her feet into the room, then pushes herself onto her knees. "Why did you open the door anyway?" she asks, still grinning.

"This." Tai throws herself onto Maria, and gives her a long, passionate kiss.

"Wow," Maria breathes once the kiss breaks.

"Did… Did I ‑" Tai starts.

"Kiss me again," Maria interrupts.

"R‑Really?"

Maria answers with a long, passionate kiss of her own. "Yes, really," she purrs once the kiss breaks.