Chapter 20

There were habits you picked up on someone when you spent enough time with them. He had a habit of tapping his fingers against a surface without any noise. Two fingers, his index and his middle finger tapping simultaneously as if itching for something while he stared at nothing in particular. They would fall at a slow rate, unconsciously moving while he was lost in his thoughts.

Hana watched as he did it again, this time against the armrest of the window as she drove.

"Takashi," she spoke enough so that he could hear her over the quiet music playing in the background. She had a concerned tone to her voice.

"Hm?" his fingers stopped moving and he sat up a little straighter.

"Tired?" Hana offered in explanation of his spaced out behaviour.

"A little," he admitted. The jetlag was finally getting to him as the adrenaline wore off from their hike. Hana was still functioning fine, comfortably sitting in the driver's seat with her sunglasses that shielded her from the setting sun. She let her hair down after a long day, and it glistened under the sun along with her.

"Take a nap. I'll wake you when we're there."

Mori shook his head. If he slept, he knew that he'd have trouble falling asleep later that night. It was important to resist the temptation. Hana didn't argue. She just smiled and let him be. She made him feel comfortable. There was no pressure. No work to be done. No worries. An escape from the world – as if time had stopped and he was living another life.

It had to be too good to be true. He watched as she hummed to herself along with the music, sometimes sing a lyric. Her voice was sweet, just enough to hit all the notes in at a soft volume. He could listen to her all day. Hana bobbed her head, her fingers tapped against the wheel along with the beat. Hana was happy. Happier than he had ever seen her and with that, it made him so incredibly relieved.

Mori couldn't help but to think she deserved the sun and the stars. The mountains and the sea. Something… something made him feel inadequate. What if he couldn't give her what she deserved? He was the dark trenches of the ocean while she was the summit of a mountain.

Hana stole a quick glance at Mori. He was staring blankly towards the road, lost somewhere with an expression that she couldn't interpret with just a glance. Hana couldn't quite pinpoint why he seemed off. Was he tired? If he were, he would've fallen asleep, she thought. Was there something wrong?

"You okay, Takashi?" she asked.
"Mm," he replied.

"What are you worried about?"

He was silent for a while as he pieced his thoughts together. She patiently waited, turning down the volume of the music to let him think.

"Us."

Hana's heart sank. "What do you mean?" Her fingers gripped the wheel tighter. It was an involuntary response, a way of defense. Just how she was taught from an early age. Mori was quick to catch onto her movements. She tensed up out of fear.

He reached over to her wrist, gently prying her fingers off of the wheel to reassure her that it was not what she thought.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.
"Why are you apologizing?" she murmured, relaxing again. She had one hand on the wheel, and the other was captured by him. Hana didn't mind that one bit.

"I…" Takashi sighed. "I'm not eloquent enough to convey my thoughts."
"You don't need to be eloquent," Hana comforted. "I don't mind." She squeezed his hand. "So long as you're honest with me," Hana whispered. Being vulnerable was a two-way street, after all.

"You're… you're like the summit of a mountain and I'm the deep trench in the ocean," he voiced his most recent thought aloud.
"That's… deep," Hana smiled at her own joke. He shook his head and cracked a smile of his own. "Alright. So you're the deep sea. You're unexplored. A mystery. That's fitting, I suppose."

He chuckled. The deep baritone laugh resonated in her chest. Her heart skipped a beat.

"I don't know if I can give what you deserve."
"What I deserve?" She repeated, mulling through the phrase before asking. "What do I deserve, Takashi?"
"The sun. The stars. The mountains, and the ocean. Everything you desire in the world."

Hana smiled to herself. "But Takashi, you are the ocean. You are my sun. Do I not deserve you?"

"More. You deserve more." He grazed his thumb over her knuckles. She grinned and shook her head. He was so sweet, it was ridiculous. It made her smile. Hana could tell that his words were laced with an underlying worry – his insecurities that lurked beneath the mask of sweet words that rang in her ears.

"Takashi," she called for him to come back to the present before being drowned in his thoughts again. "What do you think you deserve?"

That was a question he hadn't pondered. He just knew that he didn't deserve her. While they were both from the upper class, there were distinctions. He was no heir. She was. He was not rich, though he came from a family that was. Takashi lived his life simply, bearing no mind to the thought of what many considered success. Success seemed overrated. Millions of dollars held no significance to him. Reputation was not of any consideration to him either.

While he knew Hana was not one to care about such foolish things – she had no choice but to consider the reputation of her own company, her family, and her future. Mori did not live up to the same standards.

When he didn't answer, Hana figured she could fill in the blanks for him.

"The truth is, Takashi – you deserve better," Hana admitted. "You think I deserve better because you think I am on a different level. I'm not. I'm a wreck with no solid future. I am flawed in more ways than one."

Takashi listened to her words pierce through his ears. She was so brutally honest, her tone was sharp and her words were the raw truth.

"How so?" he egged her on. While her words seemed harsh and unpleasant – there was something very refreshing about her honesty. No filter. Nothing to hide. They were as vulnerable as they could be, and only with each other.

"Well – I'm selfish," she stated, as if it was the most obvious flaw. "I have yet to put my family or the company first before my own wants and needs. Who's to say I wouldn't put myself first before you?"

Takashi shook his head. "That is not true," he was quick to point out. "You took Hiro's place so he could pursue his passion."

Hana sighed. "Takashi, there was no way out of that mess. Either way, my intentions are not to fulfill the wishes of my family."

"So you're guilty?" he offered.

She shrugged. "I'm guilty for a lot of things." Hana sighed. Where to even begin?

"I have a life laid out for me – a rather luxurious one, I might add. And yet, I want none of it. I want what I want. I do what I want to do. People misconstrue that as taking control but—honestly, it's just because I am privileged." Hana paused, wondering if it was appropriate to stop there. But she didn't want to, not when she had weight on her shoulders that was just on the verge of being lifted.

"I feel guilty about it, and yet I unabashedly take advantage of it. I complain about being rich and then wish I wasn't born into this class. But how could I complain with a roof over my head while being educated in world-class institutions? I see fellow classmates taking out loans, working multiple jobs… and I…" She shook her head. "It's a complicated cycle."

Takashi sympathized with where she came from. He too, grew up in luxury with friends who were no less different than him. The difference was that Takashi had the freedom to choose the simple life, the privilege of being able to study, and to pursue what he wanted without the fear of ending up on the streets, with debt in his name and absolutely no financial security.

Hana laughed to herself. "I digress. I meant to say that I'm a selfish person… and I want you. I want things I do not deserve. I want to stop time and travel the world, to leave and stay places wherever and whenever I want. I want a job that doesn't hold me captive to the duties I uphold to a society that watches me like a hawk. I want everything I can't have and…" She inhaled. Hana was glad her eyes were covered by her sunglasses and that she wasn't confessing her heart and soul to his face. Her gaze was at the empty roads as the sun set.

"If I can't have you then," she gulped, trying to make sure her voice didn't crack. "I don't know what I'll do."

Mori squeezed her hand. She gripped the wheel tighter, taking deep breaths to calm down. It was dangerous to drive emotionally, after all. Hana glanced down to the speedometer, noting that she was going faster than she should have. She took her foot off the accelerator and relaxed.

"Sorry." It was her turn to apologize. "That was… that was a lot." She placed all of her pride on the line.
"It's fine," his low voice reassured.

"I just – I just can't have you thinking I'm some kind of reward needing to be earned. If anything, you are the summit and I am the deep trench. I can't help but to think you're going to be disappointed by me."

"Never," Mori shook his head in her peripheral vision. His voice was low, and soothing to her ears.

"I can't always… be there," Hana explained. "I'll be busy with the company. I can't… be with you, freely – not when I'm meant to be engaged to Kyouya."

His heart sank. He forgot about Kyouya. It completely slipped his mind.

"It's not fair… and I can't say this is the most ideal situation."
"Do you like him?" Takashi couldn't help but to ask. The Ootori was certainly a better candidate than he was in more ways than one. Charismatic, intelligent, and he had a literal army to back him if needed. He was a man of power.
"Not in the way I like you," she tried to comfort him, with a small smile on her lips.

He was silent. Of course it didn't sit right with him. It wouldn't have been normal for anyone in their right mind.

"Kyouya's a good business partner," Hana explained. "He knows what he's doing, business-wise. But he isn't you, Takashi. He doesn't know me like you do. He could pull up my transcripts from Lobelia, Stern, or even LSE and recount my entire family history but," she paused, gathering her thoughts together. "You… you know my life better than he does. You embrace me with all your strength. You empower me and continuously remind me that there are better days ahead, as long as I'm with you."

Hana wondered what else she could possibly reveal. She was a mess with her deepest thoughts laid out on a platter to him. It was a terrifying thing to be vulnerable with someone, and Hana felt safer with him than anyone else in the universe. Usually, his silence was comforting with only his presence that kept her feeling calm. But now, Hana couldn't help but to feel a growing pit of anxiety in her stomach.

They reached their final destination, back at their hotel for a night before they departed to London. She parked the car and her heart was racing. He had been so quiet for the rest of their journey that it terrified her. What did it mean? Did he not want this anymore? Of course, it was understandable. Hana knew she wasn't the best candidate for a partner. She was going to be busy with the company, her growing career. Plus she was selfish, asking for things that she didn't deserve. On top of that, Hana couldn't be normal.

Regular couples could go out on dates without stirring the rumor mill amongst the upper class. She wasn't able to come home on a daily basis and cook dinner, or to settle in with a partner at night as they read books before bed. The smallest things were things that she could not have with a career that was going to take over her life in the next few years.

Hana couldn't provide Takashi the same amount of love and attention he deserved. It wasn't fair.

Takashi got off the car first, trailing around to the back. Hana opened the trunk from the front seat and reluctantly opened the door to join him at the back. She couldn't look him in the eye, and went straight for the trunk to unload their backpacks.

Mori was quick to block her with his arm, catching her attention immediately. Hana looked up at him, her eyes tired and almost terrified for what he was going to say about her entire monologue in the car. He could only give her a small reassuring smile, picking her up from the waist and embracing her tightly.

Her arms craned around his neck naturally as he lifted her off the ground for a few seconds. She held him back tightly, burying her face in his neck. He wasn't good with words, so he could only hope that his actions could convey the same feelings he felt.

"Stay." Hana whispered in his ear, almost begging. She was asking a lot from him. He was going to have to wait for her, for god knew how long for now. She needed him to trust her, to know that he was an integral part of her life. Hana wasn't willing to let him go, but she couldn't tie him down. "I know I won't be the best for you but… I'll try. I'll try to be there. Whenever you need me, like how I need you."

He held her tighter, his grip firm beneath her arms and his hands on her waist. She knew that he could pick her up without any problems and he only buried face in her hair. Breathing in her scent, closing his eyes as he treasured the time he had with her.

This was it. No matter how impulsive it seemed, he wholeheartedly decided that he was hers.

They had dinner at a small restaurant, hidden in the alleyways with where few people were aware. They were so physically exhausted from a long day, though oddly enough the two fed off of each other's presence to retain the energy of a thousand suns.

The way their eyes lit up when they made contact, the small smiles they exchanged at the slightest thing that crossed their minds. She quietly laughed at the way he stumbled with his fork and knife – it was oddly out of character for him as he was usually very poised with his chopsticks. He shrugged and acknowledged his silliness, not feeling embarrassed at all. Only glad that she had a smile on her face.

They spoke quietly in their native tongue, in the small corner with the window. It was so nice being able to speak Japanese again. Hana had missed the delicate language, in comparison to the hoarse English she learned to speak fluently without any accent.

"Ojii-san is well, yes?"

"Mhm," Mori answered. "He's been more prone to colds lately."
"Old man isn't invincible after all," Hana shook her head. She sighed. "I can't thank you enough for taking care of him."

Takashi shook his head. "He's like a grandfather to me."

Hana felt a pang of guilt. "Your grandfather is the same to me. I apologise for not making the effort to visit. He's doing well with Yasuchika and Satoshi now, I presume?"

"They've long graduated," Mori informed her. Satoshi was now 21, in his last year of University, studying kinesiology.

Hana dropped her jaw in disbelief, quickly calculating how long it had been since they had last trained and how old Mori's sibling was. "My… how old we are. Satoshi is now 21?"

"You're 22," Takashi pointed out. She was hardly an old person, only a year older than his own brother. He on the other hand, was approaching 24 with hardly anything to show.

"I'm 23 this year," Hana countered. There was a two year gap between her and Satoshi, and one between her and Mori. "I feel like I have lived longer than that, coming from hell and back. It felt so long and tumultuous… and now looking back," she paused, gazing into his eyes.

"I still remember the day I met you again like it was yesterday. I was sixteen, and Hiro was so ridiculously excited for me to meet his friends," She chuckled to herself, replaying the memory in her mind. The halls of Ouran were so vast. The music room was excessive with antique furniture and vases that were just waiting to be broken had she not watched where she stepped. "I wasn't going to go with him that day, you know? I had an essay to write and a calculus test to study for."

"I'm glad you came," Mori fondly remembered the first time he saw her again. It was an instant moment of recognition. There was no doubt about it, how their eyes had locked and the way their lives seemed to be forever intertwined. They picked up the pieces that they had lost without any trouble.

"Time… it's so strange how polarizing we can perceive it to be. From being excruciatingly slow from day to day, and suddenly it accumulates into years and decades."

Mori nodded in agreement.

"Time is different when I'm with you," Hana whispered, mostly to herself. But he heard her just fine. "I had always felt like I was running out of time. Deadlines, job applications, meetings to attend… and in those events, those exams, the interviews, the meetings… time refused to pass fast enough. Does that even make sense?"

She looked up at him, as his gaze was fixed on her. He was trying to take in every bit of her. The way her lips moved, her eyes that wandered away from his face and then back, her ears that were red from the cold, her dark hair that fell effortlessly down to her shoulders. He listened as her voice transitioned from a husky, almost croaky tone to being smooth and melodious when she found her voice again.

He could only nod in response.

"Time passes slowly with you when I'm aware of it. The seconds that you take to kiss me, the minutes that you embrace my whole body with your entire soul, the hours that you spend holding my hand… and suddenly, I've known you for 16 years of my life. I only have a little more than 72 hours with you on this side of the world. And who knows how long I have with you… in the future."

She darted her eyes down to the table. They were still so young, and they were in such bliss. Hana was not naïve enough to assume that the rest of their lives were going to be that way. All good things came to an end.

Mori shook his head.

"Don't be silly," he murmured. "We have as long as you want."
"How long do you want?"

Takashi paused.

"For the rest of my life."

Hana smiled and laughed at his statement. How awfully serious he seemed as he executed the joke was highly amusing to her.

He let her think he was joking and laughed along with her.

"There's only one right answer, Takashi," the elder said while he sipped on his tea. The grandfather watched as the young man sat in silence. He was expecting Takashi to squirm out of discomfort, or perhaps at the very least, seem petrified at the thought of marriage.

Young kids these days were afraid of commitment, apparently. Weaklings, the elder thought. Children in this generation were all weaklings that could not commit to their own fleeting decisions, refusing to take responsibility for their actions.

The grandfather half-heartedly asked the question to mess with the kid's head. But the long silence began piquing his interest. Was the child truly committed to his precious granddaughter?

Everyone and the damn dog had sensed something would happen between the two. They had a bond, an energy that could be sensed by anyone in a room with them. It was only a matter of time that they realized it themselves.

Takashi cleared his throat.

"Yes," he said. There was no faltering in his voice. No sense of uncertainty. His decision was made and he, as he was taught from a young age, was going to honour it. His words were now set in stone.

The grandfather nodded in approval.

"Well then," the man put his tea down on the table. "Your old man owes me 10 000 yen. Get me the damn phone so I can call him up for tea on Sunday."

Her body was tucked comfortably under his arm while her head rested on his shoulder. Mori watched as she flipped through the pictures she had taken over their hike during the day. His fingers mindlessly brushing through her hair as he took in the jasmine scent.

She had an eye for things. A small leaf on a branch, with a glistening drop of rain hanging on the surface. Flowers that peaked its sprouts through two grey rocks. Small details to the large scenic landscapes that they oversaw at the cliff. The sun that shone through the grey clouds to place just the right light on the water in the fjord, highlighting their aquamarine hue that complimented the emerald forest that shielded the rocky mountains.

"That one is nice," he murmured, pointing to the picture that placed the whole cliff in one shot.
"Yeah? I'll print one out for you," Hana smiled. "You can put it on your desk at school."
"I'd like that," he smiled.

Hana snuggled closer to his body, making herself more comfortable. He welcomed her presence, letting her shift in his arms. He wasn't letting go any time soon so she might as well get comfortable.

"We didn't take any pictures with us," she realized.

Mori shrugged. He was never the type to pose for pictures anyway. She glanced up at him and had a mischievous smile on her face. Hana extended her arm and quickly kissed him on the cheek while snapping a photo. He widened his eyes in surprise, a little dazed at the whole ordeal as he tried to piece together what had happened.

Hana turned the camera around to see the shot. She frowned at the blurriness.

"Well, I tried," she laughed off the attempt while Mori quietly shook his head and took away the camera. It was embarrassing. But he couldn't help but to smile.

"It's easier with a phone," he reached for his phone on the nightstand with his long arm. She looked up at the screen and smiled on cue. Unlike him, Hana was much more photogenic. After all, she was trained to look good in photos for a living.

"Half your face was cut off in that photo," Hana said while she quietly took the phone from him, framing both their faces in the shot. Mori wasn't particularly good at photos. His lips were flat, bunched slightly to his left into a small smirk. She laughed and called it cute.

They finally took a decent shot of themselves, with Mori resting his chin on her shoulder. His usual smirk was paired with Hana smiling widely with both her lips and eyes.

"Never send that to Hiro," she warned. "He would freak out. Actually, don't show that to Ojii-san either. Goodness, I have no clue how he'd react."

Hana put the phone back to the nightstand on Takashi's side, sprawling her body over his. He comfortably had her by the waist, pulling down the t-shirt that had rose above her hips while she stretched over him.

"He didn't seem to mind," Mori commented.

"What?" Hana sat straighter. "Ojii-san knows? About us?"

"He had bets placed on us with my grandfather."

The woman groaned. "Are you for real? They probably placed bets on other stupid shit."
"They made a bet on marriage and kids."
"Holy shit," Hana gasped. "No. I'm only 22. I'm not… no, no to marriage."

"But one day?" he quietly raised an eyebrow.
"One day," Hana smiled. "Maybe not any time soon though."
"Your grandfather bet 2 years."

Hana wanted to smack her head on the bedframe. "That's a lot of pressure."
"5 years from now for their first great-grandchild," Mori informed.

Hana buried her head into his neck for comfort. "They need lives. Honestly." His chest rumbled in laughter. She joined in with him.

"He misses you," Takashi whispered into her ear after their bout of laughter.
"I miss him too," Hana admitted. "I miss you too, when you aren't around."
"I'm here now," he reminded.

She nodded, basking in the warmth of his body for a little longer. A few more days with them. An escape from the reality that was slowly seeping back into her life. Hana hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time, forgetting that she led another life beyond this nomadic one.

"I got accepted to the doctorate program," Takashi wasn't sure why he chose then and there to tell her. But it was as good of a time than any. She looked up at him, smiling at the news.

"That's wonderful, Takashi."
He nodded. It was nice to be able to stay in Toudai for it too. While he toyed with the thought of possibly doing his degree elsewhere, perhaps even abroad, he ultimately decided to stay in his homeland.

"I start work in May," Hana looked up to the ceiling, a little disappointed at the fact. Mori could tell that she was dreading the thought.
"What would you rather be doing?"

Hana shrugged. "Quietly investing my own capital. Not that I'm not doing so already on the side, but… full-time. I'd like to be a hedge fund manager, maybe one day. Managing a portfolio of millions… it would be interesting."

Takashi shook his head, almost in awe of her. He knew nothing about finance, and she was well beyond her years. She had so much potential and yet, so few people saw her in that light. He held her tighter in response, telling her that he believed in her. He was her support system, even if the walls came crashing down. Her solace during the rough journey ahead.

She returned the same embrace, resting her head on his chest and burying her face in his neck. She was happy. She placed a hand on his chest, watching as her hand travelled rhythmically up and down. It calmed her. She could feel his heartbeat beneath her palm, in perfect sync with her own.

"Koi no yokan."

It was a phrase that resonated in her ears, a feeling that emanated in her soul at the thought of him.

"Koi no yokan," she repeated in agreement. "I felt that… years ago."

It was not like love at first sight. A kind of premonition you had when you met someone, a growing feeling that they would become an integral part of your life. A sense that they were going to become something, though never quite putting a finger on what. What slowly blossomed as an old friendship into a fruitful relationship between lovers was a long journey. It was a slow progression of feelings that took years to develop while a solid foundation had slowly been set.

"I knew."
"Knew what?" Hana asked.
"That you were it."
"What do you mean?"

Mori shook his head. How was he meant to explain the whirlwind of emotions that she made him feel?

"No one else. Just you."
"What about Honey?" she reminded.
"He's different."
"Different?"

She was not an obligation. She never was an obligation. Of course, he loved Honey and their bond would never be broken. Though they now led their own respective lives, meeting up every so often. But she was different. Hana was a choice that he selfishly made to pursue. He willingly disregarded the implication of their relationship to her career, her reputation, her own family – under mutual agreement with her, of course.

"You… you set me free." Free from his duties. Free from being trapped in a cage that he was bounded to, a life of servitude to the Haninozuka family by tradition.

Hana sighed. "Takashi, as much as I enjoy deciphering your puzzling phrases – I'm afraid I don't follow."
"You let me be selfish."
"Selfishness rubs off on people, doesn't it?" she chuckled. "Don't count on it as being a good thing for long."

She was playful. Worry-free. Happy. Things he hadn't seen from her in so long – and the greatest part was knowing he was the reason for it. He loved hearing her laugh. He loved seeing her smile at him. He loved being the reason for her smile. Was happiness meant to be so contagious?

"I'm grateful," Takashi murmured, running a hand through her long hair.
"I am too," Hana smiled. "Please don't forget that."

He nodded.

She reached over to kiss him on the cheek, trailing down his jaw and finding his lips, sealing her words as a promise.

Goodbyes were harder than she thought.

Hana was always taught to tough it out. You had to learn how to get hit before hitting. She wasn't meant to feel this awful about letting go. Being weak was not in her itinerary when she stood with him before the gates at Heathrow. She could hear her grandfather chiding her already.

His flight was an hour and a half away.

Takashi watched as she tried to speak. She inhaled, opened her mouth, then hesitated before exhaling. She bit her lip in frustration as she had an internal struggle with herself. He could see it in the way she acted.

He tugged gently on her arm, giving her a look.

"I'm fine," she reassured. "You should… you should go," Hana ushered.

He didn't budge. Takashi was trying to read her expression. The woman ran a hand through her hair, and shook her head.

"I'm… really glad you came."

Mori nodded.

"I'll be home by the end of the month," she promised. "I'll visit your grandfather. I promise. It's about time I pay my respects to Morinozuka-san."

"He'd like that."

"I'll uh, yeah. Call me when you're home? Text me, if you're too tired. Um. Yeah." It was getting harder for her to piece together real sentences. Why was she feeling so awful? When did this aching feeling in her chest start appearing?

"I will."

She gulped and blinked a few times, taking a few breaths. Hana nodded to herself, easing into reality again. She was supposed to be cool about this. But she was just a bundle of embarrassment in the middle of Heathrow.

"Why is this so hard?" she blurted out. "God damn it, you should've left before I turned into this rambling mess." It was the phase of defensiveness as she tried to cover up her moment of weakness. No tears. No tears. No tears. She chanted to herself.

"Sorry," he did his signature smile, though it was more of a smirk as he watched her fumble with the phone in her hand.
"Go," Hana demanded, pointing to the gate.

Mori picked up his backpack and gripped onto the handle of his one luggage. He packed light.

"Wait, no," she frowned immediately. Why was she being so needy? Where was her filter? This was not right. This was embarrassing.

Takashi raised an eyebrow. Hana buried her face in her hands.

"Sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Takashi laughed at her behaviour. It wasn't like he wanted to leave, either. Hana managed to speak for both of them, at the expense of her own dignity. He let go of his luggage and brought her closer to his chest. He planted a kiss on her forehead and held her. She just fit so comfortably beneath his chin, how could he resist?

"Don't spoil me like this." Hana wanted to let go. But after all, she was selfish. She made the conscious choice to let go only when she felt ready to. "You're going to miss your flight at this rate."

Mori didn't mind.

"This is so bad," she groaned.
"I don't think so." He locked his grip around her waist a little tighter. She wasn't even fighting against it. She just latched onto him.

"We look like one of those sickly couples that everyone hates watching at the airport."
"Are they that bad?
"I despised them and now I am one of them," Hana grumbled. "I'm such a hypocrite."

Mori looked around. People walked past them without a second glance, everyone was too busy to care. Those who noticed didn't linger for long as they continued on with their day.

Hana sighed.

"Does this thing last?"
"What?"
"This phase. The never-wanting-to-let-go thing. The bliss. The dumb grin on my face. When does the comfort phase begin? The apathy?"

Mori looked down to her eyes. She was always the realist.

"Do you want it to end?"
She shook her head.

Takashi shrugged. "Then… we'll see."

"Are you worried?"
"Should I be?"

Hana thought for a bit, biting her lip. Mori watched as her eyes faltered to a daze before she came back.

"No," she smiled. "I don't think so."
"Okay then."

"Do you think we'll argue?"
Takashi was unsure how to answer this question. "Why do you ask?"

Hana didn't know.

"I just want to be prepared. Things seem too perfect. Every couple fights, right? I mean. It wouldn't… seem right if we didn't."

"Then what do you want to fight about?" Mori thought these questions were silly, but he played along.
Hana rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. Maybe we'll have our first fight one day."
"But we've already fought," Takashi smirked. "On the mat."

She laughed. "How could I forget?" He joined in with a deep chuckle.

"Okay. Sorry. I know. I'm being silly," Hana admitted. "I'm just – I don't know. Being irrational."
"It's okay."

Hana finally let go. This was it. He needed to go home. She needed to go home. They had lives to lead. It was back to reality.

Mori watched as Hana's eyes shifted from her soft gaze to a sharp glint. She was ready to fight again. He admired that. The way she shielded herself within minutes. Yet, he knew her like no one else. How he was the only one who was allowed to see her vulnerable, in her silly state of insecurities. Her irrational side. Her flaws. Every single detail. She was so incredibly beautiful.

"Go on," Hana smiled. "I'll be okay."

He didn't doubt that. She was much stronger than anyone gave her credit for.

It was hard. He would see her again in a few weeks. It wasn't that difficult of a task to live without her. It wasn't like he couldn't function. He just… got a taste of what could be. Of happiness at the fullest degree. The feeling of completeness. The thought of being empty again made him ache a little.

Did she feel the same? He wondered.

Her eyes faltered for a split second when he locked eyes with her.

She did.

She felt exactly the same.

He took some kind of comfort in that. How they were intertwined in their emotions, no matter how hard they tried to hide it. There was no fighting it.

He was so ridiculously in love with her.

He wondered if she knew that.

A/N: I very slowly began writing this chapter over the course of two months. Now that exam season is finally over, I'm hoping to be able to write more often. No promises though. It's been quite a journey with these two and it's always a difficult time picking up the pieces as a writer (while keeping my sanity after another year of uni - fingers crossed that I've passed all my courses).

Anyway, as usual, thank you all for reading. Your thoughts are much appreciated.