It is late May now.

U.A. organized a party for all the students after finals.

A congratulations and goodbye for the third-years, a promise of hope for the second-years, and a welcome for the first-years.

I arrive early for the end-of-the-school-year party.

And I choose a table far enough from the crowd, close to the food counters, and beside the forest.

Because this time I will not be ditched when Selene-chan vanishes into the forest.

I'm going to follow her through, no matter what.

I stare out into the growing mass of people congregating by the entrance from my seat as I adjust my shirt cuffs and bow tie. The crowd seems bigger than before, like even party recluses decided to leave their hermit lifestyles for one night and attend the occasion. Tonight, I took exceptional care in appearance. I've noticed that Selene-chan has a preference for ties and bows and the like in a tuxedo. This time, though, I don't appear conspicuous like a weed amongst flowers. All the boys and girls are wearing some level of business casual wear. So in my black and white ensemble, I don't feel like a misfit.

But then my gaze lands on the prettiest flower. The one who stands out, no matter what she wears, what she does. Like the moon goddess incarnated into a human to walk on earth, but her mysterious radiance could not be concealed. Selene-chan tries to slip around the throng. My breath catches in my throat. I cannot peel my eyes away from her. Distantly, I realize I'm getting out of my seat and strolling toward her. Just then, she gathers the hem of her gown and turns for the forest. Not this time. I watch just where she steps through and change my direction, too. I'm only meters away when she disappears from view.

Seconds later, I walk through the same opening she did. Little light penetrates the dense trees. Deep green foliage during the day is a shadowy black at night. Twigs snap under my feet just as they break under hers. I rely on sound to locate her. I push leaves aside and avoid thorns. As I descend deeper, the sounds of the night become louder. Squirrels chittering, nightingales singing, crickets croaking, frogs ribbiting. I catch a glimpse of white turn to the right, and I follow. But when I get there, I lose all sight and sound of her. She must have stopped moving or is hiding. I call out her name a few times. No response. "If this is some game of yours, it isn't funny." Still no reply. I get worried. Maybe I should go back to the party and ask for help. But in my rush to catch up to her, I didn't track my steps. I can't risk getting any more lost than I am already.

I circle around, trying to get a sense of my surroundings. All of a sudden, my heel hits a fallen branch and I stumble. I cover the back of my head with my hands, bracing for a rough impact. But instead of making contact with wood and rocks, my head lands on something softer. A little prickly, but softer. Short, thin spikes appear in my periphery and poke my skin. Grass? I sit up. Indeed, it is grass. Looking around, I notice I'm in some clearing in the forest. Standing up, I brush dust off my clothes.

There's a stone path a little distance away, leading to a large wood gazebo. Hexagonal, from my angle. And inside it, leaning against the gazebo railing, is Selene-chan. I storm toward her, more than a little angry. "One month ago, you took a walk at night, and then you disappeared for three days. How did you think it was a good idea to do the same thing again?" I hiss.

She turns around, stunned that she isn't alone here. Well, I'm not leaving you alone. "I-I … How did you know I was here, Shouto-kun?"

I glare at her. "I followed you. Usually you stayed for a while at a school function before running off into the forest. This time, you didn't even hesitate coming here. I had expected you to at least talk to me before escaping. Instead, the first thing you did is come here." My anger softens into dismay. "Did you not want my company? Or was the crowd too overwhelming? You could have told me. I wouldn't feel bad."

"That was not my intention," she defends. "I'm sorry for hurting you. But it's like you said … the throng of people was too much for me. My agoraphobia peaked instantly, and I panicked. My instincts took over, and I chose to escape rather than pull through." She reaches for my hands. "I apologize. I enjoy your company. Truly." Then she laughs softly, "In fact, I've wanted to bring you to this place for some time now. But I didn't imagine it would be like this."

At her words, I pay more attention to where I am now. Outside the gazebo, the view is stunning. Beneath the white full moon and twinkling blue stars, a pond is dotted with blooming lotuses and water lilies of all colors. A thin pier made of the same wood as the gazebo leads to and extends partway into the pond. Trees encircle the clearing like a ring, and wrapped around their trunks are moonflowers basking in the moonlight. Their scent envelops everything in tranquility. A perfect landscape for my drawings. Why does this place seem familiar? The answer comes to me instantly. Selene-chan's words from a game of twenty questions echo in my mind. She had asked me if I had a place where I found solace, and when I told her I didn't, she told me that she had one. "There's a pond covered with lotuses and water lilies. A small wood deck leads to the pond and a gazebo overlooks it. It's beautiful at night. The stars, the moon, the gentle breeze, and the chittering of crickets."

"This is your comfort place! The one you mentioned during Lunch time!" Just before we argued and ruined our relationship. I don't speak that part, but she smiles sadly anyway.

"It is. Shouto-kun, Communication is not my strongest skill. I've kept many secrets from you. I think you know that, too. Some of them are too devastating and fresh to share, but I thought I might share one of my pleasant ones with you." She looks out at the scenery, lost somewhere in her thoughts. "I discovered this place after the first day of school, when I ran away from the welcome party. You used to wonder where I disappeared to during Lunch time. And I answered that it was by the koi fish pools. Actually, I used to eat here. Even when we were on bad terms, and after you started to eat Midoriya-san and Iida-san, I ate my meals here. At that time, I wasn't comfortable showing this place to anyone because I felt like this place was mine. My own little heaven. Greedy of me, right?" She clenches her hands together. "But I think now that you deserve to know. I'm sorry for lying to you, but I would like to make it up to you with this gift. This place is an escape for me. I hope it can be one for you."

I reach for her hands and focus on coaxing the fingers apart. "It's okay. I get it. Spending time here, hidden from the prying eyes of the world, seems more feasible than eating out in the open by fish."

"But there are fish in this pond, too," she laughs.

I return the gesture. "Yeah, but that's not my point. This place is really beautiful. So serene. I get why you wanted to keep this a secret, and I thank you for entrusting me with it."

"You don't hold this against me?" she asks, doubt and hope clouding her clear eyes.

"I do," I say with the most serious expression I can muster. The hope diminishes, and she covers it up with a weak smile. Before she can say that she understands and apologize, I speak again. "Spend some time with me here, and I'll forgive you." That hope returns instantly. I've finally loosened her tight grip. I draw circles on her hands with my thumbs. This heaven is a sanctuary for you, but my sanctuary is you.

She pulls at my hands. "Then come with me." Her excitement rubs off on me, and I let her take me where she wants to go. She leads me to the pier and removes her slippers. "I think the temperature of the water is fine this time of the year." Then she lifts her dress to her shins, sits on the edge of the pier, sets her cane beside her, and dips her feet into the water. Immediately, she withdraws before slipping back in. "Never mind. The water is cold," she giggles.

I shake my head fondly before folding the ends of my trousers to my shins and removing my socks and shoes. I sit beside her and slowly put a foot in. She's right. It's cold, but manageable. My movements ripple the water surface, causing some lily and lotus pads to touch my feet. I've been so caught up in my emotions earlier, that when I look, really look, at Selene-chan, my breath is stolen. I've always thought she was beautiful, but the moments when she looks ethereal are incomparable. The silver faerie ear shells glimmer in the moonlight, illuminating the rest of her. Moon white silk sheath gown with a sweetheart neckline and an upper layer of gossamer. The gossamer is embroidered with black seed pearls and lace flowers along the neck, sleeve, and bottom hems. It hugs her body perfectly, save for the long bell sleeves which flare out at her elbows. The ensemble is accompanied by silk gloves and lace choker of the same white. I almost forgot the most important detail: her long hair is down. How long has it been since I last saw her with her hair unbound? Months ago, at the entrance exam? Her voluminous pearlescent white hair is pinned back from her face with bobby pins and are hidden by small bouquets of roses of two hues: intense maroon on the inner side of the petals and palest white on the outer side. I brush the petals of one of the roses. "I've never seen this kind of rose before. What's its name?"

"Fire and ice," she replies, with a blush creeping up her cheeks. "These are fire and ice roses."

The meaning is not lost on me. I feel a redness tinging my own face, and I rub the back of my neck to hide it. Trying to salvage some semblance of control, I look away. My gaze drops to a lavender-colored lotus beside me. Its numerous petals are in full bloom. It takes an effort to pull at it, but eventually I sever it from its stem. "Selene-chan?" I call out. She hums her question and stops swinging her feet in the water. She looks at the lotus and then at me. "May I adorn your hair?"

Her blush deepens, and she stammers, "B-But there are already roses. And-and more flowers would look gaudy."

As if you could ever look gaudy. "Then give the roses to me." Her eyes widen, so I explain. "I've always been taking flowers from you. The one time I tried to do the opposite, I messed up your hairstyle. But that time, your hair was tied up in a bun. Maybe it will be easier if I do the same but when your tresses are open." She says nothing, still hesitant. "Please? I'll do my best not to ruin all the effort you must have put." She snorts and relents. "Give me a minute," I say as I get out of the water and hurry to wear my shoes. Running toward one of the trees, I pluck a few moonflowers. Their fragrance is strong but sweet. I rush back, doing some weird dance between trying to take off my shoes and keeping the flowers from falling. "Okay. Could you turn to the side?" She obliges, and one by one, I untangle the roses. There are so many that altogether they make one large bouquet. She passes me a hair tie from her purse to bind the flowers together, along with some bobby pins.

Then I part her hair to fix the lotus in place. Its stem is too thick to be stuck in place with bobby pins, so I rely on the ring of moonflowers around the lotus to keep it in place. With each flower, my masterpiece creates itself. Selene-chan is itching to turn around and make sure everything is fine, so I reassure with a pat to the hand. Eventually, I'm finished. A lavender lotus encircled by a wreath of moonflowers, swimming in a waterfall of pearl white. "Done," I say, unable to resist combing my fingers through the open strands. So soft. "No messes and a perfect design. I think this was a success." She smiles and reaches for the rose bouquet. I pull it away from her. When she stares at me, puzzled, I grin, "They're my treasure now." Selene-chan frowns and splashes water at me with her feet. Okay, it is on. I swish more water her way. She raises an eyebrow in silent challenge, and I accept. A water fight ensues. Both of us try to outdo the other by throwing more and more water at each other. Water climbs higher and higher until it is soaking the edges of my trousers and the hem of her gown. We laugh like children. At some point, though, we stop playing. She nearly tumbles into the water, and I have to grab her waist to keep her from falling.

"Silly me," she giggles as she regains her balance.

"Yeah," I reply, a little scared at what could have happened. Selene-chan once told me that she couldn't swim.

Instinctively, I grasp her hands and hold them close. Her amusement is replaced with silence. She stares at where our fingers our intertwined, anticipating what I will do next. I let go of her hands, only to hold her wrists. I stroke my thumbs across her pulse point, feeling the silk and the single layer of bandages underneath. She wasn't wearing any on her feet, otherwise she wouldn't have dipped them in the pond. My curiosity is piqued. "When we first-"

My words are cut off as Present Mic's voice booms. Wait, Present Mic's voice all the way out here? I stare at Selene-chan in utter bewilderment, and her expression mirrors mine. "EVERYONE, GET ON THE DANCE FLOOR!"

"Huh! Sensei's voice is just as robust, even out here," I joke as I notice waves generate on the pond surface. But Selene-chan rises to her feet, hurries to grab her cane and purse, and wear her slippers. Understanding her intentions, I copy her actions. Her anxious eyes and tight grip on her cane reveal her desire to get further away from here. Get away from me in the process. I won't let her. Just as she turns toward the other end of the pier, I grab her wrist and twist her to face me. Her cane falls down, and immediately, I snag her other wrist, too. "You can't run away from everything, Selene-chan," I tell her. She doesn't meet my eyes. Instead, her pulse rises and breath quickens in fear. "I know what it feels like to be trapped. God, I've been trapped for years by my father. No one would know the feeling better than me. Everything seems to want to hurt you in the moment. It makes you want to hide somewhere safe. I know. For me, that safe space used to be my mom. But at some point you have to face your fears."

"It … it's not easy," she gasps. "The memories with it … the trauma it makes me relive … it hurts. All of it makes me want to cease to exist." She clasps my coat collar tightly.

I slide my grip up her arms, stopping just below her shoulders. "I know. That's why take it slowly. Just trust that no one besides the two of us is here. No one will come here. It's just a loud sound, and it's happening far, far away. This place is your secret. Our secret." I rub my hands up and down her arms to comfort her. It works. Her breathing slows to normal and her grip eases.

Selene-chan's head falls against my shoulder, and she whispers, "I'm sorry, Shouto-kun."

"Nonsense," I refute instantly. "There is nothing to apologize for." Picking up the rose bouquet, I usher her toward the gazebo, and once there, I set her down on a bench. "It's quieter now, isn't it?" Present Mic's voice is replaced with songs of all genres - in Japanese and English - but their decibel value is certainly five times lower than Present Mic. She nods.

A long time passes like this. Just us in mutual, peaceful silence. Selene-chan lazily cleans the lenses of her glasses with a cloth, and I get absorbed in the fragrance of the fire and ice roses. At some point, she breaks the silence. "Oh, I heard this song once before. It was lovely." I listen to the music playing in the distance.

I get on my feet and bring a hand toward her. "Then shall we dance?"

She's surprised. "But which dance?"

"The French Waltz."

She snorts and accepts. "I had to rely on you to guide me through, even though I knew the steps perfectly well," she reminisces as she places her glasses and cloth in her purse and then rests one hand on my shoulder and the other in my own.

I snake my arm fully around her waist. "Then let me do so again." I love that I can still make her blush like a cherry when I tease her like this. Having too much fun, I lean close to her ear and whisper, "And this time, all your dances are mine." She averts her eyes, making me smile.

The song begins, and the lyrics resonate all the way here.

My mother said I'm too romantic

She said, 'You're dancing in the movies'

I almost started to believe her

Then I saw you and I knew

I take the lead, and we walk three steps to the left. I dip her. Lower than required. For some reason, this song stirs something inside me. A memory rises within me. After the dinner at the Hanada mansion, Dad scorned that my friendship with Selene-chan and her devotion to me was ridiculous. He thought it was low of me to fraternize with someone who has a disability. But I knew it was not. Every time I thought of her or of the time spent with her, I knew it was the furthest thing from ridiculous.

Maybe it's 'cause I got a little bit older

Maybe it's all that I've been through

I'd like to think it's how you lean on my shoulder

And how I see myself with you.

I raise her back up, and she spins in place once. Selene-chan and I have been through so much in our lives. Before we met and after we met. And yet, she's the best thing to have ever happened to me. I cannot imagine a tomorrow without her in it. Not anymore. Not for a long time.

I don't say a word

But still, you take my breath and steal the things I know

There you go, saving me from out of the crowd

It's her turn to lead. We move three steps to the right, back to where we started, and it's my turn to spin. Without judgment, without reservations, without any criticisms, she accepted me. She listened to me patiently, and supported me even when I left my feelings unsaid. More than once, she saved me from being consumed by my own dark thoughts.

Now comes the chorus.

Fire on fire, we're normally killers

With this much desire, together we're winners

They say that we're out of control and some say we're sinners

But don't let them ruin our beautiful rhythms

I dip her again, and when we rise, our faces are closer than before. During the dance, our bodies moved in unison. In one rhythm to bring us closer together. Our personalities are ambitious. We're driven to win and believe that the ends justify the means. Separately, we were beautiful solos. Together, we were a magnificent symphony.

'Cause when you unfold me and tell me you love me

And look in my eyes

You are perfection, my only direction

It's fire on fire, mmm, it's fire on fire

This is the part of the dance where we would exchange partners. But even though it's just the two of us, I don't want to let go. So I change the steps. I remove my hand from hers and hug it around her waist. Before she can ask what I did, I lift her in the air. Her free hand instantly lands on other shoulder, and both hands clutch the fabric. Feet swing in midair. I spin us half-way and set her down opposite where she was earlier. Her eyes … those mysterious silver eyes I drown into every time I see them look up at me with unspoken questions in their depths. "All your dances are mine. I am not going to share you with anyone, imaginary or otherwise," I answer. Her cheeks tinge with color again, and I'm tempted to run a finger down one.

When we fight, we fight like lions

But then we love and feel the truth

We lose our minds in a city of roses

We won't abide by any rules

Selene-chan and I have fought countless times. Everything from playful banters to angry arguments. We've hurt each other, but we've also healed each other. I don't know what it's like for her, but for me, when she's with me, she is the only thing that matters to me. I can live in the present when she's there. And she never ignores me. She brought me here … to this little heaven … to this city of roses. We create a world where no one but the two of us reside. Whatever Dad has to say about her, I don't give a damn. She's perfect with all her strengths and flaws.

I don't say a word

But still, you take my breath and steal the things I know

There you go, saving me from out of the crowd

The rest of the song continues. I lose count of how many times we've spun, how many times we've bent for a dip, how many times I swept her off her feet into the air. Selene-chan shifted from puzzlement to amusement. Her laughter … that exquisite, pure laughter … mixed with mine became the only thing I heard. I knew that this night would be the only thing I would draw for weeks to come. This night … this place … this girl. This glorious, gorgeous girl. My moon, radiant like no other; without whose light, I would wither.

The only thing I am aware of are my arms growing tighter around her waist and her hands fisting the fabric of my tuxedo coat. When the song finishes, there is barely any space between us. Our bodies are pressed flush together, and our faces are so close … only a centimeter marks the distance between our lips. I feel her breath. Or is it mine? It's fast. I feel heartbeats. Hers or mine? They're even faster. She's nervous, and so am I. Even so, neither she pulls away, and nor do I.

I let go of her waist, only to cup her cheeks with my hands.

Earlier, I wanted to run a finger down them, but this is infinitely so much better.

People always say it would be marvelous to walk on the moon one day and touch its surface.

But I think there is nothing more amazing than this moment: beneath the moonlight is my moon between my hands.

Within those liquid silver eyes, I see my face.

And in my face I see what I had been unconsciously denying all this time.

What Recovery Girl saw in me.

I have fallen in love with you beyond the point of no return.

Note: The song in this chapter is Sam Smith's "Fire on Fire." There are slight variations to the lyrics, so the video I referenced is given here: "Sam Smith - Fire on Fire (Lyrics)" posted by Shadow Music.