You've always prided yourself on your agility and acrobatic skills, and today is no different. As you and Kento Nanami stroll along the sidewalk, the afternoon sun casts playful shadows on the ground. You spot a railing next to the water, gleaming in the light like a perfect challenge waiting to be conquered.
With a grin spreading across your face, you can't resist the urge to be a little silly. With a burst of energy, you leap onto the railing, feeling the rush of adrenaline as you balance effortlessly, arms outstretched like a tightrope walker. The world feels alive around you, the distant sounds of laughter and chatter fading into the background as you focus solely on your impressive skills.
"You should be more careful," Nanami warns, his tone steady and serious. You miss Yu's antics. Of course, your best friend had to be visiting home today, leaving you and Nanami to deal with the grade 3 curse as a duo instead of a trio. Not that it was bad being with Nanami—despite his outward stoicism, he was a good comrade who always had your back.
You remove a foot from the railing in challenge, and Nanami lets out a tired sigh, already familiar with the antics you and Yu get up to. Just last week, Yu challenged you to a spicy ramen eating competition that had both of you vomiting while sobbing violently. One foot now gone, you hop to the other to catch up with the blond walking safely forward, before you throw yourself forward to walk on your hands.
"My balance is literally perfect, Nanami-san," you boast proudly, sticking your tongue out at the side of his face. He doesn't look nor does he accept the bait, just keeps walking forward on his feet while you continue on your hands. "There's nothing to worry about!" you add, flipping back to your feet and pausing to look up at the sky.
As you maintain your balance, the wind catches your hair, whipping it around your face like a wild banner of triumph. You feel invincible, a momentary hero in your own little universe. With a grin, you race over the inches-wide rail to catch up to Nanami without even a single tilt. With a final step, you spin off the railing and land quietly next to the blond sorcerer with a little giggle.
"Told you, Nanami-san!" you tease lightly, bumping your shoulder against his. He only lets out a hum of mild irritation, similar to when he had to get you and Yu milk to calm you both down after the fierce competition. "There's nothing to worry about, it's literally impossible for me to fall unless I want to. Even then, the chances of me landing on my face are about as equal as Yu shaving his hair."
Those would be your famous last words because the universe decided to shave your ego down.
In an instant, reality catches up with you. Your foot snags on an uneven crack in the pavement, and suddenly your world flips upside down. You stumble, arms flailing wildly as you desperately try to regain your balance, but it's too late. The ground rushes up to meet you, and you crash face-first, the impact jarring and unforgiving. The breath is knocked out of your lungs, leaving you momentarily stunned and gasping for air.
You lay there for a moment, your cheek pressed against the rough pavement, feeling the cold, gritty surface beneath you. Disbelief washes over you like a cold wave, mingling with the sharp sting of embarrassment. How could this happen? You insisted you were too agile for such things! The irony of your boast echoes in your mind, and you can almost hear Yu's laughter in the back of your head.
Slowly, you push yourself up onto your hands and knees, wincing as you take stock of your bruised dignity. Around you, the world continues unabated. Pedestrians stroll by, some casting curious glances your way, while others remain engrossed in their own conversations and thoughts. The sun continues to shine, indifferent to your mishap.
You glance up to see Nanami's back, his figure still moving steadily ahead, his pace unaltered. The fact that he hasn't even paused to check on you adds to your mix of feelings. Is he embarrassed for you? Or does he just not care?
Gathering yourself, you clamber to your feet, brushing dirt and gravel from your clothes. You feel a twinge of annoyance mingled with the lingering embarrassment. "Seriously? You're just going to leave me here?" you call out, your voice tinged with a whine as you hurry to catch up to him.
When you finally reach him, you're surprised to see a hint of laughter in his eyes. It's not loud or boisterous like Yu's, but soft, bubbling up from deep within him. A faint smile tugs at the corners of his mouth, and despite everything, it's enough to dissolve your irritation.
"What's so funny?" you ask, half-indignant, half-amused, still brushing off the last remnants of your fall.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he replies, attempting to sound serious, but the warmth in his eyes betrays him. The hint of a smile remains, like he's savoring a private joke.
You pout playfully, crossing your arms. "Oh, come on, Nanami. I saw that smile."
He tries to maintain his stoic demeanor, but the corners of his mouth twitch again. "You're imagining things," he insists, though his voice holds a gentle teasing tone even as his face reverts back to his usual self without a single emotion revealing itself. But the damage was done and the memory of his laughter was already in a precious spot in your memories.
Yu didn't understand why the dry statement of "I thought your head would be shaved" coming from Nanami sent you into hysterics, but smiled along anyway.