The walk back was calm.
The trees cast long shadows on the asphalt as the sun dipped behind the neighborhood's lower buildings. The sound of footsteps was the only steady noise, occasionally broken by a distant car or a careless bird.
Yuta walked beside Megumi. His backpack hung lightly on his shoulders, his eyes fixed ahead. He seemed relaxed, but his breathing was measured, as if still carrying the remnants of something not meant to be seen.
Megumi walked slower than usual.
The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable. But it wasn't light either.
She glanced at him sideways, her fingers intertwined.
"Did you sort out that thing you needed to handle?"
The question sounded simple. Almost casual. But her eyes sought his with care.
Yuta didn't answer right away. Two steps passed before he turned to her, calm.
"Yeah. It's sorted."
His response was direct, leaving no room for further questions.
Megumi nodded slowly, looking down at the ground.
She didn't ask what it was. She didn't ask how. Part out of respect… part because she knew she wouldn't get an answer.
Yuta kept his gaze forward for a few more meters, then glanced slightly at Megumi.
"Lunch with Aika… went okay?"
The question was simple, but there was a subtle care in his tone. As if he knew the encounter might have caused some discomfort.
Megumi took a second to respond. Her eyes stayed on the ground, her expression neutral.
"It was fine. She talks a lot… but she's kinder than she seems."
Yuta nodded, almost smiling.
"She tends to come off sharper than she is. But she's got a good heart."
A few more steps in silence.
Megumi's fingers tightened around each other. The air was clear, but the pressure in her chest didn't ease.
She looked at him sideways.
"What she said… was it true?"
Yuta stopped.
He turned to face her fully, as if trying to understand before the question was even complete.
Megumi took a deep breath and continued.
"That you two kissed… behind the gym, a while before we started going out."
Yuta didn't look away.
He didn't try to deny it.
But his body shifted slightly. A faint tension in his shoulder, a subtle movement of his lips before he answered.
"…It was before us. Yeah, it happened."
His voice carried no guilt. But no defense either.
Megumi lowered her eyes.
She already knew the answer. But hearing it from Yuta was different.
The silence between them grew solid.
The wind passed slowly through the street's trees, and she felt the muffled sound of leaves filling the space words hadn't yet covered.
'At least he was honest.'
It was strange… but comforting.
Yuta didn't try to change the subject or look away. He just waited, standing there, giving her all the time she needed.
"…Are you mad?"
The question came carefully. Not out of fear—just respect.
Megumi lifted her eyes.
"No."
Yuta studied her face closely, as if searching for any sign to the contrary. But he found none.
Megumi drew a calm breath before starting to walk again.
"Thanks for not lying."
Yuta walked beside her again, saying nothing for a moment. Just matching her pace, as he always did.
The afternoon carried on, slow and quiet. But now, with less weight.
Because, despite the topic… there was no resentment there.
Just the strange feeling of growing a little more inside.
The walk remained calm. They had already turned the last corner before the building where Megumi lived. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable—it was the kind of silence that seemed to hold something bigger.
Yuta looked ahead. Then at her.
"I'm thinking about starting a harem."
He said it like he was commenting on the weather.
Megumi stopped for a second, no surprise on her face. She just raised an eyebrow slightly.
"So… Aika's one of the candidates?"
Yuta nodded without hesitation.
"She's intense, direct… and seems to know exactly what she wants."
Megumi stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then started walking again.
"Makes sense."
Her tone was simple. No sarcasm. No irony.
Yuta followed, attentive.
"You're not gonna ask why I brought it up now?"
Megumi shook her head lightly.
"I don't need to. If you wanted to say it, it's because you thought you should."
Her response hung in the air for a while. But her expression stayed calm. Her gaze, focused. There was something thoughtful there, but no conflict.
"To be honest… it doesn't surprise me. Someone who fights ghosts in the middle of school probably has… unique tastes."
Yuta let out a short laugh, caught off guard by her matter-of-fact tone.
"You're a lot calmer about this than I expected."
"You asked me to trust you."
She stopped at the door of her building, turning slightly to face him.
"So I'm trying."
Yuta took a step closer.
Her eyes locked onto his for a moment. Neither looked away.
Then he closed the distance.
The kiss came without words. Longer than the ones before. Unhurried. Unrushed. Just steady, like confirming something already certain.
Megumi didn't pull back. Quite the opposite.
Her hand slowly rose to the side of his face. Her eyes closed naturally. And for a few seconds, the world seemed to fall silent around them.
The kiss deepened subtly. More warmth. More presence. More truth.
When Yuta pulled back, her eyes were still slightly closed.
"Thank you."
His voice was low. Almost intimate.
"For trusting me. For accepting… my world, the way it is."
Megumi opened her eyes, a faint spark still in her gaze.
"You'll understand better tomorrow."
She tilted her head.
"Why?"
Yuta gave a half-smile.
"Because I'm giving you a gift."
Her eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"What kind of gift?"
"It's a surprise."
Megumi crossed her arms lightly.
"You're good at keeping secrets, aren't you?"
"It's part of the job."
They both smiled faintly.
Yuta took a step back.
"See you tomorrow."
"See you."
He turned and started walking.
Megumi stayed there for a few seconds, watching him disappear around the curve of the street. Her heart beat steadily, but without conflict. The feeling was strange, but strangely right.
The door to her house opened with a soft creak. The sound wasn't loud, but enough to cut through the air between Megumi and the silence.
"Ahem."
A subtle throat-clearing followed.
Megumi turned immediately.
Her mother stood there—leaning against the doorframe with a faint smile and her arms crossed.
"That was him, wasn't it?"
The question came naturally, but laced with lively curiosity. Her gaze flickered between the end of the street and her daughter's flushed face.
Megumi quickly adjusted her hair, trying to mask her slight embarrassment.
"You saw?"
Her mother raised an eyebrow, amused.
"I'm not blind, Megumi. And the balcony's high up."
Megumi gripped the strap of her bag. Her face felt warm, but her eyes tried to hold onto some dignity.
"He… just walked me home."
"Uh-huh."
The short response carried a world of implication.
Her mother took a deep breath and nodded slightly with her chin.
"He's the same boy your grandma mentioned, right? The one who helped her with that weird problem."
Megumi nodded slowly, still searching for the right words.
"Yeah, it was him."
"Good."
Her mother crossed her arms again, her tone now more direct.
"I want you to invite him for dinner here sometime soon."
"Now?"
"Not today. But soon. He helped your grandma… and you seem to trust him a lot."
Megumi didn't reply. She just lowered her gaze slightly, her mind still caught on the kiss—and the very real possibility her mother had seen every second of it.
Yuta was already far away. He had no idea of the scene he'd left behind.
But its effect… was still there.
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