The day of the city festival had arrived, and there was a buzz of excitement in the air. Everywhere Kuze looked, there were colorful decorations, stalls lined with food, and the unmistakable chatter of students and townspeople alike. Masha had been talking about the festival for weeks, her excitement almost contagious.
Kuze found himself standing at the entrance of the school grounds, waiting for Masha. He checked his phone nervously, glancing around at the groups of friends already bustling about. He was a little early, but that didn’t stop him from feeling a familiar flutter in his stomach. He wasn’t just nervous about the festival — he was nervous about spending the day with her.
"Kuze!"
Her voice called out, and he turned just in time to see Masha running towards him, a bright smile lighting up her face. She wore a light, summery dress that flowed as she moved, and Kuze couldn't help but stare for a moment longer than necessary.
"You look... amazing," Kuze stammered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
Masha’s cheeks turned a soft pink as she slowed to a stop in front of him. "Thanks. You don’t look too bad yourself," she said, giving him a playful nudge.
Kuze chuckled, still feeling a bit awkward. “So, ready for the big day?”
“Definitely! I’ve been waiting for this festival all month.” Masha’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she spoke. “There’s a lot of cool booths this year, and I heard there’s even going to be a surprise performance tonight.”
Kuze raised an eyebrow. “A surprise performance? You sure it’s not some rumor?”
Masha shrugged, grinning mischievously. “Who knows? But it’s worth sticking around to find out.”
They started walking towards the heart of the festival, the sound of laughter and music growing louder as they went. Kuze couldn’t help but feel at ease around Masha — despite the weirdness of the past few weeks, being with her now felt natural. He didn’t feel the same nervousness he had earlier when he saw her under the tree. 
As they passed through the rows of food stalls, the scent of grilled meat, sweet pastries, and fried snacks filled the air. Masha grabbed Kuze’s arm, pulling him towards a vendor selling candied apples.
“Oh! Let’s get some of these!” Masha said, her eyes gleaming. “I haven’t had one since I was a kid.”
Kuze couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “Alright, alright. One for you and one for me?”
Masha nodded eagerly. “Of course!”
He handed the vendor a few coins and took the two candied apples, handing one to Masha. As soon as she took a bite, her eyes lit up even more. “This is so good! You have to try it.”
Kuze chuckled and took a bite of his own. It was sweet and sticky, the sugar coating his lips. “Yeah, not bad.”
They continued to walk, enjoying the sights and sounds of the festival. Kuze noticed that Masha seemed unusually quiet, occasionally stealing glances at him. He wondered if she was feeling the same nervousness he had earlier — after all, this was their first official "date" since they’d confessed their feelings for each other.
As they neared the center of the festival, they found a small bench shaded by a tree and sat down. Masha took another bite
of her candied apple, then turned to Kuze, her expression thoughtful. “You know, I never expected to spend today with you,” she admitted, her voice soft but with a hint of teasing.
Kuze raised an eyebrow, playing along. “Oh? And who *did* you expect to spend it with?”
Masha smiled, leaning back against the bench. “I don’t know. Maybe Alya? Or maybe I’d have just wandered around by myself like last year.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re with me,” Kuze said, his tone genuine as he looked at her. “It’s more fun with someone like you.”
Masha blinked, her cheeks turning pink again as she avoided his gaze. “You really know how to say things that make me embarrassed, you know?”
Kuze laughed. “I’m just being honest.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the festival goers pass by. Masha's gaze kept drifting towards Kuze, and he noticed, though he pretended not to. He could feel that same tension from before, the one that made the air between them seem thicker.
“Hey, do you want to check out the games?” Kuze suggested, standing up and offering his hand to her.
Masha took it, her fingers warm against his. “Sure! I’ve been eyeing that shooting game over there. Think you can win me a prize?”
Kuze grinned, his competitive side kicking in. “Challenge accepted.”
They made their way to the stall, where a row of toy guns were set up. The goal was simple: shoot down as many targets as you could in under a minute. The more targets you hit, the better the prize. Kuze picked up the gun, feeling the weight of it in his hands as he focused.
“Alright, wish me luck,” he said, glancing at Masha.
Masha gave him an encouraging smile. “You’ve got this. No pressure, though — just a stuffed bear on the line.”
Kuze chuckled and aimed. As soon as the timer started, he fired off shot after shot, knocking down several targets. Masha watched with anticipation, her hands clasped together as she silently rooted for him. By the end of the round, Kuze had hit almost all the targets, securing the biggest prize: a large, fluffy teddy bear.
“Wow! You actually did it!” Masha exclaimed, her face lighting up as the vendor handed her the bear.
Kuze scratched his head, smiling. “Yeah, well, I had good motivation.”
Masha hugged the bear to her chest, beaming. “You’re not too bad at this, Kuze.”
They continued to wander the festival, stopping at different stalls and trying out games, laughing together each time one of them missed a shot or failed at a game. The day felt light and easy, and for a while, it was as though the rest of the world didn’t exist. Just them, the sounds of the festival, and the growing connection between them.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange, Masha glanced at Kuze, her expression softening. “Thanks for today,” she said quietly. “I really had fun.”
Kuze smiled back, his heart racing as he looked at her in the fading light. “Yeah, me too. I’m glad we got to spend it together.”
For a moment, there was a pause — the kind of silence that felt charged, like something was about to happen. Kuze’s mind raced, wondering if now was the right time to—
“Hey! You two!” A familiar voice called out, cutting through the tension.
Kuze and Masha both turned to see Alya walking towards them, a knowing smirk on her face. She looked between the two, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “You two having fun?”
Masha quickly straightened up, clutching the bear tighter. “A-Alya! What are you doing here?”
Alya grinned, clearly enjoying their flustered reactions. “Oh, you know, just checking out the festival. Didn’t expect to find you two lovebirds all cozy and cute together.”
Kuze sighed, shaking his head. “Alya, we’re just—”
“—hanging out, I know, I know,” Alya interrupted, still smirking. “But you guys are making it *so* easy to tease.”
Masha blushed, glaring at Alya. “You’re impossible.”
Alya chuckled, crossing her arms. “Anyway, I’m off to meet some friends, but I’ll leave you two alone now. Try not to get too lost in each other, okay?”
With that, she gave them one last wink and walked off, leaving Kuze and Masha standing there, both a little more embarrassed than they’d been a moment ago.
“Why is she like that?” Masha muttered under her breath.
Kuze laughed, still watching Alya disappear into the crowd. “She lives to tease people, I swear.”
Masha sighed, her shoulders relaxing again. “Anyway... want to grab some food? I’m starving.”
Kuze nodded, grateful for the change in subject. “Yeah, let’s go.”
They headed towards the food stalls, eventually settling on some street food — grilled skewers and dumplings. As they sat down on a nearby bench to eat, the lights of the festival twinkled around them, and the music from a nearby band filled the air.
Masha took a bite of her skewer and leaned her head against Kuze’s shoulder. “You know... I could get used to this,” she said softly.
Kuze looked down at her, his heart swelling with warmth. “Yeah... me too.”
The night felt perfect — like they were in their own little world, just the two of them, with no one to interrupt. As they finished eating, Kuze looked up at the stars above them, feeling a sense of peace wash over him.
“Hey, Kuze?” Masha’s voice broke the comfortable silence.
“Yeah?” he turned to her.
Masha hesitated for a moment, her expression suddenly serious. “Do you think... this will last?”
Kuze blinked, not expecting the question. “What do you mean?”
Masha bit her lip, her gaze drifting to the festival around them. “I mean... us. Do you think we’ll be able to stay like this? Happy?”
Kuze felt a pang of uncertainty at her words, but he smiled gently, placing a hand over hers. “I think... as long as we’re both willing to try, yeah. I think we can stay happy.”
Masha looked up at him, her eyes softening. “Yeah... you’re right. I guess I’m just overthinking things.”
Kuze chuckled, pulling her a little closer. “It’s okay to worry. But we’ll figure it out together.”
Masha smiled, her worries melting away as she leaned into him. “Thanks, Kuze.”
They stayed like that for a while, watching the festival unfold around them, knowing that whatever happened next, they would face it together.