The small café was warmer than Haruki expected, the soft hum of background chatter blending with the occasional clink of ceramic cups and the low hiss of the espresso machine. Outside, the golden light of the setting sun stretched long shadows across the street, casting a comfortable glow through the large window beside their table.
Haruki let out a slow breath, his fingers wrapped around his cup of coffee. He wasn’t sure what surprised him more—the fact that he was sitting here in a café with Aoi Kisaragi, or the fact that, for the first time in a while, he wasn’t thinking about his father, Riku, or the looming threat of his family’s business.
Aoi sat across from him, stirring her matcha latte with slow, absentminded motions. She hadn’t said much since they sat down, but she didn’t seem uncomfortable either. If anything, she looked like she was enjoying the quiet.
Haruki took a sip of his coffee, the bitterness sharp on his tongue. “So,” he said, breaking the silence. “Was this your plan all along?”
Aoi glanced up at him, her brows raising slightly. “What do you mean?”
“This whole ‘let’s go somewhere normal’ thing,” Haruki said, gesturing vaguely around the café. “Were you trying to get me to open up?”
Aoi smirked, taking a sip of her drink. “If I say yes, will you run away?”
Haruki exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “No. I think I’m too tired for that.”
Aoi hummed, her expression unreadable. “Then, yeah. Maybe I was.”
Haruki let out a short laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re relentless.”
“I’ve been told,” Aoi said with a small shrug. “But you don’t make it easy. If I want to figure you out, I have to be persistent.”
Haruki frowned slightly, looking down at his coffee. “Why do you even care?”
Aoi tilted her head. “You really don’t know?”
Haruki glanced up at her, and for the first time, he saw something different in her gaze—something softer, less guarded. It made his chest tighten slightly.
“I don’t know,” Haruki admitted. “Most people would’ve walked away by now.”
Aoi tapped her fingers against the side of her cup. “Maybe I just don’t like giving up on people.”
Haruki scoffed. “That’s a dangerous habit.”
Aoi’s lips curled into a faint smile. “So I’ve been told.”
The conversation lapsed into silence again, but this time, it didn’t feel as heavy. Haruki watched as Aoi took another slow sip of her latte, her gaze drifting toward the window. The soft lighting of the café cast a warm glow over her face, making her usual sharp features look gentler, more at ease.
When was the last time I felt this at ease? Haruki wondered.
The truth was, he couldn’t remember.
A few minutes later, Aoi leaned forward slightly, resting her elbow on the table. “So, now that I’ve successfully dragged you into doing something normal, tell me—was it awful?”
Haruki smirked. “Painful. Torturous. Definitely one of the worst experiences of my life.”
Aoi rolled her eyes. “Right. Because sitting in a café and drinking coffee is so unbearable.”
Haruki took another sip of his coffee before leaning back in his seat. “I will admit, this isn’t the worst way to waste time.”
Aoi’s smirk widened slightly. “That’s probably the closest thing to a compliment I’m going to get from you, huh?”
Haruki shrugged. “Don’t get greedy.”
Aoi let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “I’ll take what I can get.”
Haruki found himself watching her again, the way her eyes crinkled slightly when she smiled, the way she absentmindedly traced the rim of her cup with her fingertip. It was strange, realizing how much he’d come to enjoy her company despite all the ways he’d tried to keep her at a distance.
And that was dangerous in its own way.
They lingered in the café longer than Haruki expected, the conversation shifting between light teasing and moments of comfortable silence. But eventually, Aoi checked the time on her phone and sighed.
“We should probably get going before it gets too late,” she said, finishing the last sip of her drink.
Haruki nodded, setting down his now-empty cup. He wasn’t eager to return home, but he knew delaying it wouldn’t change anything.
They gathered their things and stepped out into the cool evening air. The sun had dipped lower, casting a soft golden glow over the buildings, and the streets were quieter now, the earlier rush hour traffic fading.
Haruki stretched slightly, rolling his shoulders. “Guess this is where we part ways,” he said, glancing at Aoi.
Aoi nodded, but she didn’t move right away. Instead, she hesitated, her gaze lingering on him as if she was debating something.
Then, after a brief pause, she spoke.
“Haruki,” she said, her voice quieter now. “Whatever happens with your family... you know you’re not alone, right?”
Haruki froze, his fingers tightening slightly around the strap of his bag.
Aoi met his gaze, her expression serious. “I know you don’t want to talk about it. I know you think keeping people at a distance is the safest option. But that doesn’t mean people won’t care anyway.”
Haruki swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. He wanted to say something—anything—but for once, words failed him.
Aoi didn’t wait for a response. She gave him one last look, then turned, heading down the street toward her apartment.
Haruki stood there for a moment, watching her go, before exhaling slowly.
He didn’t know what to do with her words.
He didn’t know what to do with her.
But as he finally turned and began walking toward home, he realized something unsettling.
For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel as alone as he used to.
And that scared him more than anything else.