As they stepped under the canopy of trees, Olivia's gaze swept upward, and her breath caught in her throat.
The light filtered through the thick, overlapping leaves, painting the ground in patches of gold and green. She spun slowly, arms slightly out as if to embrace it all.
"In the city…" She began softly, her voice carrying a wistful tone. "I was surrounded by a forest of metal and concrete. Skyscrapers, cold, lifeless things, looming over me like they were mocking me."
"It always felt like no matter how hard I tried, I'd never reach the top. Just glass and steel pressing down like an endless cage."
She tilted her head back, watching as the wind rustled the branches above. The leaves whispered against one another, and she inhaled deeply.
"But this…this is different. The scent of wood in the air, the sound of the breeze moving through real leaves, it's so alive. I think this is the first time in years I've felt…free."
Kafka trailed behind her, amused as he watched her spin in slow circles like a little girl discovering magic.
"Careful…" He warned lightly, his tone touched with warmth. "The ground here's uneven. There are branches and rocks all over, you don't want to trip and make me carry you, do you?"
Olivia stopped mid-spin, placing her hands on her hips and shooting him a slightly indignant look.
"Don't underestimate me, Kafi. I've gone hiking plenty of times with Abi, and we've tackled mountains that didn't even have paths. A little grove like this? Please. This is child's play."
Kafka raised a brow, the corner of his mouth quirking. "Oh, is that so?"
"Of course." She lifted her chin proudly.
But almost as if the universe had been listening and wanted to put her in her place, her foot snagged on a hidden root. She let out a startled yelp as she pitched forward, her arms flailing.
"Whoa—!"
In a flash, Kafka lunged forward, catching her by the wrists before she could hit the ground. He steadied her with ease, pulling her back up until she was standing again.
For a moment, she froze, staring up at him, her cheeks turning an unmistakable shade of pink.
Kafka peered down at her, his lips pulling into a smug grin. "Veteran hiker, huh?"
Her blush deepened, and she turned away quickly, her voice small and defensive. "T-That was only an accident. It won't happen again, so don't say anything."
But in her mind, she groaned, 'Ugh…I really am showing him my clumsy side. I wanted him to think I'm better than this.'
Kafka chuckled under his breath, watching her pout. He straightened and swept his gaze across the grove. The tall trees loomed over them, each laden with clusters of glistening fruit.
"So…" He began, hands slipping into his pockets. "Which tree do you think we should choose? There's a lot of them here, and I want you to pick."
Olivia blinked, spinning around to look at him with surprise. "Me? Why do I have to decide?"
He stepped closer, brushing a stray leaf from her hair. "Because, of course, it has to be you, my little botany expert."
"Botany expert?" She echoed, her eyes widening slightly.
"Yeah." He said, smirking. "After hearing you rattle off all that knowledge about plants and trees earlier, there's no one better to decide. I'm relying on you to find the best one."
Hearing this, her heart fluttered. He wanted her to decide. He was acknowledging her knowledge, actually relying on her.
Immediately, Olivia straightened her back, her expression growing determined. "Of course! Leave it to me. Something like this? It's nothing for a person like me."
Kafka smiled as she began pacing around the grove, examining the trees with sharp, critical eyes.
Kafka followed her, his hands tucked casually behind his head as he watched her work with quiet amusement.
Olivia crouched down by the roots of a nearby tree, running her fingers along the base and muttering under her breath. Then she moved to the trunk, tapping lightly at the bark, her eyes narrowing like a scientist mid-investigation.
"Kafi." She began in a tone that was strangely serious. "You see, the health of a tree isn't just about the fruit it bears."
"You have to look at the quality of the bark, it should be smooth but not brittle, and the color tells you how much water content the tree is holding."
"And then the roots…if they're tightly coiled and thick like this one, it means the tree has access to deep groundwater. That's a very good sign."
Kafka raised a brow, a smile tugging at his lips. "So you're telling me you're basically a tree whisperer now?"
She shot him a sharp look, clearly not appreciating the teasing during her 'important' work. "Don't interrupt me while I'm analyzing."
He chuckled softly but stayed quiet, letting her continue her strange little routine.
Olivia then moved to another tree, bending down and brushing away some fallen leaves as she inspected the roots. Then she craned her neck back to peer up at the clusters of fruit swaying gently in the breeze.
"Hmm…" She murmured to herself. "The fruits on this one are too closely bunched. That usually means they're competing for nutrients. I'd say the sweetness won't be distributed evenly."
Kafka, genuinely impressed now, crossed his arms and leaned casually against another tree, watching her with an expression of mild awe.
"As expected of my mother." He said, clapping his hands softly. "You really know your stuff."
Olivia turned to look at him, her cheeks flushing at the praise.
"Of course I do! It's only natural that I'd know these things. Abi's always teasing me, saying this sort of knowledge isn't that useful outside of books, but see?.. It is useful. Right now, I'm finding the best fruit for my son."
Her chest puffed up with pride, and Kafka couldn't help but grin at her haughty expression.
"You look like you're about to write a thesis on fruit selection." He said, a hint of laughter in his voice.
"Maybe I should." She replied with a sniff, clearly enjoying the banter. "And you'd better appreciate the effort I'm putting in here."
"Oh, I do." He said smoothly, stepping closer. "I'm honestly impressed. Who else has a mother willing to do a full field analysis just to pick a snack?"
Olivia's lips twitched, trying to hold back a smile. "As long as you understand."
After a few more moments of inspecting, Olivia suddenly stopped. Her eyes lit up as she pointed excitedly at a tree standing slightly apart from the rest.
"There! That's the one!" She declared.
Kafka followed her gaze and raised a brow. "That one, huh? What's so special about it?"
She crossed her arms and nodded with conviction.
"Look at how evenly spaced the fruits are. The leaves are the perfect shade of green, not too dark, which means the tree isn't hoarding chlorophyll, and not too light, so it's not malnourished."
"And see how the bark has that faint sheen? That's an indicator of healthy sap flow…Plus, the fruit has the exact coloration mentioned in the Journal of Agronomic Excellence as optimal for harvest."
Kafka blinked at her, trying not to laugh. "The Journal of Agronomic Excellence? You actually read that?"
"Of course I did!" She said, stomping her foot lightly. "Do you think I'd just come here unprepared? No, I studied!"
Kafka shook his head, unable to suppress his grin.
"All right, all right. If my mother says that's the tree, then I'm convinced. It's probably the best fruit in the entire grove."
And then, without warning, his hand rose, coming to rest gently atop her head. He patted her softly, his fingers ruffling her hair in a tender yet teasing way.
"You did a really good job, you know that? A really good job indeed."
Olivia froze in place, caught completely off guard. Her heart gave a small, inexplicable skip. She wasn't sure why, but hearing those words, feeling his hand on her head, it sent a strange warmth blooming inside her chest.
She was supposed to be the parent here. She was supposed to be the one embracing him whenever he did something right, the one reassuring him with pats and praise.
Yet here they were, the exact opposite playing out. And worse, she…she was actually enjoying this.
A small, giddy smile crept onto her lips despite herself, her cheeks warming as her son's hand lingered on her head.
She felt almost like a little girl basking in her father's approval, or maybe even like his daughter rather than his mother.
The thought alone made her ears burn with quiet embarrassment, but she couldn't make herself pull away.
"Stop that…" She mumbled weakly, though the softness in her voice betrayed her.
But Kafka just smirked knowingly and pulled his hand back before holding it out toward her. His tone grew calm and reassuring.
"Now, you may be a veteran hiker like you said." He began. "And I don't doubt it. You could probably climb the tallest mountain and make it back down in one piece, I know just how strong my mother is."
His expression softened even more as his hand remained outstretched.
"But still, just for precaution's sake…hold my hand, okay? The ground's uneven, and I don't want you tripping over or twisting your ankle."
Olivia blinked, her heart skipping again. She wanted to grab his hand immediately, the urge almost overwhelming.
But at the same time, she didn't want him thinking she was vulnerable, or worse, that she needed him to protect her. So she crossed her arms stubbornly for a moment before relenting with a small huff.
"Fine…but not because I'm worried I'll fall over." She said with a determined tilt of her chin. "It's because I'm worried you'll fall over, Kafka."
She placed her smaller hand in his much larger one, holding it tightly as if reinforcing her words.
Yet as they started walking toward the tree she'd picked out, her thumb brushed against the back of his hand unconsciously, and she rubbed her head lightly against his arm for just a moment, as if savoring his warmth.
Kafka glanced down at her with an amused expression, rolling his eyes slightly.
'She really does try so hard to seem strong in front of me.' He thought, his lips twitching upward. 'It's cute…ridiculously cute.'
And as they walked together, her clutch on his hand remained firm, almost like she didn't want to let go…