The night air was calm and cool as Mitsunari carried Mizuha through the empty school corridors and out into the moonlight. The cheers and murmurs from the auditorium still echoed faintly behind them, but neither of them spoke until they reached the quiet street outside. Mitsunari gently set Mizuha down, his jacket still draped over her shoulders. His eyes were serious now, not fired up like they had been on stage just sincere focused solely on her.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, his voice almost a whisper. Mizuha looked up at him, puzzled. "For what?" she asked, genuinely unsure what he meant. Mitsunari took a breath, the adrenaline finally draining from his body. "For not realizing sooner, what you were going through. The way people were talking about you… laughing and spreading things. I should've seen it. I should've done something before it got that bad."
Mizuha shook her head, placing her hand on his arm. "You didn't do anything wrong. None of it was your fault." Her voice was gentle but firm. "People were just being cruel. I didn't want to tell you because… I didn't want to burden you. You already have so much going on."
"But you were hurting," he insisted, guilt laced in every word. "And I didn't see it. That eats me up, Mizuha." He looked down at the pavement. "And then, what I did tonight just performing like that, calling you up on stage… I know you didn't want attention. I know you never wanted to be famous or anything like that." He paused. "I broke your one wish."
Mizuha's heart tightened. She remembered telling him once, shyly that she didn't want to be in the spotlight. That she liked things quiet, safe, and ordinary. "You did what you had to do," she said softly. "I might not have wanted attention but… I needed someone to stand up for me and that's what you did. You were the only one who did."
Mitsunari looked at her then, eyes full of something deep and raw. "I didn't know any other way to shut them up. To make them stop. If I could've done it quietly, I would've. However, they wouldn't have listened." His hand found hers, holding it tightly. "I wanted to protect you the best way I knew how."
Mizuha stepped closer. "You did," she said. "You stood on that stage and told the truth. You made them listen." She looked up at him, eyes shining. "You made me feel like I wasn't alone anymore."
They fell into silence for a moment, just the sound of the wind whispering around them. "I was scared," Mizuha admitted, her voice barely audible. "When people started mocking me. When Hana laughed in my face… I felt so small. I didn't know how much longer I could take it."
"I hate that," Mitsunari murmured. "I hate that you had to carry that all alone." He reached out while brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You're strong, you know that? Stronger than anyone at that school and I'm proud of you."
"I don't feel strong," she said, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "But… now that it's all out there and now that everyone knows… I kind of feel free. Like I can breathe again." She looked up at him. "Because I don't have to hide how I feel anymore."
Mitsunari smiled, the kind that made his eyes crease and his guard fall. "How do you feel?" he asked, leaning in a little.
She looked up at him with no fear, no hesitation. "I feel like I've wanted this for a long time," she whispered. Without another word, she rose on her toes and kissed him.
Not on the cheek this time.
Her lips met his in a soft, trembling kiss that's filled with all the things she had never said, all the moments she had kept locked away. Mitsunari froze for half a second before kissing her back, arms wrapping gently around her waist. It wasn't fireworks. It was something deeper as it was warm, real and quiet.
When they finally pulled away, Mizuha's cheeks were flushed, but she was smiling. "Thank you," she said, brushing her fingers across his hand. "For everything. For standing up for me and for not walking away. I don't have to worry anymore. Not about Hana, or the gossip, or anything."
Mitsunari tilted his head. "I'll still worry. That's kind of my thing now." He grinned. "But I promise I'll never leave you to deal with that stuff alone again."
"Deal," she said, interlocking their fingers.
They started walking slowly down the quiet street, the night wrapping around them like a blanket. Mizuha leaned her head on his shoulder. "So… we're really a thing now, huh?" she teased gently.
Mitsunari laughed. "We've been a thing. Now the whole school just knows it." He nudged her playfully. "And the internet."
"Oh no," she groaned. "What have you done?"
"I made sure they knew who you are," he said, glancing down at her with a smile. "And that you're mine."
She blushed again, burying her face against his arm. "I still don't want to be famous," she mumbled.
"Too late," he teased. "You're already the queen of my story."
Mizuha sighed dramatically. "Then I guess I better get used to this…"
Mitsunari squeezed her hand. "Don't worry. I'll be right next to you the whole time