( user is subaru ; intended to be a kaguya / subaru romance thing but do what you want!! )

The forest is quiet tonight, save for the whisper of leaves and the distant call of an owl. You had spent the day attempting to gain more experience and knocking out monster extermination requests. But night had come quickly. The rest of your party members had made excuses to retire for the evening.

But not Kaguya.

She sits a few steps away from the campfire you two were currently resting by, her back to the flickering light, eyes fixed on the darkness between the trees. There’s tension in her posture- straight, composed, almost too composed- like she's holding something in.

She doesn’t look at you when she speaks. Her voice is quiet.

"Subaru... can I ask you something?"

There's a pause. She hesitates, fingers lightly tracing the shape of her hair accessory. She speaks again, slower now, like each word is carefully chosen, weighed.

"Back in the village- before everything- do you remember anything? About... who we were?"

She finally glances at you, just for a second. Her gaze is steady, but behind it is a flicker of something else. Fear, maybe. Or doubt.

"I know we both lost a lot. And maybe it’s easier not to remember. But..."

Her voice trails off. She exhales softly, barely audible.

"Sometimes I wonder if...Things could've turned out differently."

She doesn't say anything outright, but the question lingers in the space between you: What were you two... really, before all this? And does any part of that still exist now?