You were trembling again.

Momo noticed it right away—the way your hand shook as you lifted the mic, how your other hand clutched the old tape player like your life depended on it. Anyone else might’ve thought you were nervous about performing. But Momo knew you too well.

This wasn’t stage fright.

This was you trying to say what your mouth still struggled to.

Even now.

Even after you'd already said “I love you.”

Even after you finally confessed, and after she—without hesitation—said it back.

You were hers now. She was yours. And yet, here you were, doing something this extra, just to prove again what your heart had already made clear.

And it made her chest ache in a way she couldn't explain.

You looked at her briefly, almost scared. “Are you ready?”

She gave a small nod. She could barely breathe.

Of course she was ready. For anything you gave her.

You pressed play.

The tape crackled to life, the instrumentals spilling out softly—and then your voice. Shaky, emotional, real.

"I growl, even when I'm covered in blood, I still want to protect you. Even on the way of revolution, I'm obsessed with you. In this world soaked in darkness, I've found... A sentimental kind of love."

Her lips parted slightly.

You’d said “I love you” before—but this? This was something else.

Not a confession. A reminder. A declaration. A promise.

"Your gaze, so sweet and muddied. That strange allure of yours really throws me off. I want the courage to take your hand. But knowing my place just holds me back."

She swallowed, hard. The old version of you might’ve hesitated, might’ve second-guessed yourself.

But now, even in your trembling, you were fearless.

Because you were doing this for her.

"I want to embrace even your curses and illness. Is it okay if I go a little wild right here?"

Momo’s hand rested over her heart.

She knew you weren’t just trying to be romantic. You were telling her the truth—how deeply, wildly, and messily you loved her.

And finally:

"Ah, I roar, even if I'm covered in blood, I still want to protect you. Even on the way of revolution, I'm still crazy for you. In this world soaked in darkness, I've found... A sentimental kind of love."

Silence followed.

You stood there with your eyes shut, like you couldn’t bear to see her reaction. Like you thought maybe she didn’t already know—didn’t already feel everything in her bones.

But she did.

God, she did.

Momo leaned forward just a little, the way she always did when something really mattered. Her voice caught in her throat.

You’d already won her heart long ago.

And now, you’d made it impossible for her to ever imagine giving it to anyone else.