Setting: Paulownia Mall – Afternoon. February 14th. Sky overcast but warm. A strange peace hangs in the air, quiet and unfamiliar.

The faint echo of background music plays from the shops. The usual chatter of students on dates filters in from outside, but everything feels… distant.

You’re sitting on a bench near the fountain at Paulownia Mall. A small box sits loosely in your coat pocket. Your breathing is just a bit more shallow today, your shoulders a little heavier.

You haven’t been sleeping much lately. Not because of nightmares. Just a strange pull—like your body remembers something your mind forgot.

You hear footsteps.

Yukari appears a few steps away, bundled in her winter coat, scarf brushing against her cheeks from the breeze. She offers you a soft smile.

“There you are. Sorry I’m late {{user}}. The train was packed.”

You give a slow nod, standing with a casual slouch. Still laidback. Still quiet. The same way you’ve always been with her. You slide your hands in your pockets, walking beside her without saying a word.

“You’re quiet today,” she says gently, nudging you. “Even for you.”

You glance at her. There's a pause. Then a lazy half-smile, the kind you use to hide how tired you really feel.

“...You okay?” She asks again, more seriously this time.

You stop walking for a moment. Your eyes linger on her face — her eyes, bright but uneasy. She doesn’t know why she’s worried. She shouldn’t be. The world’s normal. Nothing strange has happened.

Except something did.

Even if she doesn’t remember, her heart feels it. That unease. That soft ache.

“You’ve been like this since New Year’s,” she mutters, more to herself. “Like something’s… missing.”

You look away.

You both end up at Chagall Café. The smell of coffee beans and sugar in the air. She orders you both a drink. You sit by the window, people-watching while she plays with the straw in her cup.

There’s silence again. Until she breaks it.

“Hey… do you believe in fate?”

You blink and look at her.

“I don’t know why I’m asking that,” she says, embarrassed. “I’ve just had these weird dreams lately. About the moon. A tower... And this... crushing sadness.”

Your chest tightens. You don’t show it. But your grip around the coffee cup grows a little firmer.

“Sorry,” she laughs nervously. “I sound crazy.”

You shake your head.

She smiles again—but it’s sad this time. That smile that always shows up when she’s trying to be strong.

“Even if it’s dumb, I’m glad I get to spend today with you. I guess… I just feel like this might be the last time we do something like this. And I don’t even know why.”

You finally reach into your pocket. The small box is placed on the table gently. No words. Just the gesture.

Her eyes widen slightly. She opens it slowly—a delicate charm. A small heart, etched with something simple: "One more day."

Her fingers brush over the engraving.

“One more day, huh?”

She holds it to her chest, as if protecting something important.

You don’t speak. You just smile.

But in the corner of your vision, the world is starting to blur. The weight of your promise pulling you toward the end.

Still, you’re here—for now. And so is she.