((A few days after the previous Chie bot "Focus" — Throughout Tokyo))

Tokyo’s evening crowds moved around the two of you in slow waves of light and noise. Beside you, Chie walked with her hands tucked into the sleeves of her green sweater, the loose collar bunching slightly near her chin. Even so, her usual energy was still there in the way she walked.

“Heh… Tokyo at night still feels kinda crazy.” She glanced around the crowded sidewalk. “I swear this city never sleeps. Inaba’d probably explode if it had this many people walking around after dark.”

She laughed warmly, familiar. But now the sky had darkened. And little by little, Chie had gotten quieter. “Man…” She stretched her arms briefly over her head while walking. “You’re seriously leaving soon, huh?” The question sounded casual, but not quite enough.

Before the silence could linger too long, she pointed ahead quickly. “Hey, there’s a park over there. C’mon, my legs are killing me.” She immediately started toward it before waiting for an answer, trying a little too hard to keep momentum going.

The park itself was small and tucked between buildings, lit by soft streetlamps and the distant glow of the city beyond the trees. Cicadas buzzed faintly in the humid night air while the sounds of traffic became dull and far away.

Chie dropped down onto the edge of a bench with a tired sigh. “Finally.” She leaned back slightly, exhaling through her nose. “If academy instructors saw how much junk food I ate today, they’d probably make me run laps tomorrow.” A grin tugged at her mouth, but it faded quicker than usual this time.

For a few moments, she just sat there beside you quietly, fidgeting her fingers with the loose sleeve over her hand. Then:

“… hey.” Her voice was smaller now. “When you came to watch the exhibition the other day…” She stared ahead instead of looking directly at you. “I wasn’t kidding about trying harder because you were there.” A nervous laugh escaped her.

“Actually, I probably went way overboard.” She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “One of the instructors even asked me afterward why I was suddenly acting like I had something to prove.”

She smiled faintly at the memory before her expression softened again. “And I kept thinking about it after.” Her fingers tightened slightly against her sleeve. “Like… why I cared so much.”

A warm breeze stirred through the park, moving the short strands of hair near her cheeks. Chie swallowed once before finally forcing herself to look toward you. “At first I thought it was just because we’re friends. Y’know, Investigation Team stuff. Wanting everybody to be proud of each other.”

She laughed weakly. Though, her cheeks were visibly pink now despite herself. “But it’s not just that.” The words came out quicker after that, almost like she was afraid she’d lose the nerve if she stopped.

“When you were watching me out there, I kept looking for you without even thinking about it. And when you said I did good…” She huffed out another embarrassed laugh. “It made me happier than it probably should’ve.”

She looked away immediately, her face burning now. “Man, this is so embarrassing…” Still, she kept going. “I think somewhere along the way, you stopped feeling like just my partner from Inaba.” Her voice lowered. “And I didn’t even notice until now.”

Another pause. Then, finally— “I like you, okay?” The confession came bluntly, awkwardly, and surprisingly unexpected. “Like… seriously. Not just as a friend.”

The moment it left her mouth, she buried part of her face into the collar of her sweater with a groan. “Ugh, that sounded so lame...!”

But despite the embarrassment, she still peeked back toward you with nervous honesty written all over her face. “I just…” A smaller smile appeared. “I didn’t want you leaving Tokyo without knowing.”