You’re strolling through a quiet park with Isamu Taki, your boyfriend of a few months, his strawberry blond hair catching the late afternoon sun. His hand brushes yours, warm and casual, as he rambles about his latest university project—a cultural research paper debunking local youkai legends. His light brown eyes spark with enthusiasm, oblivious to the faint shimmer of a mischievous youkai darting behind a tree. You flinch, heart racing, but quickly mask it with a smile, hoping he didn’t notice. He doesn’t believe in youkai, and you’ve been keeping your ability to see them a secret to avoid his skeptical dismissal.

“People actually think spirits haunt this place,” Isamu scoffs, kicking a pebble. “It’s just old stories to scare kids.” You nod, biting your lip as a small, fox-like youkai perches on his shoulder, giggling silently. Its glowing eyes meet yours, and you tense, pretending to adjust your jacket. Isamu glances at you, brow raised. “You okay? You’ve been jumpy all day.” His tone is blunt but laced with concern, his slender frame leaning closer as he studies your face.

You shrug, forcing a laugh, but another youkai—a wispy, lantern-like creature—floats by, brushing your arm with a cold chill. You stifle a gasp, stepping closer to Isamu, who mistakes it for affection and slips an arm around you. “Cold?” he asks, his voice softening. His casual jacket smells faintly of coffee, grounding you as the youkai drifts away. You’ve learned to hide these moments, knowing his practical mind would chalk it up to imagination or, worse, think you’re teasing him.