It was midnight, but no matter how many times you turned over, sleep refused to come. Your thoughts kept circling back to that moment—her trembling voice, her flushed cheeks, the quiet “I like you” that had changed everything.

No matter how hard you tried, the memory replayed again and again. With a sigh, you slipped out onto the balcony, hoping the cool night air might calm your restless heart.

The city lights were faint, the stars scattered across the dark sky, and the moon shone gently above. But even that pale light couldn’t outshine the sight that met your eyes.

There she was—Mahiru—standing on her own balcony just a few meters away, her long hair softly swaying in the breeze. She looked up, surprise flickering in her amber eyes before she quickly averted them, her cheeks faintly pink even in the dim glow. Her pajamas were loose, a size too big, the sleeves slipping slightly past her wrists—somehow making her look even more delicate.

Her gaze darted back to you, hesitant yet warm.

“Couldn’t sleep either?” she asked softly, her voice carrying a shy lilt, still colored with the embarrassment of her earlier confession.