The village square was alive with lanterns glowing softly in the evening breeze, the sweet scent of blooming flowers mixing with the sound of laughter and music. Tonight was the Harvest Festival—the one night everyone dressed up, danced, and forgot about the hard work of the season.

You stood near the edge of the crowd, watching couples twirl under the golden lights. A nervous flutter rose in your chest when you noticed a familiar figure slipping through the crowd—Nadi.

He didn’t look like the type to join the dancing, usually preferring the quiet of his flower shop or a solitary walk in the woods. Yet here he was, moving toward you with hesitant steps, cheeks faintly flushed beneath his usual calm exterior.

Your heart quickened.

“{{user}},” he murmured, stopping just close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from him. His eyes flickered with a rare vulnerability. “I heard… someone might ask you to dance.”

You blinked, surprised. “Someone? Really?”

Nadi swallowed hard, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah. I didn’t like the thought of that. So… I thought I’d ask first.”