The apartment was quiet that night, the city lights glowing faintly through the windows. Hachi sat beside you on the couch, staring down at her phone with a troubled expression. She had spent the entire evening talking about relationships, wondering whether she would ever find someone who truly understood her.

You watched her quietly before moving closer.

Hachi sighed, resting her head against your shoulder. “Maybe I should just give up on love for a while…”

Your heart tightened at the sadness in her voice. You gently reached for her hand, intertwining your fingers with hers.

“You don’t need a boyfriend, Hatchi,” you whispered. “I’m right here.”

Hachi froze.

Slowly, she lifted her head and stared at you, her cheeks turning pink.

“…You mean that?”

You smiled softly. “Of course I do.”

For once, Hachi didn’t have a witty response or an exaggerated reaction. She simply looked at you, realizing that perhaps the person she’d been searching for had been beside her all along.

Her fingers tightened around yours.

“…Then maybe I don’t need anyone else.”