Okamura cupped his hands beneath the faucet, letting the ice-cold water pool before splashing it onto his face. The shock finally jolted him awake, though his limbs still ached from the overexertion from the day before.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his hands over his face before grabbing a paper towel to pat himself dry. With a steadied breath, he pushed the lavatory door open and stepped outside.
Almost instantly, his eyes locked onto a familiar, petite figure standing amidst the bustle of the shopping centre.
Even in a crowded, she stood out—the way she fidgeted with the hem of her dress, the way her emerald eyes darted around restlessly, like a lost puppy searching desperately for its owner.
His chest tightened at the sight.
Koyori.
Okamura took a slow step forward, but before he could call out to her, their eyes met. Her expression shifted immediately—from worry to soft relief—and in the next instant, she was already moving, closing the distance between them with quick and urgent steps.
He barely had time to react before she grabbed his wrist, her grip firm yet trembling. Her eyes drifted to the faint tear tracks he had failed to completely wash away.
"Please, Kintarō," she pleaded, her voice tight with concern. "Don't lie to me. I know something is wrong."
For a moment, he considered brushing it off, offering some half-hearted excuse. But the way she looked at him, made it impossible.
He knew his lies had finally ran their course.
Without saying a word, Okamura walked pass her, stopping by the railing. Koyori followed closely behind. She stopped just a step away, nervously twisting the hem of her dress between her fingers.
"Kintarō," she called again, her voice even softer this time. "Talk to me."
He took one final deep breath. Then, after a brief silence, he exhaled, his words barely above a whisper.
"Do you remember... when I told you... how I got here?"
Koyori paused, her brows knitting together as she searched her memory, trying to piece together what he was implying. Then, just as quickly, her expression shifted—from one of curiosity to one of confusion.
"...What are you talking about?"
The weight of her words settled heavily on his chest. Though he had expected them, they stung just the same.
"You know—teleportation, time regression? Does any of that ring a bell?" He forced a light chuckle, hoping to ease the tension.
Koyori didn't laugh. Instead Her concern only deepened. She remained silent, searching his eyes for some kind of explanation.
"Kintarō... are you sure you're okay? You're making me nervous."
There was no hesitation in her voice—only sincerity. But that sincerity only made the words cut deeper. She truly had no idea what he was talking about.
"...I'm just messing with you, Koyori," he said, forcing a grin in an attempt to lighten the mood. "You shouldn't be so serious all the time. You should have seen the look on your face just now."
It was the only response he could muster—a frail attempt to mask the turmoil brewing inside him.
"That isn't funny!"
But before she could say more, Okamura stepped closer, his hands gently steadying her trembling arms.
"Truth be told," he murmured, his voice softening, "I have been going through a lot... Mom and Dad being divorced, and them separating Naomi and me because of it... It made me realize how isolated I've been. And with everything that happened with Kou..."
"I guess... I never really talked about it, huh?" His voice wavered slightly, though he tried to steady it. "I thought if I just pushed forward, if I kept myself busy, maybe it wouldn't catch up to me."
Koyori didn't say anything. She only squeezed his hands, urging him to continue.
"But it did." He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "And I hate that it did. I hate that no matter what I do—no matter how much I pretend I'm fine—there's always this... this thing trailing behind me, waiting to consume me at any moment."
The silence that followed felt heavy, filled only by the hum of the passing crowd.
Still holding onto him, Koyori finally spoke. "You don't have to pretend with me, Kintarō. We're together, and we should be facing things together. Isn't that the whole point of a relationship?"
He wanted to respond—he really did. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell her. He wanted to. He wanted to air out all his pain, to expel his stress, to finally release the burden he'd been carrying alone for so long.
But he couldn't. No, he wasn't able to. Something prevented him from doing so.
"Talk to me... Kintarō," she pleaded, gripping his arms tightly. "It's like I'm losing you all over again... and I don't want to... I don't want to leave."
Okamura's breath hitched at the sound of her words. "...Again?" What did she mean by that?
A rush of adrenaline surged through him, but he fought to maintain his composure, unwilling to break the fragile tension of the moment.
"Calm down, Koyori," he said, lowering his hands to gently grasp her trembling ones. "You know I'll never leave your side. If anything, I'm afraid you'll be the one to leave me behind."
She shot back instantly. "You know I can't control my emotions well. On top of that, I truly care about you, Kintarō," she pleaded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I just don't want anything bad happening to you while I'm here... I don't want to leave, Kintarō!"
Okamura chuckled at the sight of her tears. His laughter wasn't malicious; it was simply because of how easily they came. He exhaled deeply, interlocking his fingers with hers, pressing them gently against his cheeks.
"Weren't you the one all excited earlier about travelling around the world?"
Their situation had begun to draw attention from passersby, who cast them curious glances, admiring the display of their teenage relationship.
"Come on, Koyori, don't waste your tears on me. You're gonna make me cry, too."
"I want you to."
He reached out, brushing aside the strands of silver-white hair that framed her face. His touch was gentle as he caressed her cheek.
"You know I hate it when I open up in front of others. If I ever did, I'd probably die of embarrassment."
She giggled softly.
"Or maybe I'd die with my cute girlfriend by my side?"
She giggled a little more.
"Or will you be there to comfort me through it all?"
She giggled again, then responded, "I'll be there, even if you're hanging on by a thread."
Okamura's smile deepened, the warmth of her words comforting him more than he had expected. Koyori spoke with a softness, a sincerity that made the weight of his emotions feel a little lighter.
"I don't deserve someone like you," he said, his voice gentle but laced with concern.
"You do, Kintarō. You just don't see it yet."
His chest tightened again, but this time, it felt different. It wasn't from the weight of his struggles, but from the realization that, maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as alone as he'd thought.
"I'll keep that in mind," he whispered.
Koyori smiled, pressing a soft kiss to his cheeks. "Good. Now, let's take this one step at a time, okay?"
Okamura nodded.
「愛は二つの心を結びつけ,永遠の絆を生み出す目に見えない糸です.」