Aiko slowly pulled away from the hug, her face red and eyes glistening, a soft smile tugging at her lips as she looked up at Shin.
"Taa-Kun…" she whispered. "Can I… have a kiss?"
There was no hesitation.
Shin leaned in.
Aiko's breath hitched. Her heart skipped. And when Shin's lips met hers, soft and tender and full of warmth, she melted.
The world around them blurred. The sakura petals danced like confetti in slow motion. A breeze whispered through the branches as if the tree itself held its breath for them. Aiko reached up, grasping the front of Shin's uniform jacket to steady herself, and kissed him back.
It started sweet.
Then deepened.
Shin tilted his head slightly, lips moving against hers with a familiarity that made her knees weak. Aiko gasped softly into the kiss, her fingers curling tighter, her entire body trembling with the weight of everything she'd wanted to say finally expressed in one long, passionate embrace.
When they finally pulled apart, Aiko was breathless.
Her cheeks were flushed pink, her eyes hazy.
"…Haa-Chan," Shin murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Taa-Kun…" she whispered, lips still parted, her chest rising and falling fast. "You always make me feel like I'm dreaming…"
Then—
"A-AHEM!" came a squeaky, furious voice.
Both turned.
Yuki was staring.
Completely frozen. His mouth hung slightly open, his cheeks were scarlet, and his fists were clenched so tight they trembled. His eyes were wide with what could only be described as pure tsundere meltdown. Steam might as well have been coming out of his ears.
"W-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Yuki shrieked. "Y-YOU JUST—IN FRONT OF ME?! LIKE I WASN'T EVEN HERE?!"
Shin grinned. "Well… you were watching, Kiddo."
"D-Don't call me that!" Yuki barked, stamping his foot. "And—and stop smirking like that! I wasn't watching! I just… I just happened to be looking in that direction, okay?! Idiot!"
Aiko giggled, cheeks still pink. "Aww, is the little tsundere jealous?"
"SHUT UP, YOU BANANA-FACED CHILDHOOD FRIEND!"
Shin chuckled softly and took a step toward him. "Yuki."
The smaller boy flinched. "Wh-What?!"
"You want a kiss too?"
Yuki's jaw dropped.
His pupils shrank.
His entire face lit up brighter than the sun.
"W-WH-WH-WHO S-SAID ANYTHING ABOUT A—?! I—I—I mean—N-NO! DEFINITELY NOT! I'LL BITE YOU IF YOU TRY—!"
But Shin was already moving.
In one smooth motion, he reached out, cupped the side of Yuki's face—fingers grazing soft porcelain skin—and leaned down.
Yuki's breath caught.
His eyes widened—
"W-Wait, Shin—!?"
Their lips met.
Yuki stiffened instantly.
His heart exploded into a thousand shooting stars, his mind went blank, and every muscle in his body locked up like a startled cat. His hands flew up as if to push Shin away—but stopped, hovering helplessly in the air, trembling.
Shin kissed him softly.
Gently.
Firmly.
Not rushed. Not teasing. Not mocking.
It was real.
Yuki felt it. Every second. Every heartbeat. Every breath.
His eyes fluttered shut, slowly, and the tension began to melt. The fight in him slipped away like the breeze through the sakura tree. His hands lowered, barely touching Shin's chest, and his lips moved hesitantly against Shin's, returning the kiss with trembling, aching affection.
He couldn't breathe.
Couldn't think.
His whole body felt like it was glowing.
Is this really happening?
His heart whispered yes.
When Shin finally pulled back, the world swayed.
Yuki's eyes blinked open. A tear had slipped free from the corner of one eye and trailed slowly down his cheek. He stared up at Shin, breathless, lips still parted.
"…I…" he whispered, the word lost in the wind.
Shin brushed the tear away with his thumb, his gaze soft and gentle. "You don't have to say anything."
Yuki shook his head slowly.
"No. I… I wanted it," he murmured. "I… really did…"
Aiko was standing a few steps back, watching with a stunned but strangely peaceful look. Her smile had faded into something more bittersweet, but she didn't interrupt. Instead, she folded her hands in front of her and let herself feel—just feel—the warmth of being one of the ones loved.
Yuki suddenly sniffled again and tried to swat Shin's hand off his cheek with a light slap. "Idiot… d-don't do that without warning! I could've had a heart attack!"
Shin laughed. "So you didn't hate it?"
"Sh-Shut up!" Yuki growled, though his voice cracked adorably. "I hated it so much that I want another one!"
Shin raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't make any sense."
"Your face doesn't make any sense!" Yuki shouted, voice rising in pitch.
Shin turned to Aiko. "Haa-Chan, did that sound like a yes to you?"
"Oh, 100% yes," Aiko said, arms crossed, smirking. "He's screaming 'kiss me again' in tsundere."
"I AM NOT!"
Shin turned back, grabbing Yuki again before the smaller boy could run.
"I'm gonna kiss you again, okay?"
Yuki squirmed in his grip. "W-WAIT, I DIDN'T SAY YOU—"
Shin kissed him again.
This time, Yuki didn't resist.
This time, Yuki leaned in faster.
And this time, when they pulled apart, Yuki's cheeks were wet again—but this time, he was smiling through the tears.
"…I hate how good you are at that," Yuki whispered, lips trembling. "Stupid, perfect, infuriating jerk…"
Shin leaned his forehead against Yuki's. "You're really cute when you're mad."
"I'M GONNA THROW YOU INTO THE RIVER!"
Aiko burst out laughing, her heart lighter than it had been in years.
The three of them stood under the falling cherry blossoms—laughing, blushing, crying—wrapped up in something messy, strange, and beautiful.
Shin took both their hands again.
"Haa-Chan. Yuki. I don't know how this is going to work," he said, voice low and honest. "But I want to keep walking with you both. Even if it's weird. Even if we stumble. Even if we fight sometimes. I want to keep feeling things with you. So let's figure it out together."
Aiko smiled, tears in her eyes. "Taa-Kun… thank you."
Yuki wiped his cheeks with his sleeve and grumbled, "I swear if you kiss me in public again, I'll explode."
Shin ruffled his hair. "So no kisses in public?"
Yuki turned bright red. "…I didn't say that."
They laughed.
The wind carried the sound through the blossoms.
And beneath the sakura tree, three hearts beat in harmony—tentative, uncertain, but full of love.
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END OF CHAPTER : 113 : KISSES UNDER THE BLOSSOMS— TWO HEARTS, ONE ANSWERS!
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