Chapter 52: The Bucket List
The sun filtered gently through the narrow streets as Hana and Audrey exited the market, paper bags in hand and laughter on their lips. The late afternoon breeze tugged at their coats, but it didn't stop them from strolling slowly, savoring the rare moment of peace.
"I still don't get how you convinced the guy at the counter to throw in the extra mochi," Audrey said, nudging Hana with her elbow.
Hana smirked. "It's all in the eyes. And maybe a little pity."
Audrey chuckled. "He definitely looked terrified or smitten. Maybe both."
"That's the dream," Hana replied, deadpan.
They turned the corner leading toward the safehouse. Audrey carried most of the groceries while Hana, ever composed, held just one small bag with precise balance. As they reached the alley, Hana suddenly paused.
"Hey, do me a favor and head inside first? I forgot to check something in the shed out back. Should only take a sec," Hana said casually.
Audrey raised an eyebrow but didn't think much of it. "Sure. Try not to blow anything up."
"No promises," Hana muttered with a small grin.
Audrey pushed open the door to the safehouse, balancing the bags on her hip. "Kenzo? Damian? We got food! And maybe dessert if Hana didn't charm it into a freebie—"
She stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes widened.
There, in the center of the room, stood a bicycle.
Not just any bike. A sleek, clean-lined retro-style cruiser, powder blue with a woven basket on the front and a small bell attached to the handlebar. The sunlight from the window made the chrome details glint.
Beside it stood Kenzo, hands calmly tucked into his pockets.
"Surprise," he said, voice steady and a little too casual—but his gaze betrayed a quiet nervousness.
Audrey blinked. Once. Twice.
"What... what is this?"
Kenzo stepped forward, clearing his throat. "You mentioned once... during one of our stakeouts, I think. That there were things you never got to do. That your bucket list included learning how to ride a bike."
Audrey stared at the bicycle, then back at him.
"You actually remembered that?"
Kenzo's expression softened. "Of course."
Audrey stepped closer, one hand reaching out to brush over the smooth leather seat. Her voice caught slightly. "I didn't think anyone was really listening."
Kenzo took another step closer, his voice low. "I always listen. Especially to you."
She looked at him then—really looked. And for a moment, the weight of their mission, their in-between existence, faded. There was only this: a quiet room, a gentle gift, and someone who cared.
"Thank you," Audrey whispered, eyes shimmering. "This... this means more than you know."
Kenzo shrugged slightly, looking away, but his lips curved into the barest of smiles. "Well, you're going to need someone to help teach you. I downloaded a few instructional videos. I even got a helmet."
Audrey laughed, wiping at her eyes. "You're ridiculous. But this is perfect."
Behind the door, Hana leaned quietly against the wall, listening with a small smirk.
She muttered under her breath with an amused grin, "Wow... if that isn't the nerdiest love confession I've ever witnessed. That man downloaded bike tutorials."
And for once, there was no sarcasm. Just warmth.
It was the kind of love born not from grand gestures or declarations, but from quiet attentiveness—the kind of love that remembered a wish whispered months ago and turned it into a reality.
And in that safehouse, in that moment, hope felt tangible.
—
Later that afternoon, just outside a quiet backstreet park, Kenzo adjusted the seat height of the powder blue bike as Audrey looked on, her arms crossed and eyes skeptical.
"Okay," Audrey said, eyeing the bike. "You've convinced me. Now teach me without turning this into a physics lecture."
Kenzo blinked. "But physics is the foundation of balance."
She groaned, playfully shoving his arm. "Kenzo."
He held up his hands, smirking. "Alright. No science. Just riding."
Audrey eyed the bike like it might suddenly roll away. She swung her leg over with cautious movements and sat down slowly. "Alright. I'm on."
Kenzo moved behind her, gently placing one hand on the seat and another near the handlebars. "We'll go slow. Just feel the motion first."
"If I fall, you're catching me."
"Always," he said without hesitation.
They started down the paved path at a creeping pace. The bike swayed, and Audrey panicked. "Nope. I'm falling. This is it."
"You're not," Kenzo replied, firmly holding her steady. "Keep your eyes ahead. Breathe. Let your hands relax. You're trying to strangle the handlebars."
"That's because they're trying to kill me!"
He chuckled. "The handlebars are innocent. You've got this."
She tried again, this time with him jogging slowly beside her. "How are you so calm right now?"
"Because I've calculated the probability of you crashing into that bush, and it's statistically low—unless you panic."
"Not helping!"
"Then I'll help the way you need," he said. His voice lowered, becoming gentler. "Audrey. You can do this. Trust me. Trust yourself."
She breathed out slowly. "I trust you."
He blinked once—stunned, maybe—but then smiled.
This time, she pedaled with more rhythm. She wobbled, but less dramatically. Kenzo let go for a second. She coasted forward. Her balance held—until she veered sharply into the grass with a surprised yelp.
She sat up, laughing breathlessly. "That counts, right? That totally counts."
"Absolutely," Kenzo said, offering his hand.
She grabbed it, pulling herself up, and didn't let go. Their hands lingered together longer than necessary.
"You really went out of your way for this," she said, her voice soft, the humor faded into something tender.
Kenzo hesitated, eyes on hers. "Because you matter. And your dreams matter. Especially the ones that felt too small to ask for."
She looked like she might cry again, but instead, she smiled. "You're going to ruin me, you know."
"That's not my intention," he said, brushing a stray blade of grass from her hair.
"Still doing it."
And she didn't pull away.
In the golden light of the setting sun, with her hair tangled, cheeks flushed from laughter and effort, Audrey had never looked more radiant. And Kenzo, standing steady beside her with an expression softer than anyone had ever seen him wear, had never looked more certain.
Hope, after all, had pedals—and she was finally learning how to ride.
—
—
A few rooftops away, nestled behind the thick leaves of an overgrown tree, Hana crouched beside a pair of high-powered binoculars, her expression deadpan. "I still can't believe I let you talk me into this."
Damian, beside her with snacks stuffed into his backpack and his own binoculars hanging crookedly from his neck, grinned like a kid on Christmas morning. "Because you're secretly invested. Don't lie. You ship them too."
"I don't ship anything. I observe with healthy skepticism," Hana muttered, adjusting the binoculars. "And it's not like I care if they hold hands or not."
Damian gasped. "Hana Nakamura. That sounded dangerously close to actual emotion. Are you blushing?"
"I'm allergic to pollen, idiot," she shot back, though her face did turn slightly red.
"You're practically glowing. Just admit it, you're a sucker for quiet nerd romance."
"I'm a sucker for field intel," she countered. "And you said there might be... tactical relevance."
Damian laughed. "That was just bait. And you took it. Because you care."
Hana rolled her eyes, but didn't deny it. They turned their binoculars back to the scene below, where Kenzo was now helping Audrey steer down a gentle slope.
"Look at that hand placement," Damian whispered. "It's practically poetry."
Hana snorted. "It's bike assistance, not a marriage proposal."
"Yet," Damian said, grinning. Then his voice softened. "Y'know, in all the weirdness we've lived through—the coma, the goddess deal, the half-dead limbo... seeing this? It actually makes things feel... lighter. Like there's still something real left."
Hana glanced at him, surprised by the earnest tone. "You're more sentimental than I gave you credit for."
"Don't spread it around," Damian said with a wink. "But yeah. After everything, it's kinda nice to root for something good."
Hana gave a quiet hum of agreement, and they watched Audrey take a few solo pedals before tumbling into the grass.
Damian let out a dramatic sigh. "Ugh. Look at them. Soft touches. Lingering glances. That's a rom-com moment if I've ever seen one."
"You've seen too many movies," Hana muttered, but the small smile tugging at her lips betrayed her.
"You're welcome," Damian said proudly. "For dragging you into this cinematic masterpiece."
And so, tucked away in the shadows as always, the watchers watched—not for danger this time, but for joy. And even for agents between two worlds, that moment was enough.
—
Later that evening, Audrey and Kenzo returned to the safehouse, both a little sun-kissed, Audrey pushing the bike beside her with a casual swing in her step. As soon as they stepped inside, they were met with the suspiciously composed expressions of Hana and Damian, both lounging a little too comfortably on the couch.
Audrey raised an eyebrow. "If you're planning to tease me later, you may as well do it now."
Damian practically jumped to his feet, clapping his hands with glee. "Bless your boldness! Because yes, oh yes, I wasplanning to tease you."
Kenzo sighed, taking the bike to the corner. "Do I want to know how long you two were spying?"
Hana replied smoothly, "Spying? Us? We were just doing... routine perimeter checks."
Damian grinned devilishly. "Yeah, and by 'perimeter,' she means from a rooftop tree nest with binoculars and gummy bears."
Kenzo turned to them slowly. "You made a surveillance nest?"
"For love," Damian said dramatically. "For science. For romantic science."
Audrey crossed her arms, amused. "You know, if I'd fallen and broken something, would you still have been cheering from the foliage?"
Hana looked mock-offended. "We were prepared to intervene. At the very least, I'd've shouted instructions."
Damian burst out laughing. "Gauze and gummy bears. Standard spy kit."
Audrey smirked. "How did you even think we wouldn't notice?"
Kenzo nodded, voice teasing. "Really? After everything we've done together? All the times we spied on people? You think we wouldn't recognize a stakeout when we see one?"
Hana raised an eyebrow. "Rude. I happen to think we're very subtle."
Damian pointed a gummy bear at her. "Hana, you wore a tactical vest to a rooftop."
Hana shrugged. "I like pockets."
Audrey grinned. "We love you both. But subtlety? Not today."
"She even packed gauze," Damian added proudly.
Kenzo ran a hand over his face, chuckling despite himself. "You two are ridiculous."
Damian pointed at him. "And you, sir, are the most adorably awkward romantic lead since every anime protagonist ever."
Audrey bumped her shoulder against Kenzo's lightly. "Don't listen to him. It was perfect."
Hana gave Kenzo a knowing smirk. "Still can't believe you downloaded bike tutorials."
Kenzo straightened, unashamed. "With diagrams and proper voiceovers. I only choose the best for Audrey."
Audrey smiled brightly, then turned to Hana and Damian. "Seriously, thank you guys. For everything. Even for the awkward rooftop commentary."
Hana shrugged but there was a warm softness in her eyes. Damian, meanwhile, was already halfway through composing a fake wedding toast.
"Also," Damian added with a mischievous grin, pointing at Audrey, "I just want to say—at your big age, in this economy, how is it possible that you never learned how to ride a bike?"
Audrey groaned and threw a throw pillow at him. "Shut up, Damian. Not everyone had a suburban cul-de-sac childhood."
"Hey, I'm not judging," he said, dodging the pillow. "Actually, no—I am judging, but with love."
"It's on my bucket list, okay? And I'm making progress now. So technically, I'm ahead of schedule."
Kenzo looked at her fondly. "You're doing great."
"Awwww," Damian cooed, dramatically clutching his chest. "You guys are killing me. I can't handle this much wholesome energy."
And in that safehouse, laughter filled the air—crisp, genuine, and hard-earned. For the first time in what felt like forever, they weren't preparing for danger. They were just... together.