The sun was dipping low behind the hills, casting long shadows across the quiet park. The lilacs nearby swayed gently in the breeze, their scent faint but unmistakable. Haru sat on the weathered bench, fingers nervously twisting the edge of his notebook.
Aki had been quiet all afternoon, sketching the clouds and humming softly to himself. It was the kind of quiet that wasn't empty—it was filled with thought and feeling, the kind you noticed if you paid attention.
Finally, Aki closed his notebook and looked at Haru, eyes steady and soft.
"Haru," he said carefully, "I've been meaning to tell you something."
Haru's heart skipped.
"Okay," he whispered, voice fragile.
Aki took a breath, then spoke as if he was planting a seed. "I like you. More than a friend. I want to be with you. Would you… want to date me?"
The words hung between them like a delicate thread stretched tight.
Haru swallowed hard, the weight of the question settling deep inside. He wanted to say yes—he wanted to say anything to escape the ache of drifting from Ren, the loneliness that had crept in like winter's shadow.
But he also wanted to be honest. Wanted to mean it, not just use it like a lifeline.
"I don't know," Haru said finally, voice barely above a whisper. "I'm… not sure if I'm ready. Or if I even know what that means."
Aki nodded, a small smile touching his lips. "That's okay. We don't have to decide right now. I just wanted you to know how I feel."
Haru looked down at his notebook, tracing the faint outline of lilacs on the page.
"I want to say yes," he confessed. "Because you're kind. Because you listen. Because you see me."
Aki reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from Haru's forehead. "Then that's all I need."
Haru met Aki's gaze, and for a moment, the uncertainty didn't feel so heavy.
"Okay," Haru whispered. "Yes. Let's try."
They smiled, tentative but hopeful, two broken boys holding onto something fragile and new.
The lilacs bloomed around them, silent witnesses to beginnings and endings both.