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The world had gone quiet.
Ayame stood there in the doorway, frozen, her eyes locked onto me like the air between us had solidified. I couldn't breathe. I don't think she could either. The sight of her—stern, sharp-eyed Ayame, the one who never faltered—suddenly breaking in place, her grip loosening until the box slipped from her hands, scattering fruit and parchment across the floor.
For a long heartbeat, we just stared at each other. Neither of us moved. Neither of us spoke. The others didn't even dare break the silence.
Finally, my lips moved before I could think. "Ayame…"
The sound of her name shattered whatever restraint she'd been holding. She bolted forward before I could even finish, colliding into me with enough force to make me stumble back in the chair. Her arms wrapped around me like a vice, clutching as if I might vanish if she let go. And then—
She sobbed.
Right into my shoulder.
