Ever since that afternoon at the park, a new kind of warmth lingered in both Yuu and Aira's hearts.
They didn't talk every day.
They didn't meet often.
But the knowing—that the other person existed, felt the same, and thought of them too—was enough to make the sky seem lighter.
🌸
They met secretly once or twice a week at the new workshop where Aira taught crochet. Yuu would sit at the back, pretending to be one of the curious learners. His hands fumbled often, but his eyes were always gentle—focused not just on the yarn, but on the one who taught him.
Aira knew.
She always knew when Yuu was watching. And whenever she passed by his seat to check his work, her fingers would brush against his ever so slightly—as if to say:
"I see you."
"I'm glad you're here."
🌙
At home, things were… complicated.
Aira's father had warned her never to meet that boy again. "He'll distract you," he had said. "Stay focused. You're older now."
She wanted to say that Yuu was not a distraction. He was her calm, her peace. But she didn't say anything. She just nodded, and hid her heart quietly behind a soft smile.
Yuu's mother, too, had begun to grow suspicious.
One day, she caught him holding a tiny crochet flower in his hand and asked, "Who gave you that?"
"No one," he said, hiding it under his pillow. "Just something I made."
That night, he sat quietly on his bed, fingers wrapped in yarn, replaying every moment Aira had ever smiled at his silly creations. His heart ached—not from sadness, but from how much he missed her, even when they were only apart a day.
🌤
They both became experts at hiding their feelings from the world—but not from each other.
Sometimes, when Aira was teaching, Yuu would pretend to concentrate on his stitches, only to glance up and find her looking at him when she thought he wasn't watching.
And sometimes, after class, as Aira packed her bag, she'd glance sideways and catch Yuu staring at her with the kind of softness that made her ears turn pink.
They never said it out loud.
But in their hearts, they were already whispering it:
"I wish... if only someone like you could be mine in real life."
They began walking home in opposite directions, only to meet at the same bench in the park five minutes later—pretending it was a coincidence.
They shared half a bottle of juice once, when Aira forgot hers. And Yuu—though he didn't say anything—kept the bottle cap in his pocket, like a treasure.
⛅
One evening, rain came early.
Aira was closing up the shop when Yuu arrived, soaked, carrying no umbrella.
She gasped, "Why did you come like this?! You'll catch a cold!"
Yuu just smiled, hair dripping, eyes glowing.
"I just… I just wanted to see you."
Aira held his hand tightly and led him inside.
That day, they didn't do any crocheting.
They just sat beside the little window, sharing a towel and watching the rain pour down. Their hands were close. Their shoulders touched. Their hearts beat quietly beside each other.
No one knew.
But in that small moment, their world felt complete.