“You truly are the cruelest, most selfish woman I’ve ever known, Hanami.”

“For years, I’ve been waiting for your approval, patiently, persistently, considerately. I thought if I did that, you would eventually come clean to me. And you were not. To your very own lover—one of the people, if not the only one, who knows you the most—you couldn’t even clarify things that bother you.”

“Ryouta…”

“Shut up. I’m not finished yet.”

She closed her lips almost immediately. Her body was trembling in fear as the man in front of her looked at her with the coldest stare. It was like she barely knew the man in front of her. It was almost like she didn’t know Ryouta at all.

“Then I read the letter on the table. One that I’ve been ignoring after you left me: sick, bedridden, helpless. Haa… you couldn’t even wait until I could function normally after my accident. See? I was right when I said you truly are the cruelest woman I’ve ever known, Hanami.

“You know what came to my mind after I read it? I could only think, ‘Wow, I must be that unreliable to her. ’ Things as important as that must cost my life for me to find out, for you to explain.

“But then I thought, ‘What is she taking me for? Does she really think I would force her to do something against her will? Did she even know me?’”

Upon hearing that, Hanami couldn’t hold her tears any longer. Everything that Ryouta said was true. She was wrong and cruel, and she shouldn’t judge him that low. Even when everyone sucks, Ryouta should’ve been her safe place. Her one true home, where she can freely express herself.

And now she had damaged their relationship for good.

“I’m sorry, Ryouta,” she sobbed, hand on her mouth as she tried to control her breath. Her eyes were looking underneath, couldn’t handle seeing the-now-different-Ryouta any longer. “I really don’t know what to say. But I’m sorry, I truly am sorry.”

Ryouta didn’t say anything for seconds. Instead, he took her other hand into his hands. His warm hands.

“Look at me, Hanami.”

Hanami didn’t budge.

“Look at me, Hanami-cchi.”

She gave in and did what he wanted.

And that’s when she saw the gentlest stare of the honey orbs. Her favorite eyes, ones she hadn’t seen for a long time. The eyes that she immensely missed—well, basically every single being that made Kise Ryouta, she missed them immensely.

“Do you still love me?”

She didn’t even think for a second before giving a series of sharp nods.