Tuesday arrived quietly and it is Valentine’s Day.
The school had a slow shift in the air for the special day.
Pink decorations hung in the hallways. Students carried flowers, chocotes, little bags filled with candy hearts. Someone had even taped paper hearts across the lockers near the main office.
Eri noticed all of it.
Mostly because it made her nervous.
Her ears twitched every time someone ughed loudly nearby.
Her tails stayed closer to her body than usual.
And Alex noticed immediately.
“You’re tense,” he said as they walked out of school together.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
She shot him a look.
“I’m just aware of things.”
“You’ve been ‘aware of things’ since School started.”
Eri sighed.
“…It’s Valentine’s Day.”
Alex blinked.
“Yes.”
“And that means people are weird.”
“They’re always weird.”
“More weird.”
Alex chuckled softly.
“Okay, that’s fair.”
They walked in comfortable silence for a few seconds before Alex spoke again.
“Do you still want to go tonight?”
Eri gnced at him.
“You mean the gardens?”
“Yeah.”
Her ears flicked upward slightly.
“…Yes.”
He smiled.
“Good.”
Because that pce meant something now.
To both of them.
The gardens weren’t just a pce.
They were the pce Alex had found Ethan back when Ethan had been confused.
Trying to understand the strange pull he felt toward Alex.
Trying to understand why everything inside him felt like it was shifting.
Trying to understand why the person he would become was already starting to take shape.
Alex hadn’t known then that Ethan would become Eri.
But that night had been the beginning of everything.
And the pce still held a strange gravity.
And tonight the gardens were open te.
Special hours for Valentine’s Day.
Lights strung through the trees.
Lanterns along the paths.
Couples wandering slowly through glowing walkways.
It felt… perfect.
Which only made Eri more nervous.
—
By the time night fell, the gardens were glowing.
Soft golden lights hung between branches.
Paper nterns floated along the small pond near the entrance.
The scent of flowers carried easily through the cool evening air.
Eri stepped through the gate beside Alex.
Her ears perked up immediately.
“…Wow.”
Alex smiled.
“Yeah. They went all out.”
People walked everywhere.
Couples holding hands.
Groups of friends ughing.
Someone nearby was even pying soft violin music.
Eri’s tails slowly began to rex behind her.
“This pce always looks different at night,” she murmured.
Alex nodded.
“Better, honestly.”
They started down the main path together.
The stone walkway curved through rows of flowering bushes and small fountains.
Eri paused near the first fountain they passed.
The water sparkled under soft lighting.
Her reflection shimmered faintly.
She stared for a moment.
Then leaned slightly closer.
Alex watched her curiously.
“What are you doing?”
“…Checking something.”
“Checking what?”
Eri straightened quickly.
“Nothing.”
He gave her a skeptical look but let it go.
They continued walking.
At one point they passed a small stand selling warm drinks.
Alex bought two cups of hot chocote.
Eri accepted hers carefully.
Her ears flicked slightly when she took the first sip.
“Hot.”
“That's the point.”
“Still hot.”
Alex ughed.
They wandered slowly through the gardens.
Stopping at little bridges.
Watching koi fish glide beneath the water.
Listening to music drifting through the air.
At one point a butterfly conservatory building was open.
Inside, glowing lights illuminated hundreds of resting butterflies.
Eri stood completely still as one nded briefly on her sleeve.
Her eyes widened.
“…Hi.”
Alex smiled watching her.
“You’re talking to it.”
“It nded on me.”
“Still.”
She watched it flutter away.
“…It was polite.”
“Of course it was.”
They stepped back outside.
The night air had cooled slightly.
Eri’s tails swayed more freely now.
Some of the nervousness had melted away.
But something else had repced it.
A quiet tension she couldn’t ignore.
Because they were slowly approaching the deeper part of the gardens.
Where the rge trees grew.
Where the nterns were fewer.
And where one particur tree stood.
The wisteria, Eri's favorite tree.
Alex noticed it at the same moment she did.
He slowed slightly.
“…It's pretty.”
The tree looked beautiful at night.
Long hanging violet blossoms swayed gently in the breeze.
Soft nterns hung from the branches, casting purple shadows across the grass.
Eri stepped forward slowly.
Her ears lowered slightly.
Her tails curled behind her.
She walked beneath the wisteria.
Petals drifted softly around her.
Alex stopped a few steps away.
Watching.
“You okay?” he asked gently.
Eri nodded slowly.
“…Yeah.”
She looked up at the hanging blossoms.
Her chest tightened slightly.
“Alex,” she said quietly.
He stepped closer.
“Yeah?”
She turned toward him.
Her eyes reflected the ntern light.
For a moment she just looked at him.
Really looked.
At the person who had stayed beside her.
At the person who had accepted things he didn’t fully understand.
At the person who somehow felt… safe.
Her ears dipped slightly.
“…Thank you.”
Alex blinked.
“For what?”
“For… staying.”
He looked surprised.
“Of course I stayed.”
She hesitated.
Then took a small step closer.
Her tails swayed nervously.
Her heart was racing.
This was stupid.
Dangerous.
Terrifying.
But also—
Right.
Alex tilted his head slightly.
“Eri—”
She leaned forward suddenly.
And kissed him.
Soft.
Quick.
Right on the lips.
The world froze.
Alex’s brain stopped working.
Completely.
Total system crash.
Eri pulled back instantly.
Her ears went completely ft.
Her face turned bright red.
“I—!”
She panicked.
Then turned and bolted.
Full fox-speed panic retreat.
Her tails vanished into the ntern-lit path in seconds.
Alex stood under the wisteria tree.
Frozen.
Processing.
Buffering.
Still buffering.
“…Did she just—”
He touched his lips.
“…She did.”
A few falling petals drifted past him.
His brain finally restarted.
Then he ran after her.
“ERI!”
Ahead on the path, Eri was sprinting like she had just committed a crime.
Her thoughts were chaos.
Why did I do that—
Why did I run—
Why did I kiss him—
Why did I RUN AFTER KISSING HIM—
Behind her, Alex’s voice echoed through the path.
“ERI WAIT!”
Her ears twitched wildly.
“NO!”
“YOU CAN’T JUST KISS ME AND RUN!”
“I CAN IF I RUN FAST ENOUGH!”
“You absolutely cannot!”
She turned a corner—
And nearly slipped on the stone path.
Alex caught up seconds ter.
Grabbing her sleeve before she could unch into another sprint.
She froze.
Slowly turning toward him.
Her face was still completely red.
Her ears were ft.
Her tails had turned into a nervous tangled mess behind her.
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
Alex looked at her.
“…So.”
She looked at the ground.
“…So.”
Another long silence.
Then Alex asked the obvious question.
“Why did you run?”
Eri made a small distressed noise.
“I panicked.”
“That’s fair.”
“…I didn’t mean to run.”
“But you did.”
“Yes.”
Another pause.
Alex rubbed the back of his neck.
“…You kissed me.”
Eri nodded slightly.
“…Yes.”
“You wanted to?”
Her ears flicked slightly.
“…Yes.”
Alex exhaled slowly.
Then smiled a little.
“Okay.”
Eri looked up, confused.
“…Okay?”
“Okay.”
She blinked.
“…That’s it?”
“Well,” he said thoughtfully, “there’s one thing missing.”
Her ears tilted.
“What?”
Alex leaned forward slightly.
And kissed her back.
This time—
She didn’t run.
AnnouncementI’m sorry I am gonna rest for today so no chapter
