The first light of the next day was illegal in some way, if Kuro Kurogane was to put it. Because everything in existence looked completely normal around him. Students were laughing and teachers were yelling. Breakfast smelled delicious, but Kuro’s mind was completely nonfunctioning this morning.

"Good morning."

Dead sounding, departed from his body.

Akari looked at him with suspicion.

"Kuro-kun!"

"What?"

"You look like you have severe emotional damage."

They were correct.

Screaming at him like a bright light.

Unfortunately, the cause of the emotional damage showed up to breakfast in the cafeteria just as Kuro noticed it.

Aoi.

The moment Kuro’s eyes locked onto Aoi was when his heart went from an average to emergency.

Aoi froze as soon as her gaze found Kuro’s.

For one brief instant, they locked their eyes.

Then both of them looked down.

Akari’s expression shifted to a glare of suspicion.

Danger is possible .

Eating breakfast became a torture type of experience for Kuro.

Everything about his interactions with Aoi was dangerous now.

Aoi gives Kuro tea. Recipe for heart failure.

Kuro’s and Aoi’s fingers brushed against one another by mistake .

Recipe for near-death experience.

Kuro locks eyes with Aoi longer than two seconds?

Recipe for complete spiritual devastation.

For everyone else in the cafeteria, the weird dynamic between Kuro and Aoi was noted immediately.

Mina especially.

Of course Mina noticed.

She had been watching Kuro and Aoi from across the cafeteria just as they were both seated.

Then Mina gradually began to smile at Kuro and Aoi over her breakfast.

"Interesting," she said.

Instantly, Kuro’s brain began to picture multiple ways for Ming to die.

"Don’t," Kuro said.

"Oh no," Mina said with her hand up to her mouth in mock shock. "Something definitely happened."

"What do you mean by that?"

Mina casually leaned back.

"There has been a shift in the atmosphere."

Kuro nearly choked on his tea.

"There is no shift in the atmosphere."

"Absolutely!"

Rika adjusted her glasses quietly.

"Now that you say that..."

"Are you all as well?"

They are all traitors.

On the other side, nestled in her seat next to Akari, Aoi was drinking tea calmly.

She appeared calm from the outside.

She was too calm.

But now Kuro could see it clearly.

Little things.

Her fingers were tightening a bit on her cup. She was avoiding looking him in the eye for long periods.

She was nervous.

Aoi was actually nervous.

That only made things feel more complicated for Kuro.

After breakfast the class split up into sightseeing groups again.

The teachers were nothing if not careful in assigning everyone to their desired groups.

Unfortunately, fortune was still unkind.

Kuro was grouped with:

Akari, Aoi, Mina and Rika.

Nowhere to run.

None at all.

The streets of Kyoto were filled with tourists while students perused the shopping districts, full of energy.

Akari was talking to Kuro about sweets and seemed to be very happy to be next to him.

Aoi, on the other hand, was exhibiting less energy today than normal.

Kuro saw every difference in her today.

That was the problem.

He now noticed her all the time.

The way she looked in the sun. The softness of her expression. Her lips...

Kuro suddenly stopped think about it .

Then, Mina was suddenly directly beside him with a smug grin on her face.

"So!"

"No."

"You’re acting weird around Aoi."

"I am totally normal!"

"You stared for approximately 2.7 seconds, then you panicked!"

"Why are you measuring?"

"Because it’s hilarious!"

Akari gazed at both of them suspiciously.

Something did indeed happen."

Kuro quickened his pace.

"There was nothing that occurred."

This wasn’t even truly a lie anymore.

Last night, his mind could not directly relate to it.

The true disaster occurred later at the souvenir street!

The group had officially arrived at a traditional sweets shop filled with tourists.

Akari had commenced running towards the sample table.

Mina began following her too, as she creates chaos wherever she goes.

Leaving Kuro and Aoi alone briefly outside the shop.

The most dangerous of all kinds.

Neither of them spoke immediately.

As the breeze blew softly from Kyoto, the sound of people talking echoed throughout many stores.

Then finally Kuro spoke, "About last night..."

Aoi turned to look just as Kuro’s chest tightened in pain.

"I’m sorry."

As soon as the word fell from his lips...

She went from calm to hurt.

It was a small change, but one that was there.

He absolutely had no clue how he messed this up.

"Wait, I didn’t mean..."

"I know," she whispered softly.

She again turned away, looking at the street that was crowded with many people.

"You don’t have to say you’re sorry."

For some reason this hurt even more.

Kuro’s chest became heavy.

Apologizing made Kuro feel as if he had some regret.

But truth be told that was the scary part for him.

He really didn’t have any.

Aoi was lightly squeezing the strap of her handbag tighter.

"...I understand that it was unintentional."

Her voice stayed steady.

But was slightly lower than usual.

"...So there is no need for you to put pressure on yourself to be reflective about it."

Kuro continued to stare at her intently.

Because she was starting to pull away from him emotionally.

She was attempting to shield him from herself.

And strangely that upset him right away.

Then before he could respond Akari exited the shop in an exuberant manner.

"Kuro-kun! Have a taste of this sweet."

The atmosphere was now completely ruined.

Aoi had instinctively backed away again from him.

Her calm expression, returned slowly once more.

But Kuro saw the distance now.And for some reason he despised it.

Kuro found himself again in solitude on the porch of the inn that night below the courtyard of the inn.

Raindrops continue to fall softly off of the roof as the cool breeze moved through the stillness of the little garden.

He continued to have an awful lot on his mind.

Because there is one thing playing on repeat in his mind that was repeatedly scaring him.

He wanted to kiss her again.

The thought alone was emotionally devastating for him.

"...This is not good."

Then he heard faint footsteps walking toward him from behind.

Kuro glanced up.

Aoi was standing silently below the faint courtyard light.

Both individuals paused a little.

The whole atmosphere felt awkward again quickly.

Then, softly Aoi extended his hand out toward Kuro with a can of coffee.

His favorite can of coffee.

"You forgotten this earlier."

Kuro accepted the can of coffee without saying a word.

The two fingers lightly brushed against each other.

Both react immediately to the brief touch.

This time, Aoi looked away first.

Kuro’s chest began to feel painfully tight.

Because of the way it felt like a risk for them both to even touch each other anymore.

Then finally, long after a silence.....

Aoi softly whispered,

"Goodnight, Kuro."

And left before Kuro could respond to him.

Only thing left behind was the smell of rain.

The warmth of Aoi’s touch still on his fingers, and the fact that there was no way that this situation with each other would not go back to being the same as they were previously.