CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48

With his fingers interlocked with Mika’s soft, slender hand, Kokoro quietly led her away from the bustling food court. The sounds of trays clattering and cutlery scraping against porcelain faded behind them as they made their way through the corridor of the mall. Mika followed beside him with a lowered head, still trying to piece together the bombshell Kokoro had dropped—he was being blackmailed by a girl.

Her earlier outburst was a blur. Her cheeks still burned with embarrassment from slamming her palms on the table and drawing the attention of the entire food court. It wasn’t like her. She rarely lost composure. But hearing the word blackmail had pulled the ground from beneath her feet.

Kokoro sensed this. He didn’t say much as they walked, instead choosing to gently squeeze her hand, a silent assurance that everything would be okay.

When they finally stepped out into the open, the air outside was warm but breezy, filled with the soft rustle of tree branches and the murmurs of passersby. The sun had shifted slightly westward, casting long shadows that danced beneath their feet.

Across from the entrance of the mall, they spotted a public bench nestled under a small sakura tree. The petals above had just begun to bloom, speckling the tree with soft pink, even though it was out of season—perhaps an early bloomer. The bench, shaded and inviting, was miraculously unoccupied.

Wordlessly, the two made their way toward it and sat down, still holding hands. As they settled onto the wooden bench, both let out a long sigh—one of relief, one of release.

The moment of silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable. It felt like both were gathering the courage to dive into a conversation that might change things.

Around them, however, the world didn’t quiet down. The two didn’t go unnoticed.

"Whoa... Are they filming something? They look like anime characters!"

"They’re matching... are they a couple?"

"That guy’s whole outfit is white. Who dresses like that? But... it works? He’s kind of hot."

"Look at the girl, though. She’s so pretty it hurts! Like a princess from some fantasy novel."

"Ugh, I wish I had a boyfriend like that. Even if he dresses weird."

"If I wore all white, I’d look like a hospital escapee. How does he make it look cool?!"

"They look... happy. Or maybe serious? But, like, deep couple kind of serious. I want that."

Kokoro and Mika could hear the whispers, see the quick glances thrown their way. A few people even pretended to tie their shoes nearby just to sneak a better look. But neither of them responded to the attention.

_______________________

_______________________

The mall’s outside plaza buzzed with soft murmurs and footsteps as Kokoro and Mika sat close together on a quiet public bench, shaded by a small, well-maintained tree. The late afternoon sun cast warm amber light through the branches, dappling their matching white outfits in shifting patterns. Despite the occasional glances and whispers from passerby, the two sat quietly, hands still gently interlocked.

"Can we continue now?" Mika asked softly, her tone calm, but with a firm edge. Her ashen gray eyes fixed on Kokoro’s face, composed but expectant.

Kokoro nodded slowly. "Yeah," he said, glancing down at their linked hands. "I’ll tell you everything... about the brown-haired girl."

Mika’s gaze didn’t waver. She merely inclined her head in acknowledgment, waiting patiently.

"She’s blackmailing me," Kokoro said, carefully choosing his words. He kept his voice steady, trying not to trigger another outburst. "That’s... the real reason I met her at the maid café."

Mika’s fingers twitched slightly, but she gave no verbal response yet. Her silence spoke volumes. She was trying to stay calm. Trying not to explode.

Kokoro took a breath and continued. "She’s using a picture of us. Of... us kissing. At school."

The reaction was instantaneous.

Mika choked on her breath and suddenly lurched forward. Kokoro instinctively reached over to help, but the next thing he knew, Mika had grabbed two fistfuls of his shirt. Her face flushed bright red, and her beautiful features contorted in sheer disbelief.

"She what?!" Mika nearly shouted, her grip tightening. "She took a picture of us? Kissing?! And is using that to blackmail you? Does she not know who she’s messing with?!"

Kokoro looked around in panic as curious eyes turned their way. A pair of middle schoolers walked by whispering, "Are they about to kiss or fight?" An older woman chuckled and muttered, "Bold kids these days..."

Embarrassed, Kokoro placed his hands gently over Mika’s and whispered urgently, "Mika—people are staring. Let’s not make a scene."

Realizing where they were, Mika exhaled sharply and released his shirt. She turned her head away and began muttering under her breath, her lips trembling in frustration and cheeks still red. Kokoro stood and guided her up from the bench.

"Come on. Let’s talk somewhere a little less... public," he said with a soft smile, brushing her hair behind her ear briefly. Mika nodded, her voice too caught up in her flustered state to answer.

They found a quieter spot around the corner, under a more secluded stretch of trees. They sat again, a bit more composed now.

Mika turned to him, still frustrated but quieter now. "Why didn’t you tell me sooner?"

Kokoro looked at her earnestly. "Because... I was scared you’d go too far. I didn’t want you to do something rash. I wanted to try to handle it on my own. Quietly."

Mika looked down at her lap. "You thought I’d ruin her life, huh?"

"...Yeah."

She laughed bitterly. "You’re not wrong. If you’d told me earlier, I probably would’ve had her family name blacklisted from half the job markets in Tokyo."

Kokoro winced. "Exactly why I didn’t tell you."

Mika exhaled slowly, brushing her hair back behind her shoulder. "Okay. Then tell me everything now. Every detail. Give me reasons—solid ones—not to make her pay for this."

Kokoro nodded. "Her name is Nakahara Sakura. She’s not doing this out of spite. She’s doing it because she... she wants help confessing to her stepsister. She’s in love with her."

Mika blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah. I thought it was nuts too," Kokoro said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But she’s serious. She asked me to help her plan a date, to... help make her feelings known. That’s all. She said she thought I was good at relationships because..." he looked away, blushing slightly, "because I made you kiss me so passionately."

Mika’s cheeks turned a shade pinker. She glanced aside with a tiny, mortified smile. "We really need to find a better spot to make out next time..."

Kokoro chuckled awkwardly. "Probably."

After a moment of silence, Mika tapped her finger against her chin. "So... this Sakura girl. She’s crazy."

"She’s... unique," Kokoro said. "But she’s not a bad person. Honestly, she was kinda fun to be around. She has a blunt way of speaking, but she wasn’t malicious. And she seemed to genuinely care about her sister."

Mika sighed again. "I still don’t like it. But..." she looked at Kokoro, her eyes softening, "I trust you. And I guess you handled it the best way you could."

Kokoro’s eyes widened slightly. "So you’ll forgive her?"

"No," Mika snapped immediately. "She’s still getting a punishment. No one uses a photo of me without permission. But... I won’t destroy her. I’ll think of something appropriate."

Kokoro let out a massive breath of relief. "Thank you. Seriously, Mika. Thank you."

She smirked, leaning closer. "But you’re not off the hook either."

He blinked. "Huh?"

"You made me cry, Kokoro," she said, her expression turning pouty. "You let another girl blackmail you. You lied to me."

Kokoro scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I did, yeah..."

"You need to be punished too," Mika said, her voice playful now.

Kokoro smiled and bowed his head. "I accept it. Whatever you want me to do."

Mika grinned wickedly. "Oh, you’re so going to regret that later."

Before Mika could announce Kokoro’s punishment for causing her emotional turmoil, a shadow cast itself across the sidewalk in front of their bench. Kokoro looked up, and so did Mika, her pout still half-formed.

There stood a mature-looking girl, one who instantly caught the eye. She had short, messy black hair that framed her face with a casual but oddly charming chaos, and striking black eyes that held a mix of focus and a teasing calm. Her skin was a light brown—sun-kissed and smooth—that gave her an exotic allure, and her body was... well, the kind that drew second glances from both men and women passing by. She wore a plain black turtleneck, tucked neatly into dark jeans, and white sneakers that gave off a cool, effortless vibe. A single earring glinted on her right ear, adding a rebellious edge to her otherwise casual look.

She was carrying three bags—two hugged close under her right arm and one loosely hanging on her left. Her focus? Kokoro.

"Umm—Hello?" she said, her voice calm but firm as she approached.

Before Kokoro could respond, Mika shot up from the bench, her body practically shielding him. "Sorry, but this guy is already taken. Thoroughly ruined, by the way."

Kokoro blinked.

Naomi paused, confused, before her brows furrowed. "Uh... I’m not trying to hit on him. I’m just returning this guy’s stuff."

Kokoro’s face lit with recognition and a faint blush. Oh... right! The disguise kit.

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "The store clerk said an all-white guy forgot his bag. When I turned around and heard that, well... I figured it was probably you."

He stood up quickly, nodding with both hands raised in gratitude, and took the bag from her. "Thank you. Really."

Naomi shook her head. "Don’t thank me. Thank the clerk who remembered your weird outfit. I just happened to be heading back to grab something I forgot."

Still, Kokoro looked at her sincerely. "Even so, you went out of your way to find me. That means something."

Naomi was quiet for a second, then let out a breath and gave a tiny smirk. "Then we’re even now, yeah? You helped me out earlier with those punks. Consider it settled."

Before he could reply, she turned on her heel and waved over her shoulder. "Anyway, I’ve got a school project to finish. See ya."

Kokoro watched her walk away through the crowd. Her presence—like a breeze stirring up the calm—had already disappeared among the tide of people. He smiled faintly, thinking she was tougher than she looked... and sharper too. He also realized the guard must’ve told her he was the one who called for help based on his all-white getup. That outfit really was doing more harm than good today.

But his thoughts were cut off by a familiar sound behind him: a soft cough.

Kokoro turned. Mika sat on the bench, her arms crossed and cheeks puffed out, eyes closed and brow furrowed like a child who had just been denied her favorite treat.

Kokoro chuckled softly to himself.

He walked back and sat beside her, the bench dipping under his weight. Mika didn’t say anything, but the way she let out a slow "hmph" made it clear she wasn’t exactly thrilled.

He leaned closer, gently brushing the air between them.

Then, without a word, he softly kissed her cheek.

Mika’s eyes shot open, cheeks flushing instantly to a bright crimson. She whipped her head to him, mouth parted, eyes trembling with a thousand different feelings. Embarrassment. Surprise. Love. Even betrayal... the playful kind.

"You...!" she gasped, her voice catching. "You—what do you think you’re doing!?"

Kokoro grinned, just a little. "I couldn’t help it. You’re too cute when you’re mad."

She fumbled for a response, only able to let out a half-choked, "T-That doesn’t mean you get to do that!"

"But you didn’t hate it, did you?" he teased.

Her lips trembled. Then she averted her gaze and crossed her arms tighter, as if hiding herself behind a wall of indignation.

"Kokoro," she said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"You still need to be punished."

Kokoro sighed, but it was a playful one. "Yeah... figured."

He looked at her again, the faint glint of amusement in his eyes, and she—despite herself—smiled. Just a little.

The afternoon sun painted soft golden light across the quiet sidewalk. Somewhere in the distance, the noise of the mall faded into the hum of daily life. And for now, in this little pocket of the world, time felt still.

Kokoro leaned back on the bench, his hand intertwined with Mika’s.

Even punishment didn’t feel so bad, when it came with a smile like hers.