With his debut single a success and his schedule finally granting him a rare week off, Mitsunari found himself stepping into a different kind of rhythm the one not built around rehearsals, cameras, or the pressure of expectations. This time his week was centered around something far more personal: spending time with Mizuha. Since the night she kissed his cheek for the second time, something between them had quietly shifted. The air felt different as it was more comfortable yet electric, as if they were both slowly realizing how important they had become to each other.
Their first outing was spontaneous as it was a trip to the arcade after grabbing lunch. Mitsunari, competitive by nature, challenged Mizuha to every game they walked past. She beat him in air hockey but couldn't stop laughing when he obliterated her score in the dance rhythm game. The two of them moved through the arcade like a pair of kids in their own little world, laughter echoing louder than the sound of clinking tokens and arcade machines. For once, Mitsunari wasn't thinking about fame, pressure or the past. He was just there, fully present with her.
A day later, they found themselves at the movie theater, sitting in the back row with popcorn in hand. The movie was a rom-com and while the film was charming, Mitsunari found himself glancing over at Mizuha more often than the screen. She'd laugh at the right moments, lean a little closer during emotional scenes, and rest her head on his shoulder halfway through. It was subtle, but unmistakably intimate. There was no performance in this just honest comfort.
They spent another afternoon wandering through a new art exhibit downtown. This one focused on minimalist paintings and ambient light installations. The gallery was quiet, intimate, and slow. They didn't say much at first, they just walked beside each other while sometimes stopping to share thoughts or interpretations. Mitsunari liked how Mizuha looked at art. She saw beyond the colors as she was always asking what feeling the piece was hiding. At one point, she looked at a painting and whispered, "This one feels like loneliness, but the warm kind. Like when you're waiting for someone to come home." Mitsunari didn't reply, but the words stuck with him all day.
They ate ice cream afterward even though it was chilly out. Mizuha got vanilla with sprinkles, while Mitsunari ordered matcha. She teased him for his "grandpa flavor," and he playfully bumped her shoulder in response. The banter was effortless now like two friends who had always been close but were slowly crossing into something deeper. There was an unspoken tenderness in how he wiped a bit of ice cream from the corner of her lip, and how she didn't pull away.
By the fourth day, they had built a quiet routine just texting every morning to plan their day, meeting up around noon and staying out until sunset. Even their silences were starting to feel meaningful. They would sit on park benches with warm drinks and people-watch, occasionally sharing their dreams. Mizuha admitted she still wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life, but being around Mitsunari made her feel like maybe she didn't need to have all the answers yet. Mitsunari listened carefully, always careful not to give advice just understanding.
And yet even as things felt warm and easy, there was something on Mitsunari's mind he hadn't voiced. It wasn't until the end of the week, on a quiet walk after another simple dinner that he finally gathered the courage. As he walked Mizuha back to her house like he always did, they stopped in front of her door under the soft glow of the porch light. He turned to her with his hands in his pockets, eyes searching hers. "Hey… Mizuha," he said gently. "Would you… go out with me?"
The question hung in the air for a moment, delicate but undeniable. Mizuha froze, eyes wide, before her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. Her lips parted as she tried to speak but nothing came out at first, then unexpectedly, her eyes shimmered. Tears welled at the corners not from sadness but from overwhelming emotion. "Yes," she whispered, voice trembling. "Yes, I will."
For a moment, they just stood there both slightly stunned by what had just been said. Mizuha wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, laughing softly through the tears. "I don't know why I'm crying," she said, half-embarrassed, half-glowing. Mitsunari took a slow step forward and gently held her hand. "I'm glad you are," he said quietly. "Because I've wanted to say that for a while." As they stood there beneath the stars, there was no audience, no noise it was just two hearts finally finding the courage to meet each other