The day felt different. Kaito could sense it the moment he woke up—there was an odd fluttering in his chest, a strange energy that had been missing from his usual carefree mornings. Hana had only a few days left in town, and for some reason, that fact had started to feel like a weight on his shoulders. He couldn't let things end without doing something for her, something that wasn't just a rushed goodbye or a fleeting moment of humor.
He had a plan.
Later that afternoon, Kaito met Hana at the school gates. She was standing there, her usual calm expression in place, but there was a slight weariness in her eyes. She had been distant for the last few days, her smiles more forced, her laughter softer. He could tell she was putting on a brave face, but beneath it, he could see the quiet sadness she tried so hard to hide.
"Hey," Kaito called out, grinning as he approached. "Ready for today?"
Hana looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Today? What do you mean?"
Kaito's grin widened. "Come on, I've got a surprise for you. I'm taking you somewhere special."
Hana blinked, surprised. "Where?"
"You'll see." He extended his hand to her with a playful smirk. "Trust me?"
For a long moment, Hana hesitated, eyeing him warily. She clearly wasn't used to Kaito being so... serious. But something in his expression made her feel like this was important, so, with a small sigh, she placed her hand in his.
"Fine. But if this is some crazy prank, I'm leaving," she warned.
"Cross my heart," Kaito promised, his smile full of mischief.
The bus ride was quiet, the scenery passing by in a blur, but Kaito could tell that Hana was still uncertain. He kept glancing at her, watching the way she fiddled with the strap of her bag or absentmindedly looked out the window. She was always so composed, but today, there was something different about her. A vulnerability that she couldn't quite hide.
Eventually, the bus pulled up to their destination, and Kaito led Hana through the entrance of the aquarium. The moment they stepped inside, Hana's eyes widened in awe, her usual cool demeanor melting away in the face of the colorful tanks and gentle sea creatures.
"I didn't know you liked this kind of stuff," Hana remarked, her voice softer now, almost childlike in wonder. She looked around at the massive tanks, filled with all kinds of fish and sea creatures.
"I like seeing you smile," Kaito replied simply, his voice uncharacteristically sincere. "I thought it might be nice. Just us, no distractions. Just... a day to remember."
Hana glanced at him, her heart tightening at the words. "You didn't have to do this for me, Kaito."
But the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips told her that he didn't care about that. This was something he wanted to do, something that was for her, and for him.
As they wandered through the aquarium, the afternoon light filtering through the tanks, they found themselves in front of a large glass wall. Behind it, a group of dolphins swam gracefully, their sleek bodies twisting and diving with fluid motion. Hana's eyes followed them, captivated by their beauty.
"This is amazing," Hana murmured, almost to herself. "I've never been to a place like this."
Kaito leaned against the glass next to her, a quiet smile on his face. "I'm glad you like it."
The silence between them felt comfortable, not awkward, as they watched the dolphins. Hana stood next to him, her body relaxed in a way Kaito hadn't seen before. For the first time in a while, she wasn't thinking about the days that were slipping away—she was just there, in the moment.
After a while, Kaito turned to face her. "Hana... I need to tell you something."
Hana looked at him, a little surprised by the shift in his tone. "What is it?"
"I know you're leaving soon," Kaito began, his voice low. "And I... I've been thinking a lot about everything. About us. And I realized that I don't want to let you go without doing something real for you. Something memorable."
Hana's heart skipped a beat. She could feel the sincerity in his words, but at the same time, a knot formed in her stomach. She didn't want to hear it. Not now, not when there were only a few days left.
"You don't have to say anything," she said quickly, her voice tight. "I don't want things to be harder than they already are."
But Kaito wasn't deterred. He stepped closer to her, his hand gently brushing hers. "No. I do need to say it. Because, Hana, even if I know you're leaving, even if I know we don't have a lot of time... I don't want to regret anything. Not when it comes to you."
Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up at him. For the first time, Kaito wasn't joking around. He wasn't hiding behind his usual sarcastic smile or pretending everything was fine. He was being real. And it made her feel like her heart might break all over again.
"I don't want to regret this either," Hana whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
They stood there for a moment, the world around them fading as their eyes locked. Hana could feel the tension between them—the pull, the unspoken words hanging in the air. She had been trying so hard not to feel anything for Kaito, knowing she would have to leave soon. But the truth was, she had already started to care. And that scared her more than anything.
Without another word, Kaito reached up and gently cupped her face with his hand. The action was tender, almost reverent, and it sent a surge of warmth through Hana's chest. She didn't pull away, and before she even knew what was happening, Kaito leaned in.
Their lips met in a soft, tentative kiss, the quiet of the aquarium wrapping around them. Hana's heart raced in her chest, her breath hitching as the world seemed to stop, just for a moment. The kiss was brief, but it was everything she hadn't allowed herself to feel until now. Everything she had tried to hide from, everything she had been avoiding.
When they pulled away, Hana's face was flushed, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and something deeper.
"Why did you do that?" she asked, her voice shaky.
Kaito smiled softly, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "Because I want you to know, Hana, that even though you're leaving... this moment, this day—it's real. And it matters. To me."
Tears pricked at Hana's eyes, and she swallowed hard, trying to hold them back. But no matter how much she tried to fight it, the emotions she had been keeping bottled up finally started to spill over.
"I don't want to leave, Kaito," she admitted in a voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't know how to stay."
"I know," Kaito said softly, his forehead resting gently against hers. "But even if you have to go, even if we only have these few days, I won't forget this. I won't forget you."
They stood there, in the quiet hum of the aquarium, the dolphins swimming behind them. In that moment, it didn't matter what was coming in the days ahead. What mattered was now. And what mattered was them.
It was a bittersweet kiss, a memory that would last forever, even if their time together was running out.