As they stood in the quiet night, Haru felt a strange sense of peace. He had done what he needed to do—he had honored Aito's memory and given Aika the closure she deserved.
But as he looked at her, standing there with the letters pressed to her heart, he knew one thing for certain: he couldn't allow himself to fall for her. Not out of guilt, and not because of Aito's lingering presence within him.
Haru spoke again, his voice firm but kind. "Aika… I want you to remember Aito for who he was. And I want you to find happiness, in your own way. I'll always be here as a friend, but I can't be more than that." Aika nodded through her tears, understanding the unspoken boundary between them. "Thank you, Haru… for telling me. For everything."
In the days that followed, Aika began to heal, carrying Aito's memory with her but also learning to move forward. She and Haru grew closer as friends, finding solace in each other's presence without crossing the line into romance.
Haru, too, found a sense of clarity. While Aito's heart beat within him, he realized that his life was his own to live. He vowed to cherish every moment, to make choices that were true to himself, and to honor Aito's legacy by living fully and authentically.