The girls' locker room was eerily quiet, the faint smell of lavender air freshener lingering in the air. Kikidori stepped further inside, his crimson eyes scanning the rows of lockers and benches. His footsteps echoed softly against the tile floor.
"Ere'ana?" he called out again, his voice calm but carrying a hint of curiosity.
From behind one of the lockers, Ere'ana stepped out. Her emerald eyes shimmered nervously as she toyed with the hem of her uniform. Her cheeks were flushed, and she avoided looking directly at him.
Kikidori tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "What's going on?"
Ere'ana hesitated, biting her lower lip as she took a small step closer. "I… I wanted to talk to you," she said softly.
"You could've texted that," Kikidori replied, his tone even. "Why here?"
Ere'ana looked down at the ground, her hands fidgeting. "Because… because I needed to see you alone. And I didn't want anyone else to overhear."
Kikidori crossed his arms, leaning slightly against a locker. "What's so important?"
Ere'ana took another step closer, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it. "It's just…" She looked up at him finally, her emerald eyes locking onto his crimson ones. "I wanted to thank you for earlier. For standing up for me. You didn't have to, but you did, and…"
Kikidori raised an eyebrow. "You don't need to thank me for that."
"But I do," Ere'ana insisted, her voice trembling slightly. "You're always there for me, Kiki. Even when I don't ask for it, even when I don't deserve it…"
She trailed off, her cheeks burning as she closed the gap between them. Kikidori straightened, his expression still calm but with a flicker of curiosity in his gaze.
Before he could say anything, Ere'ana stood on her tiptoes, her hands gripping the front of his shirt for balance. She leaned in quickly, pressing her lips against his in a soft, fleeting kiss.
For a moment, time seemed to stop.
Ere'ana's heart was racing, her face flushed a deep red as she pulled back, her emerald eyes wide and searching his expression nervously. "I—I'm sorry," she stammered. "I just… I wanted to—"
Kikidori blinked, his crimson eyes unreadable. He brought a hand to his lips, brushing them lightly as if processing what had just happened.
"You kissed me," he said plainly, his tone neutral.
Ere'ana nodded quickly, her embarrassment growing. "Y-Yeah. I did."
Kikidori tilted his head slightly, his gaze softening just a fraction. "Why?"
Ere'ana bit her lip, her hands still gripping his shirt as she avoided his eyes. "Because… I wanted to. Because I like you. A lot."
Silence filled the locker room, the air between them thick with tension. Ere'ana was about to apologize again when Kikidori finally spoke.
"I see," he said simply, his voice calm but with a hint of something warmer underneath.
Ere'ana blinked up at him, her cheeks still red. "That's… all you're going to say?"
Kikidori shrugged slightly, his lips twitching upward in the faintest hint of a smile. "I don't mind."
Ere'ana stared at him for a moment before letting out a soft laugh, her nerves finally easing. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"Maybe," Kikidori replied, his tone deadpan. But there was a gentleness in his eyes that wasn't usually there, a quiet acknowledgment of the moment they had just shared.
Ere'ana let go of his shirt, stepping back slightly as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks for not freaking out," she said with a small smile.
"Why would I freak out?" Kikidori asked, his voice as steady as ever.
Ere'ana laughed softly, shaking her head. "Never mind. Just… thank you."
Kikidori nodded, his gaze lingering on her for a moment before he turned toward the door. "We should get back to class," he said, his voice quiet.
"Yeah," Ere'ana agreed, still smiling as she followed him out of the locker room.
As they walked back to their respective classrooms, Ere'ana's heart felt lighter than it had in weeks. And though Kikidori's face remained as stoic as ever, there was a small, unshakable warmth in his chest that he couldn't quite explain.