They had done the dance more times than they could count, and yet, that long-awaited result never arrived. When the result finally settled between them, a blank space where a sign should have been, it left Masaki and Erina in a complicated silence. It wasn’t relief, nor was it quite disappointment. It was simply… complex. But Masaki, ever steadfast, chose not to dwell in the ambiguity. Instead, he poured even more of his affection into Erina, as if to fill the space with something tangible. But then, a memory surfaced unbidden: the week Erina had returned to her family’s home. Because a memory kept surfacing in his mind: the one week Erina had gone back to her family’s home. That brief absence had stripped him of his vitality, leaving behind a hollow ache of loss. It was a feeling he swore he would never endure again. Holding her close, the words tumble out in a desperate, repeated confession: “Don’t go anywhere else! I love you! I love you so much!”
