PC: Camellias and the Fleeting Flames - Part 2

After their reconciliation, Kōen and Takara enjoyed their time at the Lantern Festival. They participated in as many activities they wanted, from goldfish scooping to watching the street performers on the outside stage. Once the festival ended, they prepared to head their separate ways.

...Until Kōen spoke up: "Hey, Takara. I'm not all that tired... I'm wondering if you wanna hang out at my place. I think my parents should be home from their mission, so it should be fine."

"Sure," Takara said with a smile. "I don't mind." She followed Kōen to his house, feeling excited to hang out with him some more.

But when they walked into the Hyūzu clan compound and into Kōen's house, it was dark and empty. Kōen walked into the kitchen as he turned on the lights in the family room. "I'll make some tea," he said. "You can relax on the couch."

"I don't hear your parents," Takara said, wobbling into her seat. "Are they sleeping?"

"Dunno."

When he entered the kitchen and started brewing the tea, Kōen saw a folded note on the counter.

He sighed. Damn, they're not going to be home for another week. That means… He shook it off and poured the tea into a pair of teacups, bringing it into the living room.

Takara sipped down some of her tea. "Did you find your parents?"

It hit Kōen hard when he realized his current situation with Takara. He immediately became flustered. "They-They...won't be back for another week," he mumbled. "It's just the two of us right now."

At that moment, Takara's face paled a bit as she, too, blushed. "O-Oh..."

The atmosphere between them grew awkward quicker than expected. Talking was now even harder, for neither of them knew what to say. Takara finally broke the silence with a simple question, and the two engaged in simple chit-chat. The tension between them gradually began to disappear as their conversation dragged further into the night.

"My parents thought about arranging a marriage for me," Takara said amongst the conversation. It was nonetheless random and mostly avoided topic, but she did want to give the news to Kōen. She trusted him with these sensitive topics and valued his opinion and advice. "I'm not very knowledgeable about boys, though. It will be a little difficult for me to be a good wife."

Kōen stared at her in curiosity. "Have you thought about dating someone?" he asked. "That would give you a little know-how on what boys are like."

Takara scratched her head. "I didn't think about that, mostly because I was so busy with missions and training. The thought of me with a boy never crossed my mind. I can't seem to find one that I'd want to date anyway."

For a split second, Kōen felt her heart sink. His eyes drifted down to his half-empty teacup as a sigh left his lips. He knew about his feelings for Takara, despite them constantly arguing, but he couldn't help but feel curious. "Hey," he said, "I wanna know...what you think of me."

She turned to look at him. "Huh?"

"What would you think about...dating me?" Kōen elaborated. His deep green eyes told her that he was serious, even more serious than normal. "Do you think I would be good enough for you?" He saw Takara's face turn bright red and felt his spirits rise a bit.

"I don't think it could work out," Takara answered with a nervous laugh. "I-I mean we're friends! Wouldn't that just make things awkward? And if we broke up, it ruin our friendship..." Her smile slowly disappeared, and she slowly avoided his gaze. "I wouldn't want that, Kōen. You're very important to me, more than anything. I don't want to lose you if something does happen between us."

Kōen began to realize the meaning behind Takara's words; he could see she was afraid of starting a relationship with him because he was valuable to her, more than anyone else in her life. But he had to push forward. He wasn't going to let this opportunity escape him.

"How do you know things will go wrong?" he finally asked. "Do you really know that we would stop talking to each other if we did break up?"

"B-But..." Takara's voice trailed off. "Knowing the two of us, we'd probably argue over something silly. I mean, it happened yesterday over something ridiculous. And my parents are planning to marry me off, so I can't go disobeying my clan—"

"We made up today," Kōen told her. "We fight all the time, so what makes you think things will change?" He turned Takara around to face him, his eyes boring into hers. "As for your clan, you shouldn't worry about them. You should do whatever you want to do with your life. Their opinions shouldn't matter as long as you're happy."

Before she had a chance to speak, Kōen pressed his lips against hers in a tender kiss. Takara was quick to push him off, shocked at his unpredictable action.

"Y-You can't, Kōen! I-I mean...we can't do this—"

"Is this what you really want for us, Takara?" Kōen demanded. His serious gaze softened as he held her hand. "Do you really not see me as a man? Because I've always seen you as a woman."

Takara sniffled, her tears gathering in her eyes. "Of course I've seen you as a man. I will always see you as a man." The tears ran down her face as she gazed at him lovingly. "I love you, Kōen. I've always loved you. That's why I don't want to lose you."

Her words surprised Kōen, but he was happy that he finally knew Takara's true feelings. He placed a hand on her face as his smile returned.

"I love you, too, Takara," he whispered, "That's why I think we should be together...for as long as we live."

Pulling her close into a tender embrace, he sealed her lips with another kiss.