Listening to Aizen's words, Penelope raised an eyebrow as she cast a strange look at Aizen. As soon as he realized this, a sense of apprehension immediately ran through Aizen. For some reason, Penelope could always tell when Aizen was lying or trying to hide something.

"Why the surprise? Can't I pay you a visit?"

Penelope inquired, entering the house. After that, she greeted Aizen's parents, who had known her since childhood. In fact, Aizen and Penelope had grown up together, and Aizen could barely remember a significant moment in his life when Penelope wasn't present.

"No, of course not. That's not quite what I meant. It's just that today, in particular, I thought you wouldn't come, since you were with your boyfriend"

Aizen said. His last sentence came out almost as a whisper, as he tried his best to conceal the paper he had brought home. This, of course, did not escape Penelope's notice. She slowly approached the table, giving hints that she was about to sit in one of the available chairs, but just before doing so.

In a quick and subtle move, Penelope snatched the paper Aizen was holding and quickly backed away, looking at Aizen with a smug smile on her face. As soon as he realized what had happened, Aizen tried firmly to take the paper from Penelope's hand, who struggled to keep the paper out of Aizen's reach, lifting it challengingly.

But this lasted only until Aizen realized that both of their faces were extremely close, to the point where he could feel Penelope's breath. With an incredibly red face, Aizen quickly moved away from Penelope, who watched him with a triumphant look on her face.

"Ahahahahaha, you never managed to defeat me in these situations. Why do you think you'll succeed today?"

Penelope said, while displaying an open smile. Aizen, in turn, held his own heart tightly, which was beating uncontrollably.

(This girl is going to kill me one day. How can she remain so calm when we were about to k-kiss?)

Aizen thought, his face becoming increasingly flushed as he recalled the scene unfolding in his mind. While Aizen was distracted, Penelope began to read the paper slowly. Her once-smiling face now turned into an expression of concern and disbelief.

"Aizen"

With just the mention of his name, Aizen felt as if his soul was escaping his body. In that moment, he wondered why he feared the possibility of Penelope denying him something, even more than his own parents. He turned slowly to her, meeting Penelope's gaze, her eyes shimmering with tears she struggled to contain.

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The sight left him terrified, almost making Aizen question if he was making the right decision. However, he quickly pushed such thoughts aside. Aizen had his reasons to proceed with his intentions, and he wouldn't back down, even when it came to Penelope.

"Why did you have this paper with you? You can't really be considering this, can you?"

Penelope asked, fixing a serious look on Aizen. Taking a deep breath, Aizen kept his gaze locked on Penelope, equally serious.

"I've already enlisted, Penelope. Later this month, I'll be joining our lord's armed forces"

Aizen said, and his words seemed to hang in the air. Penelope felt her heart shatter instantly. She couldn't find a reason to accept Aizen's decision. They had been friends since childhood, and on top of that, Penelope was a few weeks older, which made her feel responsible for protecting Aizen. That's how she had always imagined things would be.

(So, why?)

Penelope thought, her heart splintering like glass, but even so, she managed to ask with a choked voice.

"But why? I can't think of a reason why you'd want to do something like this"

Upon hearing Penelope's question, Aizen sighed once more before his response came forth.

"Look, I have my reasons, but you probably wouldn't understand. I have things I want to protect, and I'll finally have the opportunity. I know I might seem immature in your eyes, Penelope, but I'm already a man. We're only a few weeks apart in age... Besides, I don't intend to back down from my decision"

Aizen stated with determination in his gaze. Hearing his words, tears began to flow from Penelope's eyes, unleashing a deep emotion. She couldn't even comprehend why her heart was so torn in that moment. Driven by these feelings, Penelope simply ran out of Aizen's house.

As this entire scene unfolded, Aizen's parents watched the situation as spectators. They were already aware of how things would likely end, after all, it wasn't a secret that Aizen had feelings for Penelope since childhood. This dynamic was familiar to them.

They were also aware that Penelope harbored feelings for Aizen. Penelope's parents had even talked to Aizen's parents about this matter. However, the young woman seemed oblivious to the depth of her feelings for Aizen, which went beyond friendship. This internal confusion led Penelope through various relationships, always claiming she hadn't found the right person yet, while Aizen remained often relegated to the role of childhood friend.

Aizen let out another heavy sigh, settling into one of the available tables. His eyes turned to his parents, who watched him closely.

"Do you think I was too harsh on her, don't you?"

Aizen asked, his heart nearly crushed by guilt. The only response he received from his parents was a combined, prolonged nod, indicating that he had been stricter than intended. However, Aizen wasn't too concerned about that. He knew the battlefield was a dangerous place, and since he was determined to leave anyway, he thought it best to cut the worries before they arose.

The last thing Aizen wanted was to see Penelope blaming herself for the rest of her life over a decision he himself had made. So, he held firm in his response, even as he still held hope that, in the future, Penelope would find forgiveness for him in her heart.