The days following our encounter with Kaden pass in a blur of mundane activities, a welcome respite from the chaos that seems to follow us. As the morning of our island tour dawns, I find myself scrambling to pack while Noarin methodically prepares our lunch boxes in the kitchen.

“You just started packing?” Noarin’s voice carries a hint of amusement as she carefully places the lovingly prepared lunch boxes into her bag.

I glance up from the pile of clothes I’m haphazardly stuffing into my backpack. “Yeah, don’t worry. I pack pretty fast.”

“I see,” she murmurs, settling onto the couch and cracking open a well-worn paperback. The soft rustle of pages turning fills the comfortable silence between us.

Despite my assurances of speedy packing, there’s no real rush. We have a luxurious three hours before our scheduled meeting time. Still, I can’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety. “How about you? Have you packed everything you need?” I ask, more to fill the silence than out of genuine concern.

Noarin’s eyes flick up from her book momentarily. “Yeah, I’m ready to go anytime.”

“I see,” I reply, zipping up my backpack with a satisfying finality. I do a quick sweep of my room, mentally cataloging any essentials I might have missed, before lugging my bag to the front door.

image [https://i.imgur.com/54KyDs2.jpeg]

My gaze drifts to Noarin, still engrossed in her book. Curiosity gets the better of me. “What are you reading?”

“A romance novel,” she replies, not looking up from the page.

I can’t hide my surprise. “Huh, that’s unexpected.”

This catches her attention. She turns to me, one eyebrow arched. “Is there something wrong with me reading a romance novel?”

“Eh, no,” I backpedal quickly. “I just thought you’d be more into mystery or action-adventure stuff.” It’s true – Noarin’s composed, often stern demeanor doesn’t exactly scream ‘hopeless romantic’.

She shrugs, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Well, I read those too. But I think I read romance more often.”

“I see,” I nod, then, before I can stop myself, “Do you have any experience in romance or something?”

The moment the words leave my mouth, I want to sink into the couch and disappear. What am I thinking, asking something so personal?

Noarin pauses, the book rising slightly to obscure her face. “No… I don’t,” she answers, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I-I see,” I stammer, looking anywhere but at her. Why does my mouth insist on operating independently from my brain? And why do I feel a flutter of relief at her answer?

“What about you?” Noarin’s question catches me off guard.

“Eh? I can hardly make friends, let alone a girlfriend,” I admit, chuckling self-deprecatingly.

“Fair point,” she murmurs, returning to her book. I catch a hint of something else in her tone, but before I can dwell on it, a knock at the door announces Kai and Rishia’s arrival.

They burst in, laden with what seems like enough luggage for a month-long expedition. Kai’s grin is impossibly wide as he quips, “Hey there, don’t mind us coming way too early. We didn’t interrupt anything, did we?”

I shoot him an exasperated look, choosing to focus on their excessive baggage instead. “That’s a lot of stuff you brought. What’s in it?” I ask, pointing to a particularly massive suitcase.

Rishia beams, her excitement palpable. “Things for us to play with! Board games, cards, and more!”

I can’t help but chuckle. “How many games did you really put in there?”

“It’s a vacation,” Rishia declares, plopping down next to Noarin. “I want to play as much as possible, you know?”

Kai surveys my modest luggage by the door. “You didn’t bring that much stuff, huh?”

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I shrug, then a thought occurs to me. “Oh right, how are Kaden and his sister?”

Kai’s expression softens. “They’re fine. Kaden’s in training to become a guard for the Yosuga residence. I wanted to bring him along, but he’s so determined in his new duties, I didn’t have the heart to ask.”

“And Ayako?”

“Completely healed now,” Kai grins. “She even helps the maids with their chores sometimes. Real good kid.”

Relief washes over me. “That’s good to hear.”

As we settle in to wait, Rishia’s curiosity gets the better of her. “I wonder, can you float us there instead?” she asks Kai, her eyes sparkling with the possibility.

Kai snorts. “Hell no. It’s a two-hour flight. Besides, I’d have to float four people and who knows how much luggage. I don’t think I have the strength for that.”

Rishia's shoulders slump slightly. "I see. I thought everything would be very convenient if you had ornaments."

"Depends on how you use them and your limitations, I guess," Noarin interjects, not looking up from her book.

"Ahhh, I wish I had my own ornament," Rishia sighs dramatically. "I wonder what it feels like."

I can't help but tease her a little. "You just don't want to be the only one left out, do you?”

Her pout is almost comical. "Not only that. I hate it when you guys fight and do things while I can only watch."

Noarin reaches out, patting Rishia's shoulder gently. "Don't worry, you can always support us in your own way."

After 2 hours of talking, we get ready to leave. Then suddenly Saria appears.

“Hi guys, sorry to interrupt” Saria appears on Noarin’s shoulder.

“Before you go, can I ask you a favor?”

“What is it?” I tilts my head.

“Even though you’re going there on vacation, I want you to look for a Holder as usual, if you can. Maybe we can find some clues or something helpful if we expand our search area.” Saria explains. The four of us look at each other.

“Well, we’re planning to do so. You’re coming with us, right?” Noarin asks.

“Thanks, yes I’ll come with you,” Saria nods.

“Well, then there’s nothing to worry about,” Kai smiles.

The journey to the airport is a blur of excited chatter and last-minute checks. Thanks to our early arrival, we breeze through check-in and security. Before we know it, we’re settling into our seats on the plane, the hum of the engines a promise of adventure to come.

I find myself next to Noarin, with Kai and Rishia seated in front of us. As we wait for takeoff, I turn to her. “Have you ever been on a plane before?”

She shakes her head, a hint of excitement in her eyes. “No, it’s kind of thrilling.”

“Really?” I’m surprised. “What’s the longest trip you’ve ever taken?”

“Not very far,” she admits, gazing out the window. “I’ve only taken the train between cities. The farthest was when I moved here.”

My curiosity is piqued. “Oh right, when did you move here?”

“Eight years ago,” she replies, her voice softening. “But I still lived with my grandparents until a year ago when I started living on my own.”

“Eight years?” I pause, the words catching in my throat. I want to ask about the incident – the accidental fire – but I can’t bring myself to broach such a sensitive topic. Somehow, she seems to understand my unspoken question and nods.

“Eight years ago, I started living with my grandparents while my parents moved to another country for work,” Noarin continues, her gaze dropping to her lap. “After I discovered my ability, I became too afraid to touch other living beings. I was terrified of hurting them accidentally, so I didn’t make any friends back then.”

My heart clenches at the pain in her voice. I notice the chatter from the seats in front of us has ceased – Kai and Rishia are listening too.

“Then I met Saria three years ago,” Noarin continues, a small smile tugging at her lips. “She taught me everything she knows and started training me to use my ability in that abandoned building. By that time, I’d already forgotten how to make friends, and there were strange rumors about me going into an abandoned building every day. People thought I was a freak who liked to do shady things or something.”

I feel frozen, a lump forming in my throat. I’d suspected some of this, but hearing it from her makes it painfully real. The loneliness she must have endured is almost unimaginable.

"Then I met you," she says, turning to me with a smile that makes my heart skip a beat. "Someone who understands my situation and is willing to support me. With you, I can make even more friends. I'm really glad to have met you."

I swallow hard, struggling to find the right words. “I’m glad I met you too,” I manage, my voice thick with emotion. “My boring life is starting to become more colorful. I can taste delicious handmade food again, walk around the city, touch some grass…” I trail off, attempting a joke to lighten the mood. We both giggle, the tension easing slightly.

“From now on, you don’t have to worry,” I say, my voice growing stronger. “We have each other to support us. We’ll always be there for you. Right, Kai, Rishia?” I look to our friends, who jolt at being addressed.

Kai’s smile is sheepish but sincere. “Ahaha, right! Sorry for eavesdropping.”

Rishia, on the other hand, is openly emotional. She leaps from her seat, enveloping Noarin in a fierce hug. “Hwaaah… Noarin… You’ve been through so much… Don’t worry, you have us now!”

“Thank you, Rishia,” Noarin murmurs, returning the embrace.

As the girls comfort each other, I feel a familiar presence on my shoulder. “Now you know, right?” Saria whispers in my ear, her tiny form barely visible from the corner of my eye.

“Yeah,” I whisper back. “Thank you for telling me.” Saria nods once before vanishing, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

The weight of Noarin's story settles over me. Eight years of loneliness abandoned by her parents for work in another country, isolated by her fear of her own abilities, ostracized by those who couldn’t understand her. I realize how fortunate I’ve been, discovering my ability without the destruction and trauma that marked Noarin’s awakening.

As I watch her now, smiling and chatting with Rishia, a fierce protectiveness wells up inside me. I want to preserve that smile, to stand by her side through joy and sorrow, to help shoulder the burdens she’s carried alone for so long.

And in that moment, with startling clarity, I understand the truth that’s been growing in my heart:

I’ve fallen in love with her.