Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, spreading a warm glow across Rio's bedroom. The digital clock on the bedside table showed that it was already past seven. Outside, the neighborhood was beginning to stir. The distant rumble of traffic drifted through the windows, accompanied by the occasional voice of someone passing along the street.
Ryota slowly opened his eyes.
For several seconds, he remained still, staring at the ceiling as he adjusted to being awake. His body felt rested, although his mind was still clouded by sleep. He shifted beneath the blanket, intending to turn over and steal a few more minutes of rest.
Then he noticed something unusual.
Rio was already awake.
She sat near the edge of the bed with her back slightly turned toward him. Her silver hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and her hands rested together in her lap. She wasn't looking at her phone or doing anything in particular. Instead, she seemed lost in thought, staring down at her fingers.
The morning light illuminated her face, making the tiredness around her eyes especially noticeable.
Ryota blinked and slowly pushed himself upright.
"...Rio?"
She turned her head.
"Oh. You're awake."
Her voice sounded normal, but her expression told a different story. There was a faint heaviness beneath her eyes, and the way she avoided looking directly at him suggested that she hadn't been enjoying a particularly restful morning.
Ryota rubbed his eyes before studying her more carefully.
"Did you sleep?"
Rio hesitated before releasing a small sigh.
"...Barely."
"Seriously?"
"I probably didn't even sleep a wink."
She turned her attention toward the window, watching the sunlight spread across the neighboring rooftops.
"I kept waking up and thinking about what I wanted to say. Every time I thought I'd made up my mind, I'd start reconsidering everything again. I tried going back to sleep, but then I'd remember something else and start thinking all over again."
Ryota's expression softened.
He hadn't expected her to spend the entire night worrying about his question. He knew it was important to her, but hearing that she had barely slept made him feel a little guilty. He had been the one who brought up the subject, after all.
"...You didn't have to push yourself that hard."
Rio glanced at him.
"Of course I did."
She turned toward him, her expression becoming more serious.
"Ryota, sit down."
He blinked.
"...I'm already sitting."
"Properly."
Ryota looked at the bed, then at her. Rio gestured toward the space beside her, making it clear that she wasn't interested in another joke.
"We need to talk."
A brief silence followed.
"Mostly about us," she added, her cheeks warming slightly. "And my answer."
The last traces of sleepiness disappeared from Ryota's face.
"...Oh."
He nodded and shifted closer, sitting properly on the bed with his hands resting on his knees. For once, he didn't make a joke or attempt to lighten the atmosphere. He understood that Rio had something important to say, and he wanted to give her his full attention.
Rio took a deep breath.
She had rehearsed this conversation several times during the night. She had considered different ways to phrase her answer, wondered how Ryota might react, and even imagined what she would say if he became disappointed.
But now that he was sitting in front of her, waiting patiently, all those carefully prepared sentences seemed to disappear.
She lowered her eyes.
"I thought about what you asked me yesterday."
Ryota nodded quietly.
"I figured."
"I mean, I thought about it a lot."
Rio rubbed her fingers together, struggling to find a comfortable position for her hands.
"I even woke up early this morning and reconsidered my decision several times. Every time I thought I'd settled on an answer, I'd start questioning it again."
She gave a tired laugh.
"Honestly, I'm starting to regret agreeing to give you an answer this quickly."
Ryota offered a small smile.
"You could've asked for another day."
Rio looked at him.
"And spend another night like this?"
"...Fair point."
For a moment, the familiar rhythm of their banter returned. It helped Rio relax slightly, but the seriousness of the conversation remained. She knew she couldn't keep delaying it. Ryota deserved an honest answer, especially after the way he had approached her the previous night.
She took another breath and finally looked directly at him.
"Ryota, I'm not ready for a romantic relationship."
The words were quiet, but they landed heavily.
Ryota's expression changed. His eyes widened slightly, and his shoulders stiffened. For a brief moment, he looked as though he hadn't expected to hear those exact words.
Still, he didn't interrupt.
He simply listened.
Rio noticed his reaction and quickly continued.
"Wait. Let me explain."
Ryota nodded.
"It's not because I hate you. And it's not because I dislike the idea of being with you."
She hesitated, searching for the right words.
"In fact, I've spent a lot of time thinking about whether I could see myself having a future with you."
Ryota's eyes lifted toward her.
Rio's cheeks became faintly pink.
"I've considered it. More than once. I've imagined what it might be like if we actually started dating instead of pretending to be a couple."
She paused, embarrassed by how openly she was admitting it.
"And... I don't hate the idea."
Ryota remained silent, allowing her to continue.
"But there's still a part of me that's hesitant."
His expression softened, although the disappointment hadn't completely disappeared.
"...Hesitant?"
Rio nodded.
"Yes."
Ryota looked at her carefully.
"What do you mean?"
Rio took a slow breath before answering.
"I trust you, Ryota."
She spoke with more certainty this time.
"More than anyone else, honestly. You're probably the person I trust the most."
Ryota's eyes widened slightly.
Rio continued, a little more comfortably now that she had begun.
"I know you wouldn't deliberately hurt me. I know you wouldn't betray me just because things became inconvenient. And I know that if I needed help, you'd probably do something incredibly stupid to get me out of trouble."
Ryota blinked.
"...That last part doesn't sound very flattering."
"It isn't supposed to be."
"Right."
Rio looked away briefly, but the faint smile on her face disappeared as she returned to the subject.
"But even knowing all of that, I'm still scared."
Her voice grew quieter.
"Part of me is still hurt by what happened with Royal Knights."
Ryota's expression became serious.
Rio stared at the blanket resting across her lap. Her fingers slowly tightened around its edge as she gathered the courage to explain something she had rarely allowed herself to discuss.
"I know I've moved on. I've accepted that the guild is gone from my life, and I've already started building something new with Crowned Era. I don't regret not joining them this time."
She paused, swallowing.
"But Royal Knights meant everything to me."
Her fingers tightened a little more.
"I spent fifteen years of my life with that guild. I helped build it. I fought for it. I gave up so many things because I believed in the people there. I thought that if I kept working hard enough, if I continued supporting everyone, we'd always have a place where we could stand together."
Her voice remained steady, but there was a faint tremor beneath it.
"I trusted them. I thought that no matter what happened, we'd always stand together."
Rio lowered her head.
"And then I lost it."
Ryota didn't move.
He remembered what she had told him about her previous life. He knew how much Royal Knights had mattered to her, and he understood that the betrayal had been more than simply losing a guild position. It had taken away something she had devoted most of her life to.
Rio swallowed before continuing.
"I know a relationship isn't the same thing as a guild. I understand that. But..."
She looked toward him, her eyes carrying an uncertainty she rarely showed.
"There's a part of me that's afraid that if I commit myself to something again, I'll lose it."
Her gaze fell to her hands.
"I'm scared of letting someone become that important to me, only for something bad to happen and take them away. I know nobody can promise that everything will be fine forever, but after what happened, I can't help thinking about it."
She drew a slow breath.
"I don't want to experience that again. I don't want to put my heart into something, build a future around it, and then suddenly find out that everything I believed in is gone."
Rio looked at Ryota.
"And because of that, I'm afraid of committing to a relationship."
The room fell quiet.
Ryota listened without interrupting. For a few seconds, he simply watched her, taking in every word. He could see how difficult it had been for her to say all of that aloud. Rio was usually the person who made decisions, gave instructions, and carried the weight of everyone else's expectations. Admitting that she was frightened was probably harder for her than she wanted him to know.
Finally, he nodded slowly.
"...I understand."
Rio blinked.
"You do?"
Ryota nodded again.
"Yeah."
He lowered his gaze.
"I can't pretend I know exactly what it feels like. I wasn't the one who spent fifteen years building Royal Knights. I didn't put everything I had into that guild, and I wasn't the one who had it taken away."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"But I understand why you'd be afraid of losing something important again. And I don't want you to force yourself into something you're not ready for."
Rio's expression softened slightly.
Ryota gave her a small smile.
"So if you're not ready, that's okay."
He shifted his weight, preparing to stand.
"I don't want you to feel like you owe me a relationship just because I asked you out. I meant what I said yesterday. I want to get to know you better, but I don't want you to feel pressured into giving me something you aren't comfortable with."
He placed one hand against the mattress.
"I'll still be here, Rio. Whether you accept or reject me, nothing has to change between us."
But before he could get off the bed—
"Ryota."
He stopped.
Rio looked at him.
"Sit down."
He blinked.
"...Huh?"
"I'm not finished."
Ryota stared at her for a moment, then slowly sat back down.
"...Okay."
Rio looked away. Her cheeks were becoming noticeably red now, and she seemed to be struggling with something entirely different from the fear she had just explained.
She pressed her lips together before taking another breath.
"There's something else."
Ryota waited.
"Even though I can't commit to a proper relationship with you right now..."
She paused, twisting a small section of the blanket between her fingers.
"...I think it would be selfish of me to make my entire decision based on my fears."
Ryota's eyes widened slightly.
Rio continued, her voice becoming quieter.
"I don't want to reject you just because I'm scared. That wouldn't be fair to you, and it wouldn't be fair to myself either."
She took a moment to collect her thoughts.
"Because..."
Her voice faltered.
"...because I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious."
Ryota blinked.
Rio swallowed.
"I'm curious about what might happen between us."
She finally looked at him.
"I want to know what it would be like if we went out together. If we spent time with each other without pretending it was for some other reason. If we actually tried to see where our feelings might lead."
Her cheeks turned even redder, but this time she didn't immediately look away.
"I'm not saying I know what the future will look like. I don't. And I still have things I need to work through. I can't promise that I'll suddenly understand everything about my feelings after one date."
She drew a small breath.
"But a part of me wants to find out."
Ryota stared at her.
For a moment, he didn't seem to understand what she had just said. His expression remained frozen, as though he was carefully replaying her words to make certain he hadn't misunderstood them.
Then his eyes widened, and his lips parted slightly.
"...You mean that?"
His voice was almost a whisper.
Rio blinked.
Ryota leaned forward a little, as though he was afraid he might have misunderstood her.
"You really mean that?"
There was something in his expression that Rio hadn't expected. He looked hopeful, almost painfully so. The disappointment that had appeared when she first told him she wasn't ready had begun to fade, replaced by an emotion he was having trouble hiding.
Rio's face immediately heated up.
"...Dummy."
She looked away.
"Why are you crying?"
"I'm not crying."
"You absolutely are."
"I'm just..."
Ryota quickly rubbed one eye with the back of his hand.
"...Something got in it."
Rio stared at him.
"We're inside."
He gave an embarrassed laugh, but his eyes were still a little wet.
Rio covered part of her face with one hand.
"...You're hopeless."
She lowered her hand and looked at him again. She knew she needed to finish what she had started saying. Otherwise, she would probably spend another entire night regretting it.
"Listen, Ryota."
He straightened slightly.
Rio took a breath.
"I'm not ready to call you my boyfriend. I don't want us to rush into a relationship just because we've gotten close or because you confessed to me. I need time to understand what I feel, and I need to know that I can move forward without letting my past decide everything for me."
She paused.
"But I don't want to close that door, either."
Ryota's expression softened.
Rio looked down, then slowly raised her eyes toward him.
"You're the only boy I can honestly imagine trying this with."
She immediately looked away, embarrassed by how direct the words sounded.
"And you're the only boy I can honestly say I trust this much. I don't know whether what I feel is love yet. I won't pretend that I do. But I care about you, and I want to understand why being with you has become so important to me."
She twisted the blanket between her fingers again.
"So... I'd like us to take things one step at a time. No pressure to become a couple immediately. No pretending that everything is already decided. Just the two of us, getting to know each other in a different way."
She paused, then finally managed to say the words she had been trying to reach since the conversation began.
"Would you go on a date with me, Ryota?"
Silence filled the room.
Ryota stared at her.
Rio's face was now bright red, and she immediately looked away, unable to maintain eye contact.
"...There. That's my answer."
She pulled the blanket slightly closer to herself, as though it could somehow protect her from the embarrassment.
"Talking about these kinds of things with you is already embarrassing enough. You don't need to stare at me like that."
Ryota didn't answer immediately.
His eyes were still wet.
He had expected Rio to say no. He had prepared himself for her to tell him that she wasn't ready, and he had genuinely intended to accept that answer without making her feel guilty. He would have understood. He would have remained her friend.
But he hadn't expected this.
He hadn't expected her to tell him that she was curious about their future. He hadn't expected her to say that he was the only boy she could imagine trying this with.
And he certainly hadn't expected her to ask him on a date herself.
For once, Ryota seemed to have completely run out of words.
Rio glanced at him.
"...Ryota?"
He finally blinked.
"Sorry."
He let out a small, unsteady laugh.
"I just... I wasn't expecting you to say that."
"Well, I wasn't expecting you to confess to me, either."
"That's fair."
Ryota lowered his head for a moment, trying to regain his composure. When he looked at her again, his smile was different from the one he usually wore. It was quieter and more genuine, without the usual teasing mischief.
"Thank you, Rio."
She blinked.
"For what?"
"For giving me a chance."
Rio's expression softened.
"...Don't thank me yet. You still have to prove that asking me out was a good idea."
Ryota chuckled.
"I'll do my best."
"You'd better."
He looked at her for another moment before hesitating.
"...Rio?"
"What?"
"Can I hug you?"
Rio froze.
Her cheeks immediately became even redder.
"...Huh?"
Ryota looked embarrassed himself, but he didn't take the question back.
"Just a hug," he clarified. "If that's okay."
Rio lowered her eyes.
For a few seconds, she said nothing. She wasn't used to this—not from him, and certainly not in this way. Their usual interactions were filled with arguments, teasing, and the occasional ridiculous misunderstanding. Even when they were physically close, there was usually some practical reason behind it.
This was different.
It was a simple request, but it carried a meaning she couldn't quite ignore.
Finally, she released a small sigh.
"Dummy..."
She looked at him again.
"You really are taking your chances."
Ryota gave a nervous smile.
"...A little."
Rio shook her head. After another moment, she nodded.
"Fine."
Her voice was quiet.
"But just this once. Don't get used to it."
Ryota's expression brightened.
"Okay."
Rio pointed at him immediately.
"And don't misunderstand what this means."
"I won't."
"You still have to show me that I can trust you with something like a relationship."
Ryota nodded.
Rio looked away.
"I'm still scared, remember?"
"I know."
"So you'll have to be patient."
"I can do that."
Rio narrowed her eyes.
"Don't answer too quickly. You have no idea how difficult I can be."
Ryota smiled.
"I think I've already figured that out."
"Ryota."
"Sorry."
Rio sighed, but the corner of her mouth lifted slightly.
"Good luck with that, then."
She hesitated before quietly adding, "I'm still a girl who's scared of getting hurt."
Ryota's expression softened.
"I know."
He didn't try to promise that he would never hurt her, or that nothing bad would ever happen between them. He knew those were promises no one could guarantee. Instead, he simply opened his arms and waited for her to decide whether she wanted to move closer.
Rio looked at him for a moment.
Then she leaned forward.
Ryota carefully wrapped his arms around her.
The hug was gentle. He didn't pull her too tightly or try to turn the moment into something more. He simply held her, allowing her to rest against him.
Rio's hands remained awkwardly suspended for a few seconds. She wasn't used to this kind of closeness, especially when it wasn't prompted by a joke or some practical necessity.
Eventually, she slowly placed her arms around his back.
Ryota lowered his head slightly.
Neither spoke.
The room remained quiet, filled only by the faint hum of the air conditioner and the distant sounds of the neighborhood waking outside. Rio could hear his heartbeat. It was steady, although slightly faster than usual.
She closed her eyes.
For once, she didn't feel the need to fill the silence with a complaint or a sarcastic remark. She didn't have to explain herself, defend her decision, or pretend that she wasn't nervous.
She simply stayed there.
And Ryota held her.
The embrace lasted for a while. Neither seemed particularly interested in being the first to let go.
Rio found herself thinking about what she had said. She was still afraid. The memories of Royal Knights hadn't disappeared overnight, and she knew that trusting someone with her feelings would take time. There was no guarantee that trying again would lead to something wonderful.
But perhaps that wasn't the point.
She had spent so long believing that the safest choice was to avoid anything that might hurt her again. After the betrayal, she had built walls around the parts of herself she didn't want anyone to touch. She had focused on Crowned Era, on Evermount, and on the future she wanted to create.
Those things still mattered.
But Ryota mattered, too.
And if she continued letting fear make every decision for her, she might eventually lose something without ever giving herself the chance to discover what it could have become.
For the first time, she allowed herself to consider that taking a chance didn't mean promising someone that nothing bad would ever happen.
Perhaps it simply meant deciding that the possibility of something good was worth exploring.
After several minutes, Rio finally began to pull away.
Ryota loosened his arms immediately, giving her space. He didn't try to hold her longer than she wanted.
She sat back and looked down, her face still bright red.
Ryota smiled at her.
Rio noticed.
"...What?"
"Nothing."
"You're smiling."
"Am I not allowed to?"
"Not when you're looking at me like that."
He laughed quietly.
Rio turned her face away.
"Dummy."
But the word lacked its usual bite.
She stood from the bed and brushed her hair back, trying to recover some of her usual composure. The conversation had taken more out of her than she had expected, and she could already feel the embarrassment returning now that they were no longer embracing.
Then she glanced toward the bathroom.
"Anyway, you should take a shower."
Ryota blinked.
"...Huh?"
"We both need to get ready."
He stared at her for a moment before slowly smiling.
"For the date?"
Rio's face immediately heated up again.
"...Obviously."
Ryota chuckled.
Rio pointed toward the bathroom.
"Go."
"Alright, alright."
He stood and began walking toward it, but before he could enter, Rio spoke again.
"And don't take forever."
Ryota looked over his shoulder.
"Why?"
"Because I still have to make breakfast."
He tilted his head.
"You're making breakfast?"
Rio folded her arms.
"Do you want to go on a date on an empty stomach?"
"...No."
"Then hurry up."
Ryota laughed.
"Got it."
He disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. A moment later, the sound of running water filled the room.
Rio remained standing beside the bed.
She touched her cheeks. They were still warm.
Then she looked toward the bathroom door and let out a quiet breath.
"...Honestly."
She shook her head, smiling despite herself.
"What am I supposed to do with that idiot?"
She turned toward the bedroom door and began making her way downstairs. The morning was still young. There was breakfast to prepare, a date to get ready for, and an entirely new kind of uncertainty waiting for her.
Yet, for the first time since Ryota had asked her that question, Rio no longer felt as though she needed to find every answer before taking the next step.
She hadn't promised to become his girlfriend. She hadn't claimed to be in love with him, either. There was still a great deal she needed to understand about herself and the feelings she had begun to develop.
But she had made one decision.
She was willing to give them a chance.
And for now, that was enough.
As Rio reached the stairs, she glanced back toward the bedroom one last time. The sound of the shower continued behind the closed bathroom door.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Well... I suppose I should make something nice for breakfast."
She paused, then quickly shook her head.
"Not that it has anything to do with the date."
There was no one around to hear her excuse.
Fortunately, that didn't stop her from making it anyway.
For the first time, the thought of what might happen between them no longer felt like something she needed to run away from.
It was something she wanted to discover.