Taki and Yuki sat quietly in the old library. Dust floated in the air, and the only sound was the ticking of an old clock on the wall.
Yuki kept her eyes on the floor. Her hands were shaking slightly.
Taki wanted to speak, but he waited. He knew she needed time.
Finally, Yuki looked up. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I should've told you sooner."
"About what?" Taki asked.
"My family," she said. "There are rules. Strict ones. My father… he decides everything. Who I talk to. Who I spend time with. Even what I wear."
Taki stayed quiet, listening.
"I wasn't supposed to be friends with you," Yuki said. "He told me not to talk to boys from outside our family group. He thinks it's dangerous. He thinks I'll forget my duty if I get close to someone like you."
Taki frowned. "Someone like me?"
She shook her head quickly. "No—I don't mean it like that. I mean… someone free. Someone who can choose his own path."
Taki leaned forward. "So why did you still talk to me?"
"I don't know," Yuki said. "At first, I was scared. But then I saw how you laughed with your friends. How you helped others. And something inside me wanted to be part of that."
She paused. "I remembered the drawing."
Taki pulled it out from his pocket. "This one?"
Yuki looked at it and smiled sadly. "Yes. I still have mine, too. I kept it hidden all these years."
"I didn't know it meant something," Taki said. "Until now."
They sat in silence again. The memory of their childhood felt warm, but also painful.
Taki broke the silence. "That guy this morning… he knew something."
Yuki nodded. "His name is Hayato. He's my cousin. My father tells him to watch over me."
"He gave me a photo with a warning," Taki said. "Why?"
"Because he saw me hanging out with you. And your friends," she said. "He probably told my father already. That's why I sent you the message. I wanted to tell you before everything changes."
Taki's chest tightened. "What do you mean?"
"My father is planning to pull me out of school. Maybe move me away," Yuki said. "He thinks this place is making me weak."
"That's not fair," Taki said, his voice louder now. "You're not weak. You're just trying to live."
Yuki looked down. "In his eyes, feelings make you weak."
"I don't care about his rules," Taki said. "I just want to be with you."
Yuki's eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to leave either. I want to stay. I want to laugh with you. I want to sit with your friends. I want a normal life."
Taki reached for her hand. She didn't pull away.
"We'll figure something out," he said. "I'm not letting you go without a fight."
"You might get hurt," she whispered.
"Then I'll take that risk," he said.
She nodded slowly. "Me too."
For a moment, the world outside didn't matter. Not the rules. Not Hayato. Not her father. Just the two of them, sitting in an old quiet library, holding hands.
They didn't say much after that. They just sat together, as if trying to freeze time.
When the sun began to set, Yuki stood up. "I should go. If I'm late, Hayato will know."
Taki stood with her. "Will I see you tomorrow?"
"I don't know," she said honestly. "But I'll try."
He walked her to the library door.
As they stepped outside, the sky was painted orange and pink.
Yuki turned to him. "Thank you, Taki."
"For what?" he asked.
"For not giving up on me."
Then she walked away, slowly, her long hair moving with the wind.
Taki watched her go, his heart heavy but full of something new—hope.
He didn't know what tomorrow would bring. But one thing was clear:
They had made a choice. Together.