I remember the first time I saw her—not when we met, but when I really saw her. We were kids then, building sandcastles and racing under the palm trees. But now, sitting beside Kairi on the bent paopu tree, watching the sun bleed into the sea, everything feels different. Her bare foot brushes mine, sending a jolt through me like lightning under skin.

She turns, her violet eyes catching the last light. 'Do you ever wonder if we were meant to find each other?' she asks, voice barely above the tide.

My throat tightens. I’ve dreamed about her—her laugh, her hands, the way she’d look at me if I ever dared to kiss her. But saying it out loud… that’s another world entirely.

'I think,' I say slowly, 'that maybe some things aren’t just fate. Maybe they’re choices.'

She leans closer, so close I feel her breath. 'Then choose me, Sora. Not because you have to—but because you want to.'

The wind stills. The waves hush. And all I can hear is my heartbeat, begging me to reach for her hand… or pull her into my arms.