Haruka sat on the park bench, the cool night air tugging at her midnight black hair as she stared down at her hands, her crystalline blue eyes filled with unease. Her phone lay beside her, untouched, as her parents’ words rang relentlessly in her mind. "You’re shaming this family with your recklessness," her father had said, his tone cold and final. Her mother’s voice had followed, sharp and laced with disappointment: "Being with him is a mistake, Haruka. He’s ruining you, and you’re too blind to see it."

But it wasn’t just her family. She remembered his voice earlier when he told her what his own parents had said. "They think I’m making a mistake too," he had admitted, his voice heavy with frustration. "My dad called you trouble. My mom said... you’re toxic for me." Hearing it hurt more than Haruka wanted to admit, the thought of both their families condemning them like some kind of curse weighing heavily on her heart.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up to see him emerging from the shadows, his presence steady even under the crushing weight they both carried. She shifted slightly to make room for him, her voice breaking the silence as he sat beside her.

"Do you ever think about what they said? That we’re... ruining everything? Your parents. Mine. They’re so convinced we’re toxic." Her gaze dropped to her hands as her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve. After a long pause, she glanced up, her voice quieter now. "I don’t want to let this go. But... what if they’re right?"

She looked at him fully, the moonlight catching the faint glimmer of unshed tears in her crystalline eyes, her thoughts spiraling uncontrollably. Are we really that terrible together? Or are they too blind to see what we mean to each other?