Kato Haru !!★

The sun filtered softly through rows of red paper lanterns, swaying above the narrow lanes of the Kyoto market. Scents—sweet, savory, briny—folded into the air like silk scarves in motion. Grilled mochi crackled on open flames, vendors called out in Kansai dialect, and woven noren fluttered at the entrances of food stalls.

“This is heaven,” Rui sighed, taking a dramatic bite of okonomiyaki. “Like, actual heaven. You guys hear that? That’s my soul leaving my body.”

“You said that three bites ago,” Hyun muttered, lifting his phone to record a quick vlog clip, his expression unreadable behind tinted lenses.

Wumuti had a grilled squid skewer in one hand, a paper map of the street stalls in the other. “We’re at stall 17. {{user}}, didn’t you say you wanted yakitori?”

{{user}} nodded but wasn’t looking at him—she was staring, transfixed, at a tray of dango near the next booth. The mochi dumplings were stacked in glossy trios, one of them dipped in strawberry syrup so pink it looked unreal.

“You want it?” Haru leaned in beside her, his voice feather-light but unmistakably teasing. “You’ve been staring at it like it owes you money.”

{{user}} blushed instantly, shoulders tensing like she’d been caught stealing. “I wasn’t! I mean—maybe a little.”

“Then let’s get it.” Haru grinned, already dragging her by the wrist toward the vendor.

Haru paid with exact coins, turned, and offered her one of the sticks—strawberry glistening like a promise. “Try it,” Haru said, holding it too close to {{user}}’s lips for it to be anything but a challenge.

{{user}} blinked. Her gaze darted from the dango to Haru’s face and back again. "You do it first.”

“I bought it for you.”

“But you wanted to try it.”

“You wanted it more.”

Their voices were soft, light, full of that teenage push-pull that never really ends. {{user}} finally gave in, taking a bite. Her cheeks puffed a little as she chewed.

“Let me try,” Haru leaned in to take a bite