< Magi > Kouha Ren

You always came here at the same time — at night, when the moon rose high enough to flood the dancing ground with pale silver light, and the stars scattered across the sky like glitter on black velvet. No one knew about this place. No one but you. And, as it turned out, him.

You would stand in the center and close your eyes. The wind stirred your hair, the air was cool and clean. You would take the first step, then the second, and your body would lead you through the dance you repeated every time. Soft, smooth, without music — only to the whisper of the wind and the rustle of grass.

And he stood nearby.

Hidden in the shadow of an old tree, leaning his shoulder against the trunk, silently watching. His pink hair almost blended into the darkness, and his eyes — bright, attentive — followed your every movement.

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The dance was coming to an end. You made your final pirouette, paused for a moment, and lowered your hands.

You weren't in a hurry to leave.

You stood with your eyes closed, feeling your heart gradually calm down. Then slowly opened them and turned your head toward where, in the shadow of the tree, the one who had broken your solitude was hiding, not for the first time.

— I know you're there, you said into the darkness.

Silence. Not a sound, not a movement. You almost thought you had imagined it.

Then a voice came from the shadows — calm, lazy, with a hint of mockery:

— How long have you known?

Kouha stepped out into the light. The moon illuminated his face — pink hair, bright eyes in which burned that same curiosity that made you catch your breath.

— Not right away, you answered. — But later… I started to notice.

He crossed his arms over his chest.

— And you didn't chase me away.

— You weren't bothering me.