She smiled back at him, relieved to hear that he was okay despite everything. It couldn't be easy to share all this with her, and yet he still decided it was important enough that it was worth it. That she was worth relying on. This gesture hadn't gone unnoticed, his presence, his trust, she wanted to return it tenfold, but she didn't know how to. ''There is no place I would rather be than here by your side.'' She squeezed his hand softly and looked into his eyes. In this moment it didn't matter that they were in the middle of a museum, her whole world was him, and him alone. ''Dumplings sound wonderful.'' She added with a smirk, already looking forward to her first dinner with him.

Then, before she knew it, he pulled her close. ''E-Enma..'' She felt her face light up as she glanced around, was anyone looking at them? It didn't look like it, but she couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious. However, all of that quickly melted as she wrapped her arms around him, leaning in to give him that hug she wanted to give him in the museum. ''This is all... A lot. You said earlier that you were feeling a lot. I am not good with words and emotions...'' She closed her eyes so she could focus on just the feeling of embracing him. Holding him close and hearing his gentle breathing. ''...But I am feeling a lot too.'' She broke away from the hug eventually and looked at him, but quickly averted her gaze again, feeling more shy than ever. She had never acted like this with anyone before.

Even on this hilltop with a gorgeous sunset ahead of them, she couldn't help but have her eyes glued to Enma. What was correct to say in a moment like this? They were looking at each other, but it didn't feel weird or intrusive at all. Maybe she should give him a compliment? But how could she avoid making it sound too sappy, or too technical. Talking about his eyes she would most definitely sound like a hopeless romantic, but reaffirming that he was a great swordsman would feel too out of place. Maybe it was just best to let this moment exist as is, enchanting and idyllic, the sort of moments she only ever dared dream could happen to her. Until he broke the silence...

''Kiss me?''

She felt something jump in her chest. As if it couldn't get any better he... He wanted to kiss her? ''I-If you insist.'' She stuttered out in her mix of nervousness and excitement, before elaborating. ''I mean- yes... Um...'' She looked down at her hands for a moment, Enma's face, his question, it was so spellbinding that she needed to look away for a moment. ''Yes you may. I want to kiss you too, but I don't know... how...'' She blurted out the last part, turning to look up at him before leaning in closer, her face, her heart, her whole body and soul burning. She noted the feeling of his trembling hands and paused for a split second. Was he scared too? But there was nothing to be worried about, right? She already liked him, she already wanted this. Every part of her was saying yes to his question, opening up to him. She smirked nervously as they got closer. This was really happening. Carefully, she put a hand up to cup his cheek, covering part of the mark on the side of his head. She accepted him for who he was, every part of him, even the scars and yet she so desperately wished she could wipe away the pain they had all brought him with a single wave of her hand.

As their noses touched she closed her eyes and let go of a small breath she didn't know she was holding. ''Sorry.'' She whispered, apologizing preemptively for being a bad kisser, then she slowly leaned in to kiss him.

enma

Not only were they kindred spirits in the positive things that their respective families had brought them, but in the negatives too. Looking over at him and seeing him cry, it tore at her heart and she couldn't help it as more tears made their way past her stoic facade. She looked down at the floor as he reassured her she would become a great hero too, a great smith. Hearing those words coming from him, she started believing it more and more. That she had potential, that she could become someone who was not only strong enough to protect others, but worthy of such a post.

She looked up at their hands as he brought them together, so warm and comforting. Then she looked at his face, her features softening as she let go of her stoic side completely. With Enma, she could let her guard down. ''I...'' She hadn't cried in front of anyone either. She couldn't even remember the last time something made her cry. ''To me you don't look foolish at all. Quite the contrary.'' Her throat burned, it was almost impossible to form complete sentences, to even know what to say in a situation like this, but she managed to speak from her heart regardless. She wanted to pull him in and hug him then and there, it felt right, but they were in public. Lowering her voice, she lifted one of her hands to gently wipe away his tears with her thumb. ''Are you feeling okay, Enma-kun?'' She asked him softly after his laugh. She wasn't certain, so the only way she could be sure was to just ask him. Taking his hand again, this time holding onto it more firmly, both to send a silent signal, to let him not only know, but feel that she was there, feel her presence and hopefully feel reassured by it. That, and she held onto him because he felt like her only lifeline in a storm of emotions.

''What are you feeling like having?'' She looked over at him as they exited the museum. ''After all that walking I wouldn't mind a big dinner.'' She smiled, trying to ease the tension of the emotional moment they had shared. ''But truthfully, I do not have a preference. I...'' She could feel her words failing her again. ''Any choice that you make I will be satisfied with.'' She wanted to say that it didn't matter what place they went to so long as she was with him, but somehow it felt too vulnerable to say it like that.

Was she really just thinking of Enma as a good friend, or was she really experiencing love?

enma

''I see.'' She smirked, turning back to the weapon rack. They were very agreeable, which made processing their commission all the more easy. She was so used to pushback, or her clients requiring something hyper specific that may or may not be feasible, but Momoiro was not only reasonable, they were entirely realistic with what they were looking to get. ''Let me draw up a quick sketch for you.'' She took a large piece of paper and a pen and put it on one of her work tables in the center. ''What we are looking at is most likely something like this.''

She quickly sketched up the scabbard at first, it was devoid of details, but it gave a good idea of the outline. Then she moved on to the ōdachi, once more finishing up a rudimentary version of what the final product would look like. ''How does this look? Making you a lighter weapon without sacrificing power will be quite easy, but there is one thing which we've yet to discuss, namely design.'' Something just as critical, if not more than the function itself. ''A warrior's soul is expressed in several parts. Their spirit, their weapon, and their looks.'' She looked over Momoiro. ''You strike me as the type who is familiar with aesthetics and fashion, Sakurai-san, do you have any preferences for the look of your weapon? Whatever vision you have in mind, I will do what I can to fulfill it.'' She fetched her own sword, Rosaria, which had a handle that looked like a red rose, with the blade coming out of the top of it. ''I myself use a rose aesthetic. It is the shared theme of all my weapons.'' She waited expectantly for their response, hoping that Momoiro would reply with something interesting.

Momoiro Sakurai

There was something endearing about Misaki's signature greeting, like a catchphrase that was hers alone and told you exactly who she was. ''...If you insist, Misaki-san. Forgive me I do not take to informal ways of addressing people very naturally.'' It was something she was self-conscious about, but the only reason she was expressing this doubt to Misaki to begin with was because she was close with her, probably closer than anyone else. Sure, she knew Ylva, but the two always kept a distance between them because there was a sense that any of her secrets or vulnerabilities that Ylva knew could be used as a weapon against her and vice versa.

''I have been well. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened if that was what you are thinking. Perhaps except for my quirk, it has been acting strange. Do you recall how I told you I could not activate it on command? I am starting to get a feeling for it again. It was not that my quirk was malfunctioning, but rather it was changing the conditions for its activation.'' She was gracefully avoiding the topic of her crush, or so she thought. ''How about yourself? I am here to supervise your supermove training today, and maybe learn some more about my own power. However, your development comes first. You already possess a formidable quirk, and who knows where you can take that with more practice?''

She didn't realize it, but in her ramble about her powers she completely neglected to mention her smithing work. Uh oh, that would be suspicious. ''I suppose I neglected to mention that I have been commissioned to make weapons. A pair of boots for Natesa Bee-san, a sword for Momoiro Sakurai-san and another sword for a third student.'' Who she deliberately didn't name, and Misaki would be none the wiser! ...Probably, that girl was scary perceptive sometimes. ''Between work and social obligations I have been quite busy.'' Usually her only 'social obligations' were with Ylva and Misaki, but lately she had been coming back from her workshop later, and going out early every morning to meet with Enma in the training fields.

In short, Masao Ando was the least suspicious student on campus.

Takanashi Misaki

She smirked at Jingjing's reaction. Thankfully she seemed easy to please, and wasn't going to report her to UAU or anything like that for acting so recklessly. ''Those horns,'' she looked at the top of Jingjing's head. ''Are they related to your quirk by chance? If I had to hazard a guess I would assume you are a mutation or transformation type. I myself am a transformation type, but I cannot demonstrate what I can do since I do not have a license and my quirk is quite flashy.'' It was regrettable, but she had done enough skirting around the rules for one day and she wasn't going to tempt fate any further. Who knew, there could be other students, or even faculty out here. It was a popular festival after all.

''Are you asking me for my opinion?'' She paused and looked around at the various stalls. ''At times like this, listening to your body and the signals it is sending you should be of utmost importance. Are you dehydrated? Perhaps it is time for a drink. If you are lacking sugar you should settle for something sweet, and if you need salt, obviously the savory option would be the one to go with. If you simply what a snack just for the sake of it, then go for what you like. I tend to be fond of savory snacks myself, but I am not in need of anything, so the choice is entirely yours to make, Fan-san.'' She looked down at her. ''Only you can make the correct choice.''

Jingjing

This whole ordeal was a lot more intense than she had imagined. She had read about dates, about romance, about love, but to actually be experiencing any of these things... She had a hard time determining what it was, but surely something this strong could only be love? She was no stranger to negative emotions, but she had never experienced positive emotions on this magnitude before. Looking at Enma, being with him, it made her indescribably happy. For the first time she had something to look forward to, someone she wanted to spend all her time around, and it was intoxicating.

When their hands touched she felt her shyness come to the forefront, barely able to look directly at him after she said what she did. All she was left with in those brief moments was the feeling. Their hands had never touched like this and yet, somehow it felt like they were always meant to. His hands were rough and comforting all at the same time, much more gentle than she had imagined. She snuck a glance at him, but looked away when he let out a small gasp. What was he feeling? What was he thinking? Was a fire raging inside of him too? She wasn't good at reading people, but he looked as relaxed and confident as ever to her. Wait, how did she look to him? She felt like a mess emotionally, processing so many things that it felt like her brain was firing off signals at light speed and it kept going. When they checked out the art exhibits she did her best to take-in her surroundings, although she had to admit she was mostly sneaking glances at him when he wasn't looking at her.

As they walked the floors she gradually got used to the feeling and she could finally feel some of the adrenaline leaving her and enjoy the moment. She was holding hands with Enma Arashi, walking around a museum, and she wanted it to last forever. If she could bottle up this moment, she would put it at her bedside table and experience it again and again every night so she could whisk herself away to that magical time when the world was brighter than she ever thought possible.

She was already looking at the painting before Enma started speaking. Not only was the detail immaculate, it was hauntingly beautiful. Perhaps selfishly, she couldn't help but see herself in it. The cage around the woman reminding her of her own upbringing, how she had been raised as a boy, given a boy's name and not been allowed to engage with anything feminine. She started detesting the fact that she was a woman, but by the time she got over it and was curious about exploring her feminine side again, she was so lost on what to do. Trapped, dazed, like someone had locked her in and thrown away the key. She glanced over at Enma again, her eyes seeking his. If she spent time with him... Maybe she could get better at discovering that side of herself.

Looking at the plaque to see who made the painting she froze as the dots connected, then he started speaking. She didn't say anything, but looked over at him as he spoke and gave him all her attention. In that moment, her heart, her soul, it was all his. As he continued she felt her heart hurt for him, her eyes growing more sympathetic as she squeezed his hand back and stroked the back of his hand slowly with her thumb. ''My condolences, Enma... Your sister was very talented, this painting is a lot more captivating than anything else on display here.'' She looked back up at the painting, basking in the details one more time. ''Thank you for sharing this with me.'' She blinked her eyes to hide a couple of tears that were forming. Enma was being so vulnerable, the thought of what he had been through, his trials and tribulations and losses until now, it was enough to tug at her heart strings. ''I am positive that you will become a great hero.'' She looked back down at him, smiling as she tried her best to be reassuring. ''And... I want to help you achieve that goal.'' She felt a little self-conscious at how sappy she was getting. ''E-Even if it takes years, um... Your resolve is admirable, I want you to know if you ever need anything.'' She looked down at the floor, her face turning beet red again. ''I'm- I'm here for you.'' She finally got there even if she was incredibly awkward in the process. Still, she hoped she was able to communicate her message clearly.

As they walked and looked at more displays she gave his hand another careful squeeze. ''This is nice, Enma-kun. I feel like I understand you a little better.'' She still didn't know what a textbook good first date was supposed to be, but this? Her time with Enma? As far as she was concerned this was the perfect first date. Still, from the secret he revealed earlier she couldn't help but worry again. With the same sympathy she looked at him. ''How are you feeling?''

enma