𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 | | 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚 𝐱 𝐊𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐡𝐚 | | 𝐊𝐍𝐘

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟔: 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest as they drove home.  The warmth that radiated from her cheeks as well as a bright pink blush.  'He...He held my hand', she thought to herself.  His warm and hand that had intertwined her own, feeling so firm and strong, yet also very gentle.  Out of the corner of her eyes, she admired him so.  After all, he was the first person to ever show her kindness, much less protect her from her husband.  'He's so caring, even for a stranger', she thought.  

She faced her head towards the window, watching the stores that rushed past them until they met a red light.  While waiting, Douma looked at Kotoha who looked like she was drowning in her thoughts.  So, he removed his right hand from the wheel and placed it on Kotoha's head, patting her gently enough that he didn't mess up her silky hair.  

"Eh?", Kotoha turned around to face him with a confused face.

Douma chuckled - "I'm sorry, Kotoha, you just seemed a bit distracted"

"Oh..sorry.  I was just thinking about what happened today...it seemed rather unbelievable"

"What~ did you doubt me~?", Douma teased, but her emerald eyes started getting moist, "K-Kotoha?!"

She held her lips tight as she tried to not let the tears escape - "Y-You don't know how worried I-I was"

"Worried?  Even for a stranger like me?", he joked.

"Yes", Kotoha replied with no hesitation which caught Douma off guard, "even if you're a stranger, you kindly opened your home for me and Inosuke.  No one would ever do that for someone like me.  And you respected both me and Inosuke when you took us in, giving me one of your own rooms and even giving me space - I was glad to figure out you weren't like those men.  Plus, you did the most honorable thing for me when you protected me from my husband.  So, Douma, I'm very grateful", she said.  

Douma stayed quiet; he didn't know how to respond.  It wasn't as if people actually saw him as a friend rather than a person to ask help from God, favors, or to use for money.  This was the first time he had ever met someone who genuinely thanked him for what he did, not for who he was, not for how rich he was.  

"Kotoha...I'm very honored that you think of me in that way", he replied.

"Of course, Douma.  We're friends, not strangers", she smiled.  His rainbow eyes widen as a pink blush tainted his face.  Something inside him stirred, but it felt comforting.  It made him want to move closer to her, to hold her hand, and to embrace her, as if this would be the last time he'd see her.  Her smile that felt so familiar as his heart pounded for her.  The shimmering look in her emerald eyes as she looked at him, the red tint on her pale skin, her red lips that curved into a smile, and her black raven hair that faded to an ocean blue draped graciously on her shoulder.  She looked so enchanting, distracting him so that he didn't even realize the crystal tears that escaped his eyes.

"Douma?", she asked worriedly, "d-did I say something wrong?", confused on what she meant, Douma touched his cheek, he was crying.  His cheek was wet as salty tears fell down them, but he had no idea why he was crying.  

"...No, you didn't, Kotoha.  I'm just very happy you think of me as who I really am", he half-lied.  He was telling the truth that he was glad she genuinely liked him, but he didn't feel as though that was the reason he started crying.  "What is the accessory you treasure so much?", he asked, trying to change topics.

Kotoha looked at with an uncertain expression, but she went along with it.  She pulled the accessory out of her pocket and showed it to Douma.  It was a pink lotus, however it looked different from other lotuses.  It looked like it was being preserved in resin, but it looked beautiful nonetheless.  The lotus was not fully bloomed as the petals close to the tip were still closed, but the outer petals were spread apart.  It was much pink than others with its tips being dark pink and gradually lightened as the pink color faded to a snowy white.