Beautiful Moon

Chapter 08

Beautiful Moon

Chapter 08

Emotionally overwhelmed, I looked into Tsukasa's eyes, our gazes locked and our faces nearly touching. This was similar to the feeling I had experienced the day before when we had been close to each other by the river. My heart beat quicked and I felt my breath catching in my throat as I realized just how close we were and how deeply we were connecting in this moment.

We were locked in a gaze, one that I could not look away from.

It was undeniable that I felt a rush of emotions, from within myself and also from Tsukasa, as we remained locked in a powerful and prolonged stare, one that could surely not be easily broken nor denied. It seemed like a whirlwind of sensations and feelings, and it was growing stronger by the moment.

I was suddenly snapped out of my trance-like state by the sound of my own throat clearing, and that pulled me back into reality. I couldn't handle these newly discovered feelings toward Tsukasa, so I abruptly took a step back. The connection and closeness between us had become suddenly overwhelming for me, and I knew that, for my own well-being and peace of mind, I needed to remove myself from the situation and distance my mind and my heart. "We really should get back to the others," I spoke awkwardly, feeling how intense and real the situation had become. I was not in the state of mind nor did I have the capacity to deal with the sudden and abrupt development of the situation between us. Although my behavior and actions appeared outwardly normal, my heart was still pounding from the intensity of the situation that I had allowed myself to engage in. I shook my head as if attempting to rid myself of the thoughts and the lingering feelings and sensations that were filling me from the inside.

"Mizuki..." Tsukasa spoke softly, trying to reach me.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sensation of Tsukasa's hand on mine as he gently brushed his fingers over mine, and my mind froze. I looked up at him, noticing his soft and gentle but determined gaze, and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks and my heart beat faster as I realized the implications behind his actions and gestures. I instinctively tried to pull my hand back from his touch, but the soft firmness with which he grasped onto my fingers made it difficult for me to extricate myself from his hold. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I pull away from him? My efforts to pull away from him became futile and in the end I allowed my hand to remain captured in his grip, my fingers intertwined between his, as our palms touched, and our fingertips remained entwined in each other, my hand softly cupped within his. This was the first time he had touched me willingly, unlike the other time while trying to save me from the river. Despite my best judgment that I should have pulled away, I welcomed it.

I felt myself growing weak and lost in his gaze, as the overwhelming sensation of the moment consumed me, consuming my thoughts and filling me with a wave of emotions. I needed to stop this interaction, this moment between us two, before it became too much and something irreversible occurred. I was finding myself becoming more and more drawn into the situation, and I knew that I was on dangerous grounds. I needed to pull myself together and act with a more objective and balanced mindset.

I finally managed to stop myself from giving in to the temptation that was enveloping us and moved away from him, extricating my hand from his, and taking several steps back, placing some distance between us two. "I need to go..."

Tsukasa was silent in response to me, which I took as an indication of his realization that we had become a bit too close and needed to respectfully refrain from taking things further. I began to walk back to the village after turning and breaking away from the intense interaction, attempting to slow my heart down and bring my emotions and feelings back in control. Tsukasa followed close behind me, yet he was quiet, as we put distance between us once again.