They were all at the park near Akari's house. Nova was guiding Akari through some light exercises, helping her train her legs and balance.
"Good… take it slow, don't rush," Nova said as he carefully watched her steps.
"Like this?" Akari asked, trying to walk more steadily.
"Yes, exactly! You're getting more stable now," Nova replied with a warm smile.
Meanwhile, Lumina and Tomo were having fun at the playground. Lumina sat on the slide, laughing as Tomo gently pushed her.
"Hahaha… you're still fast, Lumina!" Tomo shouted, holding back laughter.
"Hahaha… don't underestimate me! I can still enjoy this!" Lumina replied as she slid down again, laughing brightly.
The two of them moved to the seesaw, cheering every time it went up and down, filling the area with laughter.
On another bench, Haru, Arou, and Shion sat casually, chatting while watching their friends. Airi sat on a nearby bench, calm on the outside, but her eyes kept following Akari as she trained.
Not long after, Airi's phone vibrated. She glanced at the screen, smiled slightly, and answered.
"Hello… sis?" she greeted.
On the other end, her older sister Chika's voice came through—playful and merciless.
"Oh? Hmm… looks like you're on a date with Arou, huh? Be careful… don't let me find out too much!"
Airi froze, her face instantly turning red, her hands trembling.
"Eh—n-no! We're just… at the park!" she stammered.
Chika laughed mischievously.
"Oh, don't act innocent! I can hear it in your voice—you're totally panicking!"
Then she added teasingly,
"You've been out for a long time, Airi… don't tell me you're doing something weird."
Airi's face turned even redder.
"H–hey! What do you mean?!" she almost shouted, flustered.
Chika laughed again.
"Hehe… maybe I'll tell Mom and Dad~"
Airi panicked.
"W-wait! What are you doing?! Don't say weird things to them!" she said nervously.
Finally, Airi ended the call, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself.
Arou looked at her curiously, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?" he asked gently.
Airi quickly shook her head.
"N-no, I'm fine," she replied, her voice still trembling.
Arou watched her for a moment, then smiled softly.
"Alright… but if you feel unwell, just tell me, okay?"
Airi nodded, calming down little by little.
"Yeah… thank you, Arou," she murmured, glancing at him before looking away shyly.
Meanwhile, Akari continued training with Nova, her steps growing steadier. Lumina and Tomo kept playing, laughing freely, while Haru and Shion remained on the bench, occasionally cheering for Akari.
"Good, Akari! See? You're walking more steadily now," Nova said proudly.
Akari smiled shyly, her eyes shining.
"Thank you… I feel stronger now."
On the nearby bench, Arou leaned slightly toward Airi.
"Earlier… you sounded upset. What happened?" he asked softly.
Airi looked down, her face still flushed.
"I was just… being teased by Chika," she said quietly.
Arou smiled faintly.
"Oh… your sister, huh?"
Airi nodded.
"Yeah."
Arou looked at her, curious.
"So… how did she tease you?"
Airi's face turned red again.
"It's nothing…"
Arou leaned a little closer, gentle but firm.
"Come on… tell me," he said, his eyes full of concern.
Airi took a deep breath and softly explained everything, her voice barely above a whisper.
When she finished, she kept her head down, still embarrassed.
Arou exhaled slowly.
"So… your sister really is mischievous," he said with a small, warm smile.
Airi nodded.
"Yeah… she's crazy sometimes. I don't know whether to laugh or get annoyed," she murmured.
Arou leaned slightly closer.
"So… you're not too upset about it?" he asked gently.
Airi looked at him, then smiled faintly.
"I'm just embarrassed… but I'm glad I could tell you," she said softly.
Arou smiled, his own face slightly red.
"Yeah… I'm glad you trust me."
Airi lowered her gaze again, hiding a shy smile.
"So… don't tease me, okay?" she whispered.
Arou chuckled and gently patted her shoulder.
"Don't worry… I won't tease you. But I might stay curious," he said with a warm smile.
---
The park felt bright and warm. After watching Akari train and everyone playing, Airi felt thirsty and decided to buy drinks.
"I'm going to get something to drink," she said, standing up.
Arou looked at her, slightly hesitant.
"I'll come with you."
Airi shook her head casually.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry."
Arou smiled and gave in.
"Alright… be careful," he said as he watched her walk away.
Airi walked calmly, her eyes focused ahead. She planned to buy drinks not just for herself, but for everyone—eight in total, each according to their preferences.
After a short walk, two thugs suddenly appeared, blocking her path.
"Hey, pretty… where are you going?" one of them said mockingly.
Airi looked at them without hesitation, her expression calm though her heart tightened.
"Don't bother me," she replied shortly.
The thug laughed and suddenly slapped her roughly, forcing her to hold her breath. Her face tightened, her lips trembled, and tears almost formed from the pain.
"Let me go!" she shouted, her voice firm but strained.
The other thug laughed as well, trying to intimidate her further.
"You think acting tough will scare us?"
Airi endured the pain, her body trembling slightly, but her gaze remained sharp. She refused to show weakness.
Suddenly—
Arou, who had been following from a distance, rushed forward.
"That's enough!" he shouted firmly, glaring at them.
The thugs were startled and stepped back. Arou moved forward, ready to confront them.
Airi looked at him in relief, her face still red and trembling, but her heart finally felt safe.
The thugs eventually backed off and left, realizing they couldn't mess with her.
Airi took a deep breath, her body still shaking slightly, then gave Arou a small smile.
"Thank you… Arou," she whispered.
Arou gently patted her shoulder.
"You're okay now. Don't worry… I'll always be there if someone bothers you," he said softly.
Airi nodded, calming herself. Though her face was still red, her heart felt lighter.
She continued toward the shop—this time focused on buying eight drinks for everyone waiting back at the park.